Irish Literature: From Plunkett to Rooney

This carefully structured course is a general introduction to critically reading some of Ireland’s best-known literature in the context of a progressing Ireland. We will begin in the 20th century with short stories by James Plunkett, Flann O’Brien’s At Swim-Two-Birds, and Edna O’Brien’s The Country Girls. We take in John Banville’s The Book of Evidence and then move to contemporary literature through Mike McCormack’s Solar Bones, Claire-Louise Bennett’s Pond, Sara Baume’s Spill Simmer Falter Wither, and Sally Rooney’s Normal People.

By the end of the course, participants will have read and discussed a number of Ireland’s authors and critically analysed their themes. Irish Literature is an exciting and highly enjoyable new course, which would be ideal for the literary enthusiast or anyone preparing to study English at the third level. Limited places.

Next Start Date: Monday 12th January 2026 at 8-10pm

Concludes 16th March 2026

(No sessions 2nd/9th February)

Duration:

8 weeks

Venue: Online (Zoom)

With Dr Martin Keaveney / Associate Lecturers.

About the course designer:

Dr Martin Keaveney is an Associate Lecturer in Irish Literature at University of Galway. His sixth book, Singsong, was published by Penniless Press in 2024. Schoolboy was published in 2023 by Penniless Press. This followed the novella Caravan in 2023, the second novel The Mackon Country (2021), the debut novel Delia Meade (2020) and a collection of stories, The Rainy Day (2018) all by Penniless Press, Warrington, UK. Fiction has previously been published in Ireland, UK and US. His current film ‘Superhurl’ is in development with The Film Fountain. Previous screen and stage credits include RTE, Scripts Ireland Playwriting Festival, Fastnet Film Festival (Irl) and Wasteland Film Festival (US) amongst many others. He completed a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Textual Studies (John McGahern) at NUIG. He has a B.A. in English and Italian and an M.A. in English (Writing) and an advanced certificate in media production. He was awarded the Sparanacht Ui Eithir in 2016 and the NUIG Write-Up Bursary in 2018 for academic research. He has presented at national and international academic conferences and recent scholarship has been published in the peer-reviewed journals New Hibernia Review, Canadian Journal of Irish Studies , Estudios Irlandeses, Liverpool Postgraduate Journal of Irish Studies and the Journal of Franco-Irish Studies.

Registration: €389.99 Book here

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