Shade

neil-jordan

Hachette Books Ireland

<p>'A compelling and entertaining read...' (Sunday Business Post)'Honest and unassuming ... compelling ... a warm and humorous reflection on 60 years well-lived' (The Irish Daily Mail)'[An] immensley enjoyable read' (Western People) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. When Deirdre Purcell turned sixty, she cheered. Never again would she have to fit into a size ten dress, and while her dream of crossing the US on a Harley remained, if it was never realised, well, she'd live. In Diamonds and Holes in My Shoes, for the first time, this much-loved story-teller takes stock of her years to date and reveals very personal memories and reflections. From her earliest days as a small child with a large imagination, trotting perilously close to the edge of the River Tolka near her home, her head buried in her library book, she weaves an engrossing tapestry of a resilient personal and professional life punctuated by astonishing and sudden changes. Recounted with characteristic frankness, humour and insight, Deirdre chronicles the years as an Abbey actress, the triumphs and failures as an acclaimed journalist who elicited memorable interviews from a host of famous personalities, the break-up of a marriage in an era when tolerance of single mothers was not as it is now - and her transition into the peculiar life of the novelist via the ghost-writing of Gay Byrne's autobiography. Illustrated with a treasure trove of photographs, Diamonds and Holes in My Shoes is the story behind the story-teller from a keen observer who has recorded a dramatically changing Ireland over the past sixty years.</p>

Diamonds and Holes in My Shoes

deirdre-purcell

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

The Healing Code: One Man's Amazing Journey Back to Health and His Proven Five-step Plan to Recovery

Dermot O'Connor

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Richard Moore was ten when he was shot by a British soldier on the way home from school. 'Can I give him my eyes?' was the question his father asked when doctors confirmed that they could not save Richard's sight. This is his story, growing up in the Catholic Creggan Estate in Derry during the troubles.

Can I Give Him My Eyes

Moore, Richard

Diseases & Physical Ailments

In March 2008, Bertie Ahern announced his resignation as Taoiseach, prompted by ongoing evidence in a planning inquiry that uncovered he had received large sums of money when minister for finance. Yet, even in defeat, he remained the most popular politician of his generation, one for whom the defining 'Teflon Taoiseach' tag had not entirely slid away. However, what made Bertie Ahern unique was not his enormous popularity or the revelations about his personal finances, but his dependence on a power base largely separate to Fianna Fail: 'the Drumcondra Mafia', a largely unknown, fiercely loyal, close-knit group of friends. When Ahern was Taoiseach the centre of power was arguably as much in St Luke's, the legendary constituency office bought by the Drumcondra Mafia, as in Government Buildings. Bertie Ahern and the Drumcondra Mafia takes the reader inside the organisation and examines how they not only established the most efficient electoral machine in the country but put 'their man' in the most senior political office in the state. It also details how, in his rise to power, Ahern acquired substantial sums of money while propagating the image of a man with no interest in money. Finally, it tracks his descent with the investigation into his finances, a descent punctuated by one final victory, in the 2007 general election. This is the story not just of Bertie Ahern but of the men and women who travelled with him on his extraordinary journey.

Bertie Ahern and the Drumcondra Mafia

Michael Clifford

Hannah Robinson is just about to open the doors to her new shop Cupcakes on the Corner when out of the blue her boyfriend Patrick announces that he's leaving her for another woman. Faced with starting a business on her own, Hannah begins to wonder if her life-long dream has just turned into a nightmare.

Love in the Making

Literature & Fiction

Meaney

Contemporary

The voices of Jane's mum and dad ring in her ears. These days, they never stop fighting. She squeezes her eyes shut and wishes she could do the same with her ears. She resorts to the only thing she knows to help her cope. When her best friend Leah questions her about the criss-cross marks on her arms, Jane blames the cat. And when Leah tells her that true best friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other, Jane knows that's only talk. Everyone has secrets, even Leah. She never mentions her brother Jack, sometimes it's as if he never even existed. And yet, his absence is so palpable you can almost touch it.Alison, Jack's mum, escapes into her dreams, where she becomes reunited with her dead son. It is less than a year since he was killed in a tragic road accident, for which she blames herself, and the pain still feels like an open wound in her chest. She struggles to hold herself together for the sake of her family, but the strain is telling, and when she and Jane's dad Dermot meet, it feels briefly that they are kindred spirits. But darker conclusions lie in wait.The Cut of Love explores two journeys of the heart, one of an adolescent girl, the other of a middle-aged woman. As their paths interweave, a remarkable story unfolds - at once modern and timeless -that is bitingly real, deeply tender and utterly unforgettable.

The Cut of Love

Close, Helena

Genre Fiction

Have you ever wondered what motivates an artist to write a song? What exactly was the inspiration behind classics such as 'Rare Auld Times' or Christy Moore's 'The Two Conneelys'. Or why certain songs like 'The Hucklebuck' captured the hearts and minds of Ireland at a certain period in time? Here, in this unusual and thought-provoking collection, fifty of Ireland's celebrated musicians take the lyrics of their favourite song, explains what that song means to them and invites readers to listen to the song in a whole new light. From folk to rock, traditional songs to showband classics, it includes contributions from artists such Luka Bloom, Mary Black, Leslie Dowall, Johnny Logan, Maria Butterly, Charlie McGettigan, The Stunning, Roesy, Mundy, Liam Lawton, Don Baker, John Spillane and many many more. This unique compilation brings together the very old and the very new of Irish talent, and is a must for music lovers.

The Singer and the Song

Arts & Photography

Audrey Healy

Music

My Glass Heart

Karen Gillece

Literary

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