25 Books by Irish Authors That Are as Captivating as the Emerald Isle
Updated: Mar. 31, 2024
Don't limit your Irish literature to St. Patrick's Day. These books by Irish authors are worth reading all year long.
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The luck (and literature) of the Irish
You may not realize it, but you have Irish authors to thank for some of the most entertaining and inspiring pieces of literature, from classic tales to modern works of fiction. Chances are, you already know some of the more iconic writers—Sally Rooney, James Joyce and Tana French, to name a few—but there’s a whole world of Irish authors out there, writing in a range of book genres.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best books written by Irish authors. Some are bestsellers. Some are award-winners. Some are taught in colleges across the country. And all have captivated the hearts and imaginations of readers both in and beyond Ireland.
Reading these titles makes for a fun St. Patrick’s Day tradition, but they’re worth your time year-round. So keep scrolling for our selection of 25 must-read books by Irish authors everyone ought to know.
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1. The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan
Published in 2023, Naoise Dolan’s latest novel stars soon-to-be-married Celine and Luke. They’re happy enough—or are they? When Luke’s best man beckons him away from the festivities, his absence gains the attention of Celine’s sister. And as the wedding creeps closer, Dolan’s cast of characters examines the ups and downs of commitment and love. In this drama-laced book, Dolan writes with wry wit, breathing life into each character as she acutely observes modern-day relationships.
2. The Hunter by Tana French
A crime novelist in a class of her own, Tana French is back with a new reason to stay up past your bedtime: The Hunter, which hits shelves on March 5, 2024. In a small village in Ireland during the height of summer, retired Chicago cop Cal Hooper is settling in to his new life with a local woman named Lena and her teenage daughter, Trey. When Trey’s absent father stumbles back into their life—along with an English millionaire and a get-rich plan—all Cal and Lena want to do is to protect Trey. But Trey? She wants revenge. A tale that explores sacrifice and the lengths we’ll go for love, The Hunter promises to be another smash hit from one of our favorite authors.
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3. What Happened To Nina? by Dervla McTiernan
Dervla McTiernan’s ripped-from-the-headlines What Happened to Nina?, set to release on March 26, 2024, is made for readers who love their books with a heaping helping of suspense. In this unputdownable thriller, happy couple Nina and Simon head to his family’s cabin for the weekend … and only Simon returns. When Nina’s family demands answers—the biggest among them: Where is their daughter?—they realize Simon’s story of the couple’s final hours together doesn’t add up. But what is the truth, and how much of his story is a lie? When the disappearance grabs media attention, Nina’s parents begin to realize that playing by the rules isn’t getting them any closer to the truth, so they decide to take matters into their own hands.
4. The Coast Road by Alan Murrin
From debut novelist Alan Murrin comes a compelling story that’s bound to generate buzz when it hits shelves on June 4, 2024. A poignant tale told in lyrical prose, The Coast Road transports readers to a coastal Irish town circa 1994, when divorce was still illegal. After leaving her husband and sons for a married man, poet Colette Crowley returns home to find that her husband has denied her access to her children. Enter neighbor Izzy Keaveney, a housewife and now the go-between for Colette and her husband. But Izzy has her own problems, as she’s stuck in a troubled marriage. This story of friendship and independence is what actress Gillian Anderson calls “the last great book I read.”
5. Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
Dublin-based author Ferdia Lennon offers a unique take on ancient Greece in Glorious Exploits, his novel set during the Peloponnesian War. Lennon’s debut publishes on March 26, 2024, and sparkles with humor as it follows two unemployed potters fond of drinking as they come up with a plan to direct a production of Medea, a play based on Greek mythology. They soon learn that, like war, staging a play can take its toll. Pick this one up the next time you’re looking for a book about friendship or the healing power of stories.
6. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
If you gobbled up Normal People and Conversations with Friends (or binged the Hulu TV shows based on the books), you need to get your hands on Beautiful World, Where Are You. Sally Rooney’s latest novel—it was released in 2021—tells the story of four friends who keep in touch throughout the busyness of their lives while navigating the trickiness of communication, work, friendship, sex, relationships and vulnerability.
7. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
Naoise Dolan’s 2020 debut, Exciting Times, is a worthy companion to her 2023 work, The Happy Couple. She pens a story about the complications of work, relationships, sex and modern love. With wry humor, this story chronicles a love triangle between an Irish expat living in Hong Kong, the successful banker she falls for and the striking lawyer she also falls for.
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8. In the Woods by Tana French
Tana French’s 2007 novel, In the Woods, is the first in her compulsively readable Dublin Murder Squad mystery book series. A must for amateur sleuths, the book introduces readers to Rob Ryan, an Irish detective brought in to solve the case of a 12-year-old girl who was murdered in the woods. The bizarre part: Rob Ryan was found in the same woods when he was 12 years old, shoes full of blood and no memory of what happened. Now, he must try to solve his own cold case alongside this eerily similar present-day investigation. French is a must-read for mystery lovers, but In the Woods is perhaps her best-known work: More than a million copies have been sold since its release, and it even inspired a TV series on Starz.
9. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
We can’t talk about Irish authors without mentioning Colum McCann, a Dublin-born writer whose Let the Great World Spin took home the National Book Award when it came out in 2009. You might expect one of Ireland’s greats to transport readers to the Emerald Isle, but McCann has instead written an ode to New York City circa 1974. As he spins the tale of a tightrope walker navigating a rope suspended between the Twin Towers, he reveals the lives of several different people living in the city: an Irish monk, grieving mothers, a young artist and a determined grandmother. These characters’ stories come together in the end as a reminder of the emotions and wonder that are part of life itself.
10. The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
There’s a good chance you’ve read Emma Donoghue’s 2010 novel Room, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and adapted into a movie in 2015. She followed that smash hit with 2016’s The Wonder, and it’s worth reading regardless of whether you’ve seen the 2022 Netflix film adaptation. Set in 1859 in the Irish midlands, the haunting historical novel drops readers into the mind of Lib Wright. An English nurse, she’s traveled to a small village to witness a medical anomaly: A young girl has survived without food for months. Determined to discover the truth, Lib becomes entangled in the life of the young girl and a journalist who has also come to ferret out the truth.
11. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
One of the best memoirs you’ll ever read, Angela’s Ashes is the 1996 book that won author Frank McCourt a Pulitzer Prize. On its opening page, McCourt writes, “When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all.” With that promise of a fascinating story, McCourt takes readers on his personal journey of survival during the Great Depression. Throw in his abject poverty and alcoholic father, and you might think this is a bleak tale. But as he recounts his life and shares his love for stories, McCourt crafts a compassionate, inspiring memoir.
12. The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan
Award-winning author Donal Ryan has been wowing critics for years (he has two Booker Prize nominations to his name), and Irish readers are such huge fans that The Queen of Dirt Island became a No. 1 bestseller when it was published there. Well, add it to your TBR list because this 2023 novel has now earned international acclaim. In his newest work, Ryan explores four generations of women living in the small town in County Tipperary and expertly navigates themes of isolation, forgiveness, betrayal, love and desire.
13. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde’s 1890s classic is a literature class must-read, and it’s worth picking up if you’ve managed to evade it. Many consider it not only one of the best books by Irish authors but also one of the best works of fiction, period. Set in late-19th-century England, The Picture of Dorian Gray centers on (no surprise here) a man named Dorian Gray. He sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty, but he must face the consequences of that decision when a hidden portrait of him transforms into a corrupted record of his sins.
14. Ulysses by James Joyce
Speaking of classic Irish authors… James Joyce is one of the Emerald Isle’s most famous authors for a reason, and his renowned 1922 novel, Ulysses, has been both a controversy (it was a banned book in both England and the United States) and a literary sensation for decades. Set in Dublin in 1904 and paralleling Homer’s The Odyssey, the story follows Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus in the aftermath of the adultery committed by Bloom’s wife. Widely hailed as a masterpiece, Ulysses is a must for anyone trying to read more of literature’s greats.
15. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
Set in 1950s Brooklyn and Ireland, Colm Tóibín’s 2009 novel is tailor-made for lovers of historical fiction. Brooklyn follows Eilis Lacey, who leaves her small Irish town when she’s offered shelter and work in Brooklyn. It’s at her department store job that she meets Tony, and the two fall in love. But this is no simple love story. Devastating news from her homeland threatens the life she’s built in New York—and threatens to divide her heart.
