(Gill Books, €24.99)
Barry brings to light a ripping story from 19th-century Irish history that takes in remote Western Australia, Tammany Hall-tied New York and (inevitably) the British Empire and Ireland’s republican movement battling its misrule. Dozens of Fenians were sent to the infamous, British-controlled Fremantle Prison during the second half of the century for rebel activity. A smuggled prison letter to Irish republican John Devoy in the US saw him and others organise a whaling ship, Catalpa, to sail to Australia and set up a prison break that would end with six Fenians on board returning to the US in 1876. “It was the product of precision and daring ... they defied the British and won,” writes Barry, who tells this remarkable story with forensic detail and a flowing narrative. – NJ McGarrigle
Vigilauntie: A Memoir – Innit? by Meera Syal(Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £16.99)
Vigilauntie is a detailed account of Meera Syal’s renegade acting ambitions to overcome racism, rejection and harassment, bringing South Asian perspectives to mainstream UK culture. The granular chronicle of her career should fascinate fans and entertainment professionals. Of wider appeal is her upbringing in a mainly white town, the expectations of Indian “aunties” and vignettes of domestic abuse, arranged marriages, sex-selective abortion and sexual assault. She recounts with humour her defiance of and pride in her community, touching on love and motherhood. My 15-year-old daughter saw the book and said, “She’s a legend”. Vigilauntie adds another string to the bow of this accomplished writer – her book Anita and Me is on the English GCSE curriculum – proving her multigenerational and multicultural appeal on stage and page. – Céire Sadlier
White Lines: A Rugby Life Broken and Rebuilt(Hachette Books Ireland, €16.99)
Ulster rugby lock Ryan Caldwell had the world at his feet, until injury cut short his sporting career and chronic pain sent him spiralling into depression and addiction. This unflinching account captures the highs of professional rugby – the breathless account of Caldwell’s Ulster debut at Ravenhill is particularly superb – and its absolute opposite: the chilling night in a Maghaberry prison cell when, but for one guard’s decision to walk down a corridor he usually avoided, Caldwell would have succeeded in taking his own life. Whether discussing the toxic masculinity of dressingroom culture, the gradual erosion of his moral compass after he stopped playing, or how his long road to redemption involved an ayahuasca ritual in the Colombian jungle, the two-time Irish international proves a superb and insightful narrator. – John Walshe
Source: The Irish Times · Sat Oct 24 2026 - 09:25 • 2 MIN READ
At a glance
- Topic
- World
- Country
- 🇮🇪 IE
- Publisher language
- EN
- Added to Allnira