Reading Ireland Month: Week 1 round-up and giveaway! #readingirelandmonth20
Well, that brings week one of Reading Ireland Month to a close and what a great week to kick everything off!
It was ‘Contemporary Novels’ week on 746 Books and I reviewed:
- The Good Son by Paul McVeigh
- All The Beggars Riding by Lucy Caldwell
- My Coney Island Baby by Billy O’Callaghan
I also posted about the forthcoming Irish novels that I’m most excited to read and there are so many that I had to create not one but two posts
Reading lists are being made and book piles assembled and this week saw planning posts by Rachel at pace, amore, libri Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing from Kim at Reading Matters on Instagram and Lara Maynard on Twitter.
Lara is also posting pics of some delicious Irish themed baking over on her Instagram, so make sure and check those recipes out!
The Classics Club also posted a very helpful list of Irish and Welsh classics here
while Karen at Booker Talk themed her Top Ten books with one word titles for Welsh and Ireland Month too!
Reviews this week came from:
- Nancy Elin reviewed The Education of an Idealist – a memoir by Irish-American scholar Samantha Power
- Nancy also explored A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde and The Wake by Tom Murphy
- Hopewell’s Library of Life reviewed the Booker Prize-winning Milkman by Anna Burns
- Rosemary at Scones and Chaises Longues reviewed Dublin 4 by Maeve Binchy
- Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing reviewed Murder in an Irish Cottage by Carlene O’Connor and Sockeye by Michael F Tevlin
- Annabel at Annabookbel reported back on her recent Book Club read In The Woods by Tana French
- She Reads Novels reviewed Becoming Belle by 746 Books favourite Nuala O’Connor
- Heaven Ali reviewed Loving Without Tears by Molly Keane
- Loves Books Reads Books shared a review of When All is Said by Anne Griffin
There is also a lovely buzz on Twitter as some Irish writers and poets are sharing their favourite Irish reads, so don’t forget to keep an eye on the hashtag #readingirelandmonth20 for more recommendations and news!
If you’ve posted a review and I’ve missed it, please do drop me a message in the comments and I’ll share.
You can also follow along on my 746 Books Instagram page, using the same hashtag and on the Begorrathon Facebook page where I am sharing all your great reviews.

As today is International Women’s Day, I have a very special prize for my first giveaway of the month. To celebrate all the great women writers from Ireland, I’m giving away a gorgeous Irish Authors tea-towel and magnetic bookmark, along with a Faber Stories copy of Paradise by Edna O’Brien.
To enter, just comment below and let me know who your favourite woman writer is (Irish or otherwise) and I’ll draw a winner on Wednesday 11 March. The competition is open to international readers also!
Check back in next week when I’ll be exploring Classic Irish Novels. There will be another giveaway on Monday and a post on the newly opened Museum of Literature (MoLi) in Dublin.
Thanks to all who have taken part so far, read, commented on and retweeted Reading Ireland Month posts.
You’re legends, the lot of ye!

Ireland Month Irish Literature Reading Roulette #readingirelandmonth20 giveaway irish literature reading ireland month readwomen
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
What a question! I’ll have to go with Maggie O’Farrell.
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Great choice!
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Can I list my top 5 instead…ha. I’ll go with Penelope Fitzgerald.
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I’ve still to read Fitzgerald – I’ve heard such good things.
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Ooh fab giveaway. Such an impossible question but in the spirit of picking someone Irish I’ll go with Lisa McInerney!
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Excellent choice!
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my fav author is sally rooney!! i love her books so much and cant wait to see what she releases next ☺
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She’s definitely the next big thing Fatma! Thanks for entering!
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It’s been a fab start Cathy! My favourite female author is George Eliot.
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Jennifer Johnstone never seems to get the attention she deserves. I recently finished The Christmas Tree -a marvellous book.
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Couldn’t agree more Alison!
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What a lovely prize! Emma Donoghue is my favourite.
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Nice!
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Jane O’Austen and Agatha O’Christie are both excellent Irish authors! ☘
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🤣🤣👍☘
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Thanks for the mention. I’m hoping to b able to join in even if it’s only one book. It will be The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen. Never read her before but the book had come recommended by a friend…
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I think Ali is a big fan of Elizabeth Bowen – she comes highly recommended!
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I am terrible at choosing, Cathy, so I will go with a list of favourites: Elizabeth Bowen, Eimear McBride, Maeve Brennan ❤ I am currently reading the duo Edith Somerville & Violet Martin, and I have a feeling that they will end up in the pile of favourites, too! 🙂
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I don’t blame you Juliana, these are great choices!
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Derry Girls!! I have just started my one read for the Month, which is Sheena Wilkinson’s “Too Many Ponies”. I am doing all challenges from my TBR this year again (so no Dewithon even though I find it hard to believe I have nothing Welsh on my bulging shelves) so was pleased to find this YA pony book fits the brief! Review to come one day when I’ve finished reviewing my books read on my holiday!
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Oh I love Sheena! She does lots of workshops for me here at HomePlace – enjoy. I look forward to hearing what you think x
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I really like Kim Thúy is a Vietnamese-born Canadian writer. She’s amazing!
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Excellent suggestion – thank you!
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