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Best Irish Books for St. Patrick’s Day

Irish writers have shaped English-language literature. This shelf brings together novels and memoirs, from Dubliners to recent Booker contenders.

Each book has a one-line hook and a plain note on what you get from it, so you can choose without opening every page.

Best for: Readers who want to read Irish writing.

This list: 15 books picked by hand for the season.
Order: Not a ranking.

15 books

1914
Dubliners
James Joyce
Literary Fiction · Melancholic
Fifteen stories of Dublin life
What you get: Elegant, vivid stories that you can read one at a time, each a small gem.
Amazon Description
1916
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
James Joyce
Classics · Thoughtful
Stephen Dedalus grows up in Dublin and at a Jesuit school, questioning the Catholic and Irish rules around him
What you get: A vivid, inventive story of growing up and breaking free, written in language that grows with its hero.
Amazon Description
1929
The Last September
Elizabeth Bowen
Historical Fiction · Melancholic
An Anglo-Irish family at the end of an era
What you get: An elegant, poignant novel of a family at the end of an era.
Amazon Description
1939
At Swim-Two-Birds
Flann O’Brien
Literary Fiction · Light
A student writes a novel about an author writing a novel
What you get: A witty, clever and wonderfully odd story-within-a-story.
Amazon Description
1967
The Third Policeman
Flann O’Brien
Literary Fiction · Dark
A murder, a policeman and a very strange afterlife
What you get: A madcap, inventive adventure with a unique voice and plenty of surprises.
Amazon Description
1987
The Commitments
Roddy Doyle
Literary Fiction · Light
A young man starts a soul band in Dublin
What you get: A fast, foul-mouthed, joyful story of a band that wants to be great.
Amazon Description
1990
Amongst Women
John McGahern
Literary Fiction · Melancholic
A father and a family in the Irish countryside
What you get: A beautifully observed portrait of a father and his family.
Amazon Description
1990
Circle of Friends
Maeve Binchy
Literary Fiction · Warm
Two girls, a Dublin university and a first love
What you get: A cozy, heartfelt story full of humor and affection.
Amazon Description
1996
Angela’s Ashes
Frank McCourt
Nonfiction · Melancholic
An Irish childhood of poverty
What you get: A moving, funny and honest story of resilience that lingers with you.
Amazon Description
2005
The Sea
John Banville
Literary Fiction · Melancholic
A widowed art historian returns to the seaside town where he spent a childhood summer
What you get: A lyrical, reflective story of a man looking back at a childhood summer.
Amazon Description
2009
Brooklyn
Colm Tóibín
Historical Fiction · Melancholic
A young Irish woman moves to Brooklyn
What you get: A quiet, beautifully told story of love and belonging that feels warm and true.
Amazon Description
2010
Foster
Claire Keegan
Literary Fiction · Melancholic
A girl sent away for a summer
What you get: A small, perfect story about kindness that stays with you.
Amazon Description
2012
The Spinning Heart
Donal Ryan
Literary Fiction · Melancholic
A village after the crash
What you get: A fresh, many-voiced portrait of community.
Amazon Description
2013
TransAtlantic
Colum McCann
Historical Fiction · Thoughtful
Three journeys across the Atlantic
What you get: A beautifully written story connecting journeys across an ocean.
Amazon Description
2021
Small Things Like These
Claire Keegan
Historical Fiction · Melancholic
A coal merchant in 1985 Ireland
What you get: A concise, deeply moving book that you can read in one sitting and remember for a long time.
Amazon Description