Top Four Must-Read Irish Anthologies to enrich your literary appetite.

Where better to start with reading Ireland’s best writing than anthologies? You get a wide breadth of writing styles, across generations of writers. Here we explore the top four best Irish anthologies

Alex SECAM writes dark fiction from Cork, Ireland - but this isn't the Ireland of tourism brochures. His stories explore a near-future Emerald Isle where economic brutality has replaced ancient curses, where eviction units vacuum people from their homes, and where survival means complicity in systemic violence.

His debut dystopian thriller novel 'Destruction Unit' comes out in August 2025, is hotly tipped as '1984 meets the housing crisis' and asks: what happens when eviction becomes extraction, when housing policy becomes weaponized, and when ordinary people operate the machinery of displacement? www.alexsecamwriter.com

Modern Irish Short Stories, a collection selected and introduced by Frank O'Connor [Oxford University Press, 1957].

This small pocketbook, while looking quaint and unassuming, sure packs a punch. It was compiled by renowned Cork writer Frank O'Connor and published in 1957, enjoying many reprints in the decades that followed. We have Mary Lavin, Elizabeth Bowen, Liam O'Flaherty, Bryan MacMahon, James Joyce and many more. Here we get some of the top heavyweight writers from the late 1800s and early 1900s and examples of their best work.

My favourite: Bryan MacMahon ‘Exile's Return’ from his 1955 story collection ‘The Red Petticoat and other stories’. A native of Listowel, Co Kerry, Bryan is a writer I've really enjoyed recently. He takes us back with authentic and vivid flair to the Ireland of the mid-1900s. The writing still reads today with a vibrant and humorous voice - not a bit aged or stale. His stories are creatively packed with the nuances of daily life unique to that time.

The Other Irish Tradition, edited by Rob Doyle [Dalkey Archive, 2018].

This intriguing collection, compiled by Rob Doyle, is a timely and unique anthology that serves us a healthy cross section of the more ambitious and unconventional of Irish writing. Some staples of innovative and boundary pushing texts are included, such as Flann O'Brien, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. But this hefty book tackles the more experimental and avant-garde nature of Irish writing, showcasing the richer and more daring elements that have made Irish literature a recognised world standard. What makes this collection worthwhile really is the inclusion of contemporary authors such as Philip Ó'Ceallaigh, Dave Lordan, Anakana Schofield, June Caldwell, Jennifer Walsh and more. Their experiments are engaging, sometimes shocking and always invigorating.

My Favourite: Dorothy Nelson's excerpt from ‘In Night's City’ [1982]. A tough read but shows Dorothy Nelson's talent and uncompromising voice, as she pulls us into the dark drama and traumas of domestic Ireland in that era. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart, and the writing itself is staggering, sharp and succinct.

Rewind – A Collection, edited by Indie Authors Ireland [Indie Authors Ireland 2025]

This anthology, running with the theme of ‘Memory’ throughout, brings us a rich tapestry of new writing from contemporary Ireland. The anthology keenly brings together the essential pillars of Irish literature - fiction