Any recommendations for Irish historical fiction?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I'm going to be touring Ireland next month and fancied loading the Kindle with some historical fiction to set the scene. I read Angela's Ashes not so long ago and found it rather bleak. Would rather avoid tales of nasty nuns. Is there such a thing as an un-bleak Irish historical novel?

"Valley of the Squinting Windows" or "Night of the Big Wind" ?

John B. Keane is great at 1940/50s rural Ireland.

Wry and insightful.

Don't disregard McCabe. He is a bit gruesome but pretty funny too in a black comedic kind of way. The Butcher Boy or Breakfast on Pluto are my favourites.

Reading the synopsis of the Butcher Boy that sounds really interesting. I'll keep looking into the others because I read fast on holiday and we've got two ferry trips to negotiate!!! Cashelmara and mamasin's suggestions weren't available for the Kindle unfortunately but quite a few of the others are, and the Thackeray was free

Please don't read the Tony Hawkes drivel

And never watch the dramatization of it.....I did and it was grim.

Pete McCarthy's 'McCarthy's Bar' is a great view of modern (ish) Ireland with more history than you would expect.

Sebastian Barry is wonderful, especially the Secret scripture.

Star of the Sea by Joseph O Connor (brother to Sinead!) is one of the best books I have ever read.

Dubliners (Joyce) are brilliant too.

I've always enjoyed 'Strumpet City' set in the 1910's ending as the Great War starts.
Deals with the beginnings of the trade union movement, in particular the Lock Out of 1913, and has characters of all social class. Unusual to find an Irish historical novel which takes class as it's central theme, ime.

As well as the tragedy, there's plenty of heartwarming bits too! Very Dublin in the Rare Oul Times

For crime: Brian McGillowray and Tana French are v v good contemporary writers. For historical crime, try Benjamin Black or Kevin McCarthy.

Diana Norman, brilliant historical novelist. Can't say there aren't bleak moments but also very good on relationships both men/women and women/women. Try The Pirate Queen (16th century). She mostly wrote about England but had a strong interest in and knowledge of Irish history as well. Fellow fans will know her primary field was the 12th century and she also had success as a historical crime novelist writing as Ariana Franklin (not set in Ireland though). Very sadly she died last year before I got round to writing a well-deserved fan letter.

Try Ken Bruen for contemporary crime. I haven't read him myself - not a crime fan - but friends who are say he's great. Great sense of place, apparently, his novels are set in the West around Galway, if that's on your itenery (sp?) you may find it interesting.

I love Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor series (which is the one set in Galway) but he does some dreadful things to the characters in the books.

Now why didn't I think of Diana Norman?

Will look into Strumpet City - I read After the Lockout by Darran McCann a few months ago, similar setting (but some rather nasty priests so may not be the OP's thing!)