It’s Reading Ireland Month 2022!
It’s 1 March so time to join me for this, the EIGHTH annual Reading Ireland Month as I celebrate all that is good about Irish books and culture, in the company of my partner in begorrah – Raging Fluff!
It won’t be any fun without you, so grab the pin and add the link to your blog posts in the comments below, or tag me in you post. This post will be pinned to the top of my blog for the whole of March and I’ll add your posts as we go along.
This year, I have introduced some fun weekly prompts of you’d like to join in!




WEEK ONE: MY TOP FIVE IRISH…
Start the month with a simple one – what are your Top Five favourite Irish novels, writers, films, musicians, plays, poems, albums…anything you fancy!
WEEK TWO: MY YEAR IN IRISH LIT
Have you read or reviewed any Irish literature over the past year? Share your highlights, tell us about your favourite book by an Irish author last year, or a book you were looking forward to but didn’t get round to reading.
WEEK THREE: IRISH OR NOT IRISH?
The Irish can be a sneaky lot – are there any writers you thought were Irish but turned out not to be, or alternatively, are there any writers you didn’t even realise were Irish? Share your favourites, or the most surprising, during this week.
WEEK FOUR: NEW TO MY TBR
After a month of Irish-related posts, is there anything that has caught your eye? In a month full of amazing Irish books, which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about that book!
There will be giveaways throughout the month and you can join in the conversation on the Begorrathon Facebook page or on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtags #readingirelandmonth22 or #begorrathon22
READING IRELAND MONTH REVIEWS AND POSTS
My Top Five Irish…Movies! – Cathy at 746 Books
The Dublin Railway Mystery by Thomas Morris – Cathy at 746 Books
My Top Five Irish…Novels – Fatma at The Book Place
My Top Five Irish…YA Novels – Alex Dunne Writes on Instagram
Modern Times by Cathy Sweeney – Kim at Reading Matters
These Days by Lucy Caldwell – Adrian at Bookshelf Discovery
Abelard and Heloise by Helen Waddell – Nancy at Nancy Elin
These Days by Lucy Caldwell – Cathy at What Cathy Read Next
Dance Move by Wendy Erskine – Susan at A Life in Books
My Top Five Irish-Canadian Writers by Laura at Reading in Bed
These Days by Lucy Caldwell – Jackie at Never Imitate
The Raptures by Jan Carson – Fatma at The Book Place
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis – Chris at Calmgrove
These Days by Lucy Caldwell – Emma Jane McEvoy on Instagram
My Top Five Irish…Actors! – Nancy at Nancy Elin
Women and Love by Miriam Burke – Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings
Books by Irish Authors: What I’ve Read So far – A Bag Full of Books
My Top Five Irish…Fiction and Non-Fiction Books! – Claire at Word by Word
Six Degrees of Separation: The Irish Edition – Cathy at 746 Books
Shining City by Conor McPherson – Nancy at Nancy Elin
Favourite Irish Reads – Hopewell’s Library of Life
Chasing Time by Thomas Reilly – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
These Days by Lucy Caldwell – Jaqui at Jacqui’s Wine Journal
The Last Resort by Jan Carson – Claire at Word by Word
Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent – Dolce Bellezza
The Dear Departed by Brian Moore – Ali at Heaven Ali
Theatre & Ireland by Lionel Pilkington – Nancy Elin
The Statement by Brian Moore – Hopewell’s Library of Life
My Top Five Irish…Authors – Annabookbel
Good Behaviour and Loving and Giving by Molly Keane – Madame Bibilophile Recommends
My Favourite Books by Irish Women Writers – Jacqui at JacquiWine’s Journal
Wild Irish Rose by Rhys Bowen & Claire Broyles – Rosepoint Publishing
Still Life by Ciaran Carson – Nancy Elin
Saltwater in the Blood by Easkey Britton – Claire at Word by Word
Young Farmers by Jan Carson – Jackie at Never Imitate
Murder at Greysbridge by Andrea Carter – Fictionophile
Patrick Kavanagh by Antoinette Quinn – Nancy Elin
The Crossing by Ashby Jones – Sarah at The Old Shelter
My Year in Irish Lit – Alex Dunne on Instagram
Second Chance by Mike Faricy – Virginina at Rosepoint Publishing
The Sunken Road by Ciarán McMenamin – Helen at She Reads Novels
Elegy for April by Benjamin Black – Kim at Reading Matters
The Nothing Man by Catherine Howard – Lynne at Fictionophile
Lost Graves by S.A. Dunphy – Lynne at Fictionophile
Bring Her Home by S.A. Dunphy – Lynne at Fictionophile
My Year in Irish Lit – Annabookbel
Frank O’Connor Stories – Nancy Elin
Short Stack of Suggestions for Reading Ireland Month – Virgina at Rosepoint Publishing
Dance Move and Homesickness: Short Stories from Wendy Erskine and Colin Barrett – Cathy at 746 Books
