Five Reads to Bring You Closer to the West
The West of Ireland has inspired some wonderful writing. With its rich history, dramatic Atlantic coastline and charming towns, it's provided a backdrop for many brilliant books over the years; and all it takes is a good read to see it in a brand new light.
Here, we explore five books (and three gorgeous cookbooks) that will bring you a little closer to the West, whether a classic you might not have ticked off your list or a new read you're yet to encounter.
The Winter Guest by Sarah Moss
The book: The Winter Guest (Picador, €15.99)
The author: Sarah Moss is an English novelist who has made Ireland her home and teaches at University College Dublin. She has spoken fondly of Connemara, and The Winter Guest, published on 1st October, is her first book set on Ireland’s beautiful west coast.
Why you’ll love it: Two strangers called Janice and Gerry meet by chance at an isolated hotel on the west coast, on Christmas Eve. When a snowstorm traps them inside overnight, a simple icebreaker game turns into something far more revealing. In her short yet tense novella, Moss captures the juxtaposition of cosiness and isolation that comes with being cut off at the edge of the country, in the stark beauty of the West.
Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way by Elaine Feeney
The book: Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way (Biblioasis, €18.99)
The author: Elaine Feeney is a writer and lecturer from Athenry, Co. Galway. Her work often returns to history and Irish identity, and this is her third novel set in Galway.
Why you’ll love it: Protagonist Claire leaves London to care for her dying father and stays on alone in the family house after he passes. When the man she left behind turns up unexpectedly, old feelings and old family secrets re-surface. Tied to the landscape and old houses of Athenry, this is a moving, intergenerational novel about complex family dynamics and whether a person can hide from their past.
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
The book: Land (Knopf, €32.99)
The author: Internationally bestselling novelist Maggie O’Farrell rocked the world with her historical fiction Hamnet. Originally from Northern Ireland, she has said that childhood trips to places like Connemara and Donegal helped inspire the setting of Land, published earlier this year.
Why you’ll love it: In 1865, a father and his son are mapping a remote peninsula for the Ordnance Survey in the years after the Great Famine; in the present day, a family moves into a cottage on the same stretch of coast and begins to uncover a secret tied to the land. In this story about place and survival, the landscape matters as much as any character, and readers will find a real sense of how much history this part of the country quietly carries.
Wild Houses by Colin Barrett
The book: Wild Houses (Jonathan Cape, €12)
The author: Colin Barrett is an Irish Canadian writer who was born in Canada but grew up in Knockmore, Co. Mayo, between Ballina and Foxford. The small towns of the West have shaped his writing, including his short story collection Young Skins and his Booker long-listed debut novel Wild Houses.
Why you’ll love it: Set over one chaotic weekend in Ballina during the Salmon Festival, the novel begins when troubled teenager Doll lands on the doorstep of quiet outcast Dev. A dark and funny novel, Wild Houses avoids cliché, and paints a picture of the West of Ireland as it is lived, rather than how it appears on a postcard.
Wild Atlantic Women: Walking Ireland's West Coast by Gráinne Lyons
The book: Wild Atlantic Women: Walking Ireland’s West Coast (New Island Books, €13)
The author: Gráinne Lyons is a second generation Irishwoman living in London, whose link to the West comes through her father's family in Sligo. Gráinne traces her roots back to her great-grandmother who worked as a lacemaker on Cape Clear Island.
Why you’ll love it: This nonfiction book follows Lyons on foot along the Wild Atlantic Way, as she traces the stories of eleven pioneering women tied to the coast. The landscape is as present as the women, and the weather and terrain can be felt as Gráinne walks through it – writing honestly about traveling alone and her sense of identity. It's a reflective read and an ideal pick if you want to experience the West through the eyes of someone coming to it with curiosity.
Looking for a taste of the West? Here are three cookbooks to try
One of the best ways to get to know a place is through the local food. If you'd like to bring a taste of the West home with you, we've got three brilliant local cookbooks for you to explore.
Jess and Dave Murphy opened Kai restaurant in Galway in 2011, and Jess’s The Kai Cookbook: A Love Letter to the West of Ireland (Nine Bean Rows, €30) brings together 100 of its best loved dishes. It follows the Celtic seasons from Imbolc to Samhain and is built around local produce.
Kathleen Flavin has been head chef at Foxford cafe in Co. Mayo since 2010, and her debut, The Foxford Cafe Cookbook (The O'Brien Press, €24.99), brings the cafe’s best loved dishes into your kitchen. A chef who trained in Galway and spent years in hotel and restaurant kitchens before Foxford, she built the menu around colourful salads and simple, seasonal cooking.
Chef, lifestyle creator (and our autumn cover star!) Lou Robbie is the author of Make & Freeze: The Ultimate Guide to Family-Friendly Meal Prep (Michael Joseph, €22.99). Lou spent a decade working as a professional chef in Galway restaurants like Cava and Ard Bia, and her Irish times bestseller contains delicious, nutritious and convenient recipes for the whole family.
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