Liberties Press was founded in 2003 and has, over the course of almost twenty years, become one of Ireland's leading independent publishers. The press has published several hundred titles across non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. They have published books by Irish President Michael D. Higgins and award-winning crime fiction writer Declan Burke; in 2013, Setting the Truth Free by Julieann Campbell won the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Prize for promoting reconciliation on the island of Ireland. They are continuing to do what they have done from the start: publish high-quality work by leading authors, to the highest editorial and production standards, and bring them to the widest possible English-speaking audience in Ireland, the UK, North America and elsewhere, and, in translation, to other language territories.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 180
ISBN: 9781910742259
Pub Date: 15 Jul 2016
Description:
Dublin 2010: Neil, twenty-six, unemployed, disaffected and disillusioned with Ireland, plans to emigrate and join his girlfriend in Canada. But having deferred his flight to attend his grandfather's funeral, he stays behind to aid his grieving grandmother. Dublin 1916: Harry Colley is a Pathe Newsreel cameraman, recently back from London, with a Cinemachine and four newsreels ready to capture the events of Easter Week.
This is his life's work: to chronicle the Irish struggle for independence and share it with the world. Neil accepts her grandmother's request to read her father's memoir. As he reads the reminiscences, he realizes that the newsreels spoken of in the text still exist. After viewing the reels, he sets off on a journey that will change his life, and the lives of all those around him, forever. A timeless story of lost love and broken dreams that brilliantly counterpoints today's globalized generation with Ireland's nationalist revolutionaries of 1916, Citizens creates a conversation across a century in a unique novel that has echoes of Don DeLillo's Libra and Transatlantic by Colum McCann.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781910742297
Pub Date: 15 Jul 2016
Description:
Children's Children is a collection of fifteen short stories which cast a darkly humorous and oftentimes acidic eye, over life in post-conflict Northern Ireland. The stories contained in the collection are an eclectic selection of pieces which vary from traditional literary fiction to magic realism and subtle experiments with the short story form. They deal with the theme of legacy; the achievements, issues and problems this generation has inherited from the previous.
Disillusioned street preachers, adulterous grocery shoppers, robotic brothers and child burglars are all given voice to express their experiences of life in contemporary Northern Ireland as Carson blurs the line between social commentary and modern parable.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781910742174
Pub Date: 19 Mar 2016
Description:
A beautiful compendium of Irish pop culture magazine scans since the 1960s. Brand New Retro features hundreds of rare images, adverts and articles on Irish youth culture, encompassing music, fashion, TV, sport, design and advertising. From the creator of the multi-award-winning website BrandNewRetro.
ie, Liberties Press is delighted to return these gems of print ephemera to their former glory by reproducing them in printed form in this book. Brand New Retro provides an original insight into our Irish popular culture past by publishing a regular weekly supply of retro Irish images, articles and adverts. Brand New Retro won 'Best Entertainment Website' at the Irish Web Awards in 2013 and 'Best Pop Culture Blog' at the Irish Web Awards in 2013. It has been referenced by many other leading sites, TV programs, newspapers and students.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 360
ISBN: 9781910742136
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2015
Series: Echoland
Description:
It's June 1941. Paul Duggan, a young Irish military intelligence officer, is on a secret mission to Portugal to uncover German intentions towards neutral Ireland and, even more secretly, to find out who had informed the Americans of an Irish Minister's undiplomatic comments while in Lisbon on his way to Washington to plead for arms. Meanwhile, an unmarked American plane crashes in Ireland and its cargo of beer, cigarettes and caviare make their way into the local black market with unforeseen consequences.
Then it turns out there was something more than booze on board - a piece of secret military hardware of great interest to the Germans. Duggan and his colleagues find themselves in a complex game of diplomacy and disinformation as politicians in Ireland and America fall out and the spy agencies of Germany, Britain and the United States maneuver for political and military advantage. With the help of his Special Branch friend, Peter Gifford, he tries to unravel the plots and avoid the pitfalls. To do so he has to return to Lisbon, the war's spy center, where the interlocking intrigues threaten the future of Ireland's relations with America, put its neutrality at risk, and finally threaten his own life and that of the woman he loves.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
ISBN: 9781910742020
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2015
Description:
Thrown out of university, green-tea-drinking, meditation-loving Scott McAuley has no place to go but home: County Down, Northern Ireland. The only problem is, his father is there now too.Duke wasn’t around when Scott was growing up.
He was in prison for stabbing two Catholic kids in an alley. But thanks to the Good Friday Agreement, big Duke is out now, reformed, a counselor.Squeezed together into a small house, with too little work and too much time to think about what happened to Scott’s dead mother, the tension grows between these two men, who seem to have so little in common.Penning diary entries from prison, Scott recalls what happened that year. He writes about Jasmine, his girlfriend at university. He writes about Klaudia, back home in County Down, who he and Duke both admired. He weaves a tale of lies, rage and paranoia.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
ISBN: 9781910742044
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2015
Description:
This is the story of a boy from a small Irish village who became an adventurer, a humanitarian and a doctor to the stars. Part travelogue, part thriller, part celebrity tell-all, you’ve never read anything quite like it.Patrick Treacy grew up in rural Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
Determined to become a doctor, he raised the money for medical school by smuggling cars from Germany to Turkey.Working in a hospital in Dublin in 1987, a needle he had used to draw blood from a patient with HIV jabbed him in the leg. He took blood test after blood test, wondering whether he was going to die.Overwhelmed, he moved to New Zealand, away from everyone who knew what he was going through: his girlfriend, his friends and his colleagues. Thus he began a peripatetic existence, working as a doctor around the world.In Saddam Hussein’s Baghdad, Treacy was arrested and imprisoned, spending days wondering whether he was going to be hanged as a spy. In Australia, he worked for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.On returning to Dublin, Treacy set up the Ailesbury Clinic, where he worked on the cutting-edge of the new field of cosmetic dermatology, championing treatments including the use of Botox. This brought stars to his doorstep, including the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.Central to this memoir is Treacy’s personal journey: his efforts to escape the Troubles, cope with the fear that he might have contracted HIV (until he found out that he had not), get over his lost love and defend Michael Jackson’s legacy.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 220
ISBN: 9781909718913
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2015
Description:
Aloysius creates 'accidents' that kill. He fled a notorious Irish care home and has built a life as a hitman, travelling Europe and ending lives for cash. Now veteran government recruiter Imelda Feather, 64, wants him back to slay four of the nation’s most hated people.
It takes guile to lure him in, to convince him it’s not a second betrayal by the powers-that-be in Ireland. On the cusp of the hundredth anniversary of the formation of the state, Aloysius, 40, finds himself a key player in the most extraordinary 'PR operation' in history. An evil loan shark, a wicked former priest and a wildly controversial female politician find themselves in his sights. But when he learns more about his fourth target, Aloysius must reverse the roles - and hunter becomes hunted. Narrated by the protagonist, Aloysius Tempo is a story of finding a place in a world where trust has crumbled and, more than ever, ends justify means. As Aloysius works to build a future and shake away the past, this story sees him begin to move in time with his country.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
ISBN: 9781910742129
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2015
Description:
Kathleen Ward was one of the many women on whom Dr Michael Neary performed hysterectomies, without their consent, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. In this powerful memoir, she recounts the devastating impact that the operation had on her - and how she successfully rebuilt her life following the procedure. A Violation Against Women is a compelling story of how one woman dealt with a devastating loss - and successfully took on the medical establishment.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 216
ISBN: 9781907593529
Pub Date: 03 Jul 2015
Description:
Moyra Donaldson's poetry collections have been hailed as 'urbane, modern, and sophisticated…important and engaging…ambitious in its scope, and speaking with a rare authority…insightful and profoundly moving…' Selected Poems is an ideal place for the reader to engage with the themes of Donaldson’s work: the natural world, human sexuality, and the often unexpected ways in which people’s lives interlink. Drawing inspiration from historical figures, friends, and chance acquaintances alike, Moyra Donaldson looks at the world with a fresh, unflinching eye. Selected Poems is a remarkable achievement by a poet at the height of her powers.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 96
ISBN: 9781909718982
Pub Date: 15 May 2015
Description:
All the parts of everyday life are unclothed and transformed in Catching Bats Takes Patience. Mary Kennelly looks at the routine of domestic life and motherhood and picks it apart, revealing a hidden layer of emotion and depth to her everyday life.Nothing is off limits for Kennelly.
Relationships, sex, gender, religion, love and death are all goldmines of heartbreak, anger and nostalgia. In particular, she writes from the heart about motherhood, and the loss and growth that accompanies it. A sense of regret is absent from Kenelly’s collection, opting instead for lessons learned and defiance in the face of negativity.Kennelly offers a book of poetry described as 'deceptively simple'; there are no tricky difficulties in which to drown the reader. Touching on a range of bittersweet themes,Catching Bats Takes Patience explores with uncompromising honesty the complexities of life in a beguilingly direct tone.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 60
ISBN: 9781909718968
Pub Date: 20 Apr 2015
Description:
Liam Ryan canvasses a wide spectrum of subjects in his third collection of poems What's happening in the Shade. Part I of the collection visits life, death and religion, while Part II examines love in many of its forms: parental love, spousal love, and unrequited love. Formidable in lyrical intensity throughout, there are no boundaries to the places Ryan will visit in his poetry.
His cold, dark winters are punctured by light, dewy springs, and for every green meadow full of emotion there’s a wooden desk covered with precise lines and measurements. He provides both objective observations and his private thoughts, with a joke or a pun always waiting just around the corner. Throughout What's happening in the Shade, Ryan borrows the words of fifteen world poets - including Pablo Neruda, Mirabai, and Rainer Maria Rilke - translates them, and transforms them to his own, offering new versions of lofty poetry to professor and novice alike. In this newest collection of poems, Liam Ryan truly becomes master of all trades.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781909718302
Pub Date: 19 Apr 2015
Description:
Sinker thrusts us into the story of Baker Forley. He begins the novel as a sweet, unassuming Irish man who is revealed to be a promising newcomer to the world's most controversial sport - professional drinking. Ambition fuels his talent as he strives to make something of his life, but he is plagued by worries that he could die from his job, through alcohol poisoning.
Frequent fatalities occur, as players often drop dead during games. When his popularity lands him a spot at the infamous Bullfight competition in sun-baked Mallorca, Baker believes that his luck has turned. But when his drunken eye is drawn to a Saudi beauty, her bodyguard steps over and floors him. The bodyguard's boss - a Saudi oil baron - invites Baker to his magnificent, surreal, Gaudi-designed palace to hear an apology. Baker - joined by his over-ebullient coach Ratface - gets an offer he can't refuse: "Teach the crazy billionaire Sheikh to drink like a pro and in turn he'll make you rich." Later, as illicit lust flares between Baker and the oil baron's sober wife; he learns the real reason why he has been asked along. It's a set up, and he's about to be framed for killing a Sheikh. After three days of industrial-level drinking and dealing with Ratface’s random groping, can Baker break free?
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781909718272
Pub Date: 19 Apr 2015
Description:
Thatchbury is a village much like any other, yet beneath the surface flows a stream of angst and superstition. The shadow of Thickets Wood creeps amongst its people like a primeval mist, bringing torment and desperation. Do Charlie Whitehall and young Tommy Tinkit come under its destructive power, driving their minds to despair, or is the darkness a consequence of their own guilt and fear?
Thickets Wood is a compelling work of psychological suspense, and Rebecca Reid is an emerging writer to watch. Her self-published first novel, The Coop, was published in 2012 to much critical praise: 'Brilliant.' - Colin Bateman 'Original and disturbing. This is a beautifully written debut.' - Sue Leonard, Irish Examiner 'Great page turner!' - Marie-Louise Muir, Arts Extra, BBC Radio Ulster
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9781909718364
Pub Date: 19 Apr 2015
Description:
My sheaf of poems - took all my life to write' This new anthology from the acclaimed poet Gabriel Fitzmaurice, whittled down by 'time and the road', explores a variety of themes celebrating both the local and the universal. His career as a primary school teacher and principal is at the forefront to many of his observations as he reflects on the worlds of education and childhood, and indeed a child's perspective of the world. More personal reflections are conveyed as Fitzmaurice comments on the town in which he grew up.
Local characters, events and traditions are documented and his admiration for his native town is evident. The poet clearly holds the role of the family in high regard and writes on becoming a father and, in turn, a grandfather for the first time. Love and relationships are integral to Fitzmaurice's collection and special moments are immortalized in many of his poems, juxtaposed by lighter, more humorous, works. Themes such as an appreciation of the arts, history, sport and the Irish language intersperse the collection as well as a reference to Queen Elizabeth II's historic visit to Ireland.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781907593109
Pub Date: 19 Apr 2015
Description:
"There are no days more full than those we go back to. All those Christmases collide into each other and my memory is decorated by a series of mirrors, flashing light into chambers of sound and color…the briquettes sparking red-layered on the fire, the crinkling of the ridiculous paper hats at dinnertime…and the laughter moving to deep silence at three in the afternoon when we leaned up against one another like old tires, full of turkey and gravy and trifle and God knows how many slices of plum pudding." From 'Every Christmas Morning now, Every Christmas Morning' then by Colum McCann.
Packed with contributions from some of Ireland’s best-loved writers, including Roddy Doyle, Alice Taylor, Colum McCann, Sinéad Moriarty and John Boyne, among others, each of the author royalties from this collection will be donated to Aware, a charity that supports individuals and families affected by depression. Festive stories vary from vivid recollections of a childhood Christmas spent in Ireland to travels as far as modern-day New York. Each unique story captures the range of emotions that come bundled up with Christmas memories. Without a doubt, The Little Book of Christmas Memories is the perfect fireside companion for this season as well as an ideal Christmas present! Contributors: Sebastian Barry, Dermot Bolger, John Boyne, Giles Brody, Declan Burke, Mary Lys Carbery, Patricia Carr, Tony Clayton-Lea, June Considine, Carl Corcoran, Tony Corcoran, Mary Costello, Kevin Curran, Bethany Dawson, Roddy Doyle, Anne Droney, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Barbara Gibson, Virginia Gilbert, Kevin Gildea, Maura Gilligan, Liam Greene, Aidan Grennan, Linda Guerin, Antonia Hart, John Haskins, Sharyn Hayden, William Jenkins, Eileen Keane, Claire Keegan, John Kelly, Anna Laerke Byrne, Shirley Lanigan, Catherine Leon (née Dunne), Sandra Mara, Brian McCabe, Paul McDermott, John Montague, Seamus Moran, Colum McCann, John Montague, Sinead Moriarty, Joe Murphy, Kate Murphy, Breda Nathan, Tom Nestor, Senator David Norris, Lisa O'Callaghan, Deridre O'Mahony, Seán Ó Riain, Stephen O'Sullivan, Marie Smyth, Alice Taylor, Yseult Thornley, Michael Thurlow, Carol Tobin, Karina Tynan, Susan Virsano, Elizabeth Wassell, Elizabeth Waterhouse, Tara West, and Phil Young.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9781909718357
Pub Date: 19 Apr 2015
Description:
Moyra Donaldson is one of Ireland's leading poets. She has published five previous collections, including a Selected Poems in 2013. Her work has been hailed as ‘urbane, modern, and sophisticated…important and engaging…ambitious in its scope, and speaking with a rare authority…insightful and profoundly moving…' Whatever the subject matter –be it anatomy, death, life, sex, or the natural world - Moyra Donaldson writes with a keen knowledge of the connection between the private and the public, the past and the present, the local and the universal.