Panenka by Ronan Hession – Lizzy at Lizzy Sidall
The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan – Constance at Staircase Wit
Favourite Irish Women Writers – Lisa at ANZ LitLovers
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (audiobook) – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
Five Favourite Irish Authors – Karen at Booker Talk
Irish or not Irish? – Cathy at 746 Books
A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion – Róisín at The Resting Willow
Some Irish Books on my TBR – Fatma at The Book Place
I Am Mary Dunne by Brian Moore -Madame Bibi lophile Recommends
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde – Nancy Elin
Sweet Home by Wendy Erskine – Imogen is Reading and Watching the World
An interview with James Doyle of Turnpike Books for Reading Ireland Month – Cathy at 746 Books
Irish or Not Irish? – Alex Dunne Writes on Instagram
The China Factory by Mary Costello – Claire at Word by Word
My Year in Irish Lit – Claire at Word By Word
Pilgrims and Proselytisers:Lives of the Saint,
The Voyage of St Brendan – Chris at Calmgrove
Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
An interview with historical fiction writer Ashby Jones – Sarah at The Old Shelter
The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
On Blueberry Hill by Sebastian Barry – Nancy Elin
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – Smithereens
My favourite Irish books and authors for St Patrick’s Day – Julia and Julia’s Books
Seventeen Irish authors for St Patrick’s Day – Reads, Eats, Explores on Instagram
Things in Jars by Jess Kid – Lara Maynard on Instagram
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connolly – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
Life Sentences by Billy O’Callaghan – Kim at Reading Matters
Dance Move by Wendy Erskine – Katy at What Katy Thought Next
Fools of Fortune by William Trevor – Ali at Heaven Ali
My Year in Irish Lit – Karen at Booker Talk
The Humours of Bandon by Margaret McAuliffe – Nancy Elin
Night Boat to Tangier and All We Shall Know – Madame Bibio Lophile Recommends
Other People’s Worlds by William Trevor – Jacqui at Jacqui Wine’s Journal
An Irish Wife by Deborah Lincoln – Lynne at Fictionophile
Thin Places by Kerri ní Dochartaigh – Claire at Word by Word
The Children of Dynmouth by William Trevor – Cathy at 746 Books
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – Hopewell’s Library of Life
Books I’ve added to my Wishlist during Reading Ireland Month ’22 – Susana at A Bag Full of Stories
Watermelon by Marian Keyes – Tracy at Bitter Tea and Mystery
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
The Springs of Affection by Maeve Brennan – Ali at HeavenAli
Portia Coughlan by Marina Carr – Nancy Elin
Rejuvenation by Byddi Lee – Adrian at Bookshelf Discovery
New To My TBR! – Cathy at 746 Books
The Passenger – Claire at Word By Word
The Statement by Brian Moore – Claire at Word by Word
The Magician by Colm Toibin – Lara Maynard on Instagram
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – Lara Maynard on Instagram
Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
The Magician by Colm Toibin – Lizzy Siddall
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy – Adrian at Bookshelf Discovery
Night Boat to Tangiers by Kevin Barry – Virginia at Rosepoint Publishing
One by One in the Darkness by Deirdre Madden – Susanna at A Bag Full of Books
Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams – Brona at This Reading Life
The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney – The Book Place on Instagram
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney – Lara Maynard on Instagram
Reapers of Justice by Anne Freehill – Sarah at The Old Shelter
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney – Roisin at The Resting Willow
Snow by John Banville – Karen at Booker Talk
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry – Julia at Julia’s Books
Erskine, O’Farrell, Quinn and Toibin – Rebecca at Bookish Beck
Good Behaviour by Molly Keane – Rosemary at Scones and Chaise Longues
Reading Ireland Month Favourites – Market Garden Reader
Ulysses by James Joyce – The Classics Club
Ireland Month Irish Literature #readingirelandmonth22 irish literature reading ireland month the begorrathon
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
Ooh! I have Wendy Erskine’s wonderful Dance Move coming up on my blog on Friday. Also standing by to add yet more to my tbr list
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Isn’t Dance Move wonderful? Nostalgie is one of the most perfect stories I’ve read. Look forward to your thoughts!
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I just finished Lucy Caldwell’s These Days. I had reservations about the book as a whole, but I thought her writing was stunning! Also so nice to read a WWII Home Front novel NOT set in London.
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I felt the same. Her writing is quite gorgeous though and it’s a period in Belfast history that usually sits in the shadow of The Troubles so it was nice to see a writer from here tackling it.
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I just picked up Dance Move from the library this morning. I’ll try to read that plus 2-3 others this month.
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I really loved Dance Move Rebecca – thanks for joining in,
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Hooray! I have a couple of posts planned. I’m really looking forward to reading everyone else’s posts and watching my TBR spiral ever higher!
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That’s always the problem, isn’t it? So glad you can take part x
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I’ve got one or two novels in mind, Cathy, so I’m hoping to join in.
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Excellent Jacqui, look forward to your posts. I got my hands on a copy of The Children of Dynmouth so I’m looking forward to that.
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Will do my very best to join in, Cathy, if I can find something suitable in the stacks!
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Thanks Kaggsy!
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I got ahead of myself and just finished John Banville’s Snow. Really enjoyed it.
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Bam. Success on Day 1 😊
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I’ve got two books on hold from the library, and I don’t know which one I’ll read this month for Reading Ireland Month. Liz Nugent’s Lying in Wait and Brian Moore’s The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne. Either way I think I’ve got good choices!
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Two great books Laila, very different though!
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Shockingly, I had forgotten all about this. I love reading Ireland month so will try and dig something out after my current read. I have also just read some Brian Moore short stories which I will be reviewing soon.
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Phew, just got Lucy Caldwell’s ‘These days’ read and reviewed in time for publication day. Looking forward to discovering lots more Irish writers this month, what a great idea, happy to contribute. Hope it’s ok to include my link here. https://www.bookshelfdiscovery.com/books/book-review-these-days-lucy-caldwell
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Thanks Adrian, I’ve added your link to the Master Post and hope you can join in more over the month!
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I’ve just reviewed a risque short story collection by Cathy Sweeney: https://readingmattersblog.com/2022/03/03/modern-times-by-cathy-sweeney/
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Thanks! I’ll add to the Weekly round-up.
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Oh fabulous! Dusting off my unread Brain Moore’s and the novels I acquired after last year’s Reading Ireland (3 Mary Costello’s) and a couple of nonfiction titles. So glad I picked up on this early, for some reason I don’t see your posts in my WordPress Reader, so I’ve tried to resolve that by getting notifications (something generally I shy away from). I like the weekly themes too, will have a go since I read quite a lot of Irish Lit last year and hope to keep it up this year too.
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Excellent Claire, really glad that you can take part! I hope to have some more Moore too and I have a copy of Academy Street which I haven’t read yet. Do make sure to tag me and I’ll share your posts!
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I’ve been struggling to read this month, but I intend to contribute something! Thank Cathy, good to see you back.
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Thanks Imogen – hope you are doing OK x
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Cathy, I have a review for Reading Ireland and I cannot leave a link to my post in the comments.
This is TracyK at Bitter Tea and Mystery. I reviewed Watermelon by Marian Keyes. The post was posted yesterday, March 31, 2022.
I hope you will able to include it in your Week 4 Roundup.
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No problem Tracy, I’ll add it to the Master Post and link up in this week’s round up. Thanks!
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Thanks, Cathy. Much appreciated.
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That’s your post linked up now Tracy, I’ll include it in the weekly round up on Sunday too x
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Sorry it’s so late but here is my review of Molly Keane’s Good Beahvour, which I absolutely loved: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2022/03/reading-ireland-month-2022-good.html
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