Showing results by narrator "Aidan Kelly" in All Categories

Claire Keegan continues her outstanding work with this new collection of quietly wrenching stories of despair and desire in modern-day Ireland. A writer awarded a stay to work in Heinrich Böll's old cottage has her peace interrupted by an unwelcome intruder whose ulterior motives emerge as the night progresses. A priest waits at the altar to perform a marriage—and battles his memories of a love affair that led him to question all to which he has dedicated his life. And a man seeks solace at the bottom of a bottle as he mourns both his empty life and his lost love.

In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks—young Trian and old Cormac—he rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. In such a place, what will survival mean?

It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him—and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church. The long-awaited new work from the author of Foster, Small Things Like These is an unforgettable story of hope, quiet heroism and tenderness.

Caught smuggling half a million euros’ worth of cocaine, Paul Keany was sexually assaulted by Venezuelan anti-drugs officers before being sentenced to eight years in the notorious Los Teques prison outside Caracas. There he was plunged into a nightmarish world of coke-fuelled killings, gun battles, stabbings, extortion and forced hunger strikes until finally, just over two years into his sentence, he gained early parole and embarked on a daring escape from South America . . .

Thomas McNulty, having fled the Great Famine in Ireland and now barely 17 years old, signs up for the US Army in the 1850s and with his brother in arms, John Cole, goes to fight in the Indian Wars - against the Sioux and the Yurok - and, ultimately, in the Civil War. Orphans of terrible hardships themselves, they find these days to be vivid and alive, despite the horrors they see and are complicit in. Moving from the plains of Wyoming to Tennessee, Sebastian Barry's latest work is a masterpiece of atmosphere and language.

Celebrate the magic and warmth of the holiday season with The Essential Christmas Collection, a curated anthology of timeless stories that capture the spirit of Christmas. From classic tales of generosity and joy to heartfelt moments of reflection, this collection will transport you to a world where miracles and Christmas cheer come to life. This enchanting compendium is perfect for cosy winter nights, family gatherings, and anyone seeking to rekindle the true meaning of Christmas. Enjoy these classic tales that have delighted generations and continue to bring joy year after year.

Fintan O'Toole was born in 1958. His life covers Ireland's journey out of underdevelopment and domination by the Church, to the country's transformation into the relatively prosperous and tolerant society that it is today. But, along the way, there was a sectarian civil war in the North, which cast a dark shadow over the whole island, and bitter struggles for intellectual, civil and sexual freedoms. This is a very personal history by a writer who is considered by many to be the country's leading public intellectual.

Brian Pennie shouldn’t be alive today. His drug addiction was so bad that he was deemed too much of a risk for detox. Determined to confront his demons, he went cold turkey at home. On 8 October 2013, he was finally clean after 15 years of heroin addiction and something extraordinary happened: the world suddenly became beautiful. Given a second chance at life, he devoured every minute of it. Bit by bit he rebuilt his world, returning to university to study neuroscience in a bid to understand the source of his suffering.

A long-haired woman moves into the priest's house and sets fire to his furniture. That Christmas, the electricity goes out. A forester mortgages his land and goes off to a seaside town looking for a wife. He finds a woman eating alone in the hotel. A farmer wakes half-naked and realises the money is almost gone. And in the title story, a priest waits on the altar for a bride and battles, all that wedding day, with his memories of a love affair.

Struggling to cope with a tragic loss, Denis has, for the past seven years, learned to live differently. His friends are used to his strict routines. His forlorn mother puts up with his strange “no touching” antics, even though all she wants is a hug from her son. Really, the only problem is the four monsters he has for roommates. Then Rebecca, Denis’ enigmatic ex-girlfriend, returns. Shocked to meet the new Denis - a broken man, unable to manage even the most basic social interactions - she becomes fixated on bringing back the funny, charismatic man she once loved.

Economic recovery, ever closer European involvement and Anglo-Irish highs were followed by Brexit lows and fresh talk of Irish unity. As the Republic enters its second century of independence, Diarmaid Ferriter tries to make historical sense of post-1990s Ireland - and what lies in the darkest corners of its archives.

A gripping investigation into one of Irish history's greatest mysteries, Great Hatred reveals the true story behind one of the most significant political assassinations to ever have been committed on British soil. On 22 June 1922, Sir Henry Wilson—the former head of the British army and one of those credited with winning the First World War—was shot and killed by two veterans of that war turned IRA members in what was the most significant political murder to have taken place on British soil for more than a century.

For the past two decades, you could cross the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic half a dozen times without noticing or, indeed, without turning off the road you were travelling. It cuts through fields, winds back and forth across roads and wends from the mouth of the Newry River to the mouth of the Foyle. It's frictionless - a feat sealed by the Good Friday Agreement. Before that, watchtowers loomed over border communities, military checkpoints dotted the roads and bridges had been demolished to prevent crossings.

The James Joyce Collection includes Joyce's 2 most celebrated novels, short fiction from Dubliners, and a selection of his poetry. Read by a wonderful Irish cast of Aoife McMahon, Aidan Kelly, and Stephen Hogan.

It's Dublin, June 1995, the hottest summer since records began. But Billy Sweeney, a middle-aged salesman with a failed marriage, a faltering career and a tumbledown house, has more than weather on his mind. His youngest daughter lies in a coma in hospital following a mysterious attack on the petrol station where she worked. Devastated by the unfolding consequences of that hot, violent night, frustrated by officialdom and failed by the system, Billy finally tires of seeking legal justice. He decides to take the law into his own hands..

Keith Barry is the world's leading TV hypnotist, mentalist and brain hacker. With skills that have been showcased on more than 40 international television shows, he has mastered the unique ability to hack into people's minds and rewire their subconscious. If you feel you are stuck in any sort of a rut or need help in life - whether that’s in your career, your finances, your personal life, your professional life or anything else - this audiobook will help you to move forward. When you master these methods, you too can programme your mind to have all the success you desire!

Tensions arise between detectives when a kidnapping is upgraded to a murder investigation. When an incompetent local crook makes a botched attempt at a kidnap, it should be a wrap for the Galway police. Unfortunately, Maureen Lyons’ first case in charge as Detective Inspector threatens to be a wash out as a series of mishaps lets the prime suspect slip through the Garda’s fingers.

It is only a passing comment in the post office in a remote part of Western Ireland that alerts police to the disappearance of Davin Faherty. But foul play is established when his unceremoniously wrapped corpse turns up in a bog. His brother falls under suspicion, but why kill over a near-useless piece of grazing land? DI Maureen Lyons leads the investigation but relies on trusty Mulholland, the old-school local policeman stationed in Clifden, for the legwork. She has other problems: an illegal cannabis farm and a prospector from a US minerals company who won't take no for an answer.

DI Maureen Lyons investigates a difficult case of foul play. The show is under way, but the gaiety is brought to an abrupt halt with the discovery of a dead man in a horsebox. Whilst the teenaged owner of the horse runs off in fright, detectives are quickly dispatched to investigate what is soon established as murder. Given the suspicious activity of the organisers, and the peculiar occupation of the victim, the Irish police have a conundrum on their hands.

It is with a certain trepidation that the local garda approach a car stuck out on Ballyconneely Beach gradually becoming swamped by the rising tide. And the police’s worst fears are confirmed when they find it contains the body of a young woman. When the post-mortem indicates the death was the result of foul play, the girl’s family is interviewed and her room searched. After the discovery of a USB stick that appears to be evidence of corruption within the Council’s planning department, the investigation begins to centre on an architectural firm.