What's the most famous book set in each County of Ireland?

Azebra

I am looking for the most famous or best book set in each county in Ireland e.g. Ulysses is probably the most famous book set in Dublin. I suppose it can be novels, plays, biography. no rules really.

Cheers.

UsedToWait

Co. Leitrim - Amongst Women, John McGahern

Joe_ Public

Think they are two separate, distinct categories there:

For example most famous literary work set in Co Kerry is probably Peig Sayers. Best is somethign from John B Keane, maybe Sive.

Most famous from Co Monaghan is The Butcher Boy, having a film made of it, but best by far (imho anyway) is Patrick Kavanagh's epic The Great Hunger.

buck65

Edna O Brien - The Country Girls , set in East Clare I believe, well Edna is from there so I assume that is the setting.

echo beach

Lots of books are set in Donegal but none really stands out as a classic.
Most famous, or certainly bestselling, is probably the Jim MCGuinness autobiography, Until Victory Always.
Funniest is No News at Throat Lake by Lawerence Donegal which is an account of his time working on a local paper there.

Joe_ Public

I liked Donegan's Four Iron In the Soul about his year caddying for a dour Scottish pro, but never got round to the Donegal one.

I would imagine Friel would be the man there if you take plays into account. I vaguely recall one or two Brian Moore novels set or partly set in Donegal too, loved reading Moore growing up.

lukegriffen

Laurence Donegan's golf book was great, but even better was his book about being a used-car salesman in usa, california dreaming

this is my tuppence worth
Longford - Castle Rackrent - Edgeworth , the 1st irish modern novel (Goldsmith was also from Longford region, but never wrote about Ireland)
westmeath - the bend for home, dermot healy
monaghan - francie brady aka the butcher boy
derry - reading in the dark, seamus dean
sligo - contemporary - there are little kingdoms, kevin barry (otherwise Yeats)
wexford - you've colm toibin... dervla murphy wrote about practically except wexford
limerick - angela's ashes
waterford - molly keane ?
offaly - marina carr...

?????

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Dancing at Lughnasa would probably be the most well known for Donegal.

Brooklyn maybe for Wexford, off the back of the film anyway.

Noveight

Cork - The Last September

fisgon

Antrim (Belfast) - The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearn - Brian Moore, or Fat Lad - Glenn Patterson
Mayo - Beatlebone - Kevin Barry (there may be others more famous)
Waterford - Waterford Whispers News

Joe_ Public

Something by Colm Toibin probably be popular for Wexford alright, though my personal choice would be Troubles by JG Farrell

Tipperary: My Fight for Freedom - Dan Breen

me_right_one

Westmeath - Valley of the squinting windows

mewe

lukegriffen wrote:

westmeath - the bend for home, dermot healy

The Bend for Home is set in Cavan. You could have also chose a Dermot Healy novel for Sligo. Sudden Times is partly set there.

heathledgerlove

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Something by Colm Toibin probably be popular for Wexford alright, though my personal choice would be Troubles by JG Farrell

Tipperary: My Fight for Freedom - Dan Breen

Read Troubles a few years ago, absolutely loved it ! Setting by the Sea! I was going to say Amongst Women for Sligo, I think some of it is set there, recognized the streets they were driving through certainly

exaisle

buck65 wrote: »

Edna O Brien - The Country Girls , set in East Clare I believe, well Edna is from there so I assume that is the setting.

I thought it was set in "the big city", ie, Dublin, but that Cait and Baba were from (presumably) east Clare...

Water John

Tipp Knocknagow, Charles Kickam.
Cork The Tailor and Ansty, Eric Cross. Come what may, Donal Og Cusack
Best short story; My First Confession, Sean O Faolain.

Joe_ Public

heathledgerlove wrote: »

Read Troubles a few years ago, absolutely loved it ! Setting by the Sea! I was going to say Amongst Women for Sligo, I think some of it is set there, recognized the streets they were driving through certainly

Troubles is indeed a brilliant novel. I am inclined to think The Siege of Krishnapur is even better.

Xenji

For Mayo, maybe Ruby Flynn by Nadine Dorries.

KJ

Any suggestions for Louth?

Wyldwood

Water John wrote: »

Best short story; My First Confession, Sean O Faolain.

Frank O'Connor surely?

Joe_ Public

KJ wrote: »

Any suggestions for Louth?

Best can do is Thomas Kinsella - The Tain

cml387

The Valley Of The Squinting Windows is non specific as to the location, but is supposed to be Delvin.

Water John

Sorry for Frank O'Connor. Brainfart.

Yes, the author worked in the bank in Devlin.

The Midnight Court, By Brian Merriman, surely a shout for County Clare.

Das Kitty

Galway: Cre na Cille, Mairtin O Cadhain

Water John

Maybe, rather than just Peig, the group of writers on the Blaskets should be considered for the reflection of a people and a whole way of life. Kerry.

goose2005

Kildare - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Mayo - The Wild Irish Girl

goose2005

Kildare - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Mayo - The Wild Irish Girl

goose2005

KJ wrote: »

Any suggestions for Louth?

A Mad and Wonderful Thing by Mark Mulholland

Terrontress

For Derry, what about Cal by Bernard McLaverty?

I felt sick for a week after reading it.

goose2005

Down - Orchid Blue by Eoin McNamee?

TCDStudent1

Roscommon: The Secret Scripture

mylittlepony

The Twelve (The Ghosts of Belfast) by Stuart Neville

Teamhrach

Donegal: 'Caisle?in ?ir'

cml387

"The Blackwater Lightship" by Colm Tobin (excellent book by the way) is most definitely Wexford.

PressRun

John Banville has said that the setting of his novel The Sea is based on Rosslare.

Oops69

Limerick ; Angela's Ashes , what else ......of course i should qualify this as Limerick city maybe before I Get a bashing from eFFIN or somewhere in the county.

idnkph

KJ wrote:

Any suggestions for Louth?

Wild goose lodge. Set in reaghstown.
The book as always is much better than the movie. But the movie has lots of locals in it so worth a watch.
It's a true story too.

bobbyss

Galway
The Playboy of the Western World?
Across the Bitter Sea- Eilish Dillon?
Famine trilogy of Walter Macken?

Harry Angstrom

The Dork of Cork. A little-known gem from Chet Raymo.