16. Asking for It by Louise O’Neill
Louise O’Neill’s Asking for It is a stellar, award-winning book. But it deserves a content warning before we proceed: This YA novel deals with sexual assault. The book, published in 2015, tells the story of 18-year-old Emma O’Donovan, who wakes up on the doorstep of her parents’ home missing the details of a party she attended the night before. But when explicit photos surface, so does a hard truth that everyone in town seems to want to ignore. Emma is left to deal with the aftermath in a story that puts a spotlight on the trauma caused by both rape and public shaming.
17. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Dublin-born Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels in 1726 as a satire of the travelogues that were popular at the time. To say it found success would be an understatement. Not only is it widely read (as a book for children and adults), but it’s also credited with advancing the novel as a form of literature. One of the most famous of all Irish books, Gulliver’s Travels follows Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon and sea captain who tells the tale of his eccentric four voyages and offers readers a comic commentary on society.
18. The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Best known for the 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne delivered another heartfelt story with 2017’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Set in Ireland in the 1940s, the novel follows Cyril Avery, who’s adopted by a couple from Dublin and struggles to understand who he is and how he fits into the world. An epic saga about country and identity, The Heart’s Invisible Furies weaves an unforgettable tale.
19. Milkman by Anna Burns
In her 2018 novel, Milkman, Belfast-born Anna Burns transports readers to her home country in the 1970s, during the Troubles. The story introduces readers to an unnamed middle sister who does her best to rebuff a paramilitary member (aka the milkman) who takes interest in her but still finds herself at the center of gossip. Despite the historical setting, this is a timely story that will speak to modern readers. Bonus: It’s available for free on Kindle Unlimited.
20. A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy’s 2012 novel, the last she published before her passing, takes readers to the small Irish town of Stoneybridge for the sort of feel-good book we could all use right now. Fall in love with a cast of well-rounded characters, starting with Chicky Starr. She sets out to transform a cliffside mansion into a holiday house with the help of her niece, a bad boy who’s gone good and welcoming guests like an American actor, a retired school teacher and a librarian.
21. Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen
Fans of the TV show Derry Girls will most likely enjoy Michelle Gallen’s 2020 novel, Big Girl, Small Town. Majella O’Neill grew up in a small town in Northern Ireland just after the Troubles and now lives a quiet existence. But after the death of her granny, she begins to think there may be more to life than living within the confines of her town.
22. Actress by Anne Enright
If women’s fiction is your go-to genre, don’t miss Actress, which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction when it was published in 2020. Dublin-born Anne Enright tells the story of Norah, who strives to dig deeper into her mother’s career as the Irish theater legend Katherine O’Dell. Uncovered secrets shed light on Katherine’s past and Norah’s present, which Enright masterfully weaves together in this novel.
23. The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney
Lisa McInerney’s 2015 novel, The Glorious Heresies, kicks off with a bang and doesn’t let up until the final page. Set in Cork, Ireland, it’s the story of five misfits—a drug dealer, a sex worker, a gangster, an alcoholic and a woman who has just returned to Cork—whose lives collide after an accidental murder.
24. From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
If well-crafted prose is a must in your book, don’t miss Donal Ryan’s 2018 novel, From a Low and Quiet Sea. The Wall Street Journal wrote of it, “There are countless passages … that are so sculpted and beautiful that one’s lips begin to shape their words unbidden, the way a song can move a crowd to its rhythm.” Told in four parts, the book follows Farouk, Lampy and John, three men who strive to find their own versions of home but must face personal reckonings that bring them together.
25. Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Paul Murray’s 2010 tragic comedy begins with the aftermath: 14-year-old Skippy has been found dead on the floor of a doughnut shop. Skippy Dies introduces readers to a cast of characters—like Skippy’s friend Ruprecht Van Dore, teenage drug dealer Carl and Skippy’s headmaster—who were all part of Skippy’s life and, possibly, his death. Despite the topic (and title), this is a moving, funny book.
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Originally Published: March 15, 2024
