Young Irelanders
Ed. Dave Lordan
New Island Books
That Irish literature is experiencing a vibrant new era is quickly becoming old news. Fresh evidence of this new era is always welcome, however, and Young Irelanders is a worthy Exhibit A. The collection comprises twelve pieces, all new contributions to the short story form. Editor Dave Lordan conceptualises the book as ‘a mix-tape’ of a ‘continually evolving scene’, and the thematic and stylistic ranges on display here justify that label. Kevin Curran’s incredibly moving ‘Saving Tanya’ begins proceedings. Curran uses the internet as an overarching theme in which to explore race, disability, gender and class in Irish youth culture. Gender and trans identities are also driving forces in Mia Gallagher’s touching effort, an excerpt from her forthcoming novel.
Other highlights include Roisín O’Donnell’s portrait of a Brazilian teacher’s paradoxical struggle to learn the Irish language for work despite its absence from everyday life, and Alan McMonagle’s poitín-soaked tragi-comedy ‘The Remarks’ – an original addition to the recent spate of narratives dealing with young men in limbo in contemporary Ireland. Elsewhere, Oisín Fagan, Rob Doyle and Sheila Armstrong experiment with varying degrees of success with elliptical form, and Cathy Sweeney presents a trippy, thought-provoking allegorical piece. Sydney Weinberg’s ‘Omen in the Bone’ is a shockingly brilliant treatment of – in the author’s own words – ‘the consequences of emotional illiteracy’. With Young Irelanders, it’s clear that this generation of writers is well equipped to tackle such consequences.
Words: Peter Morgan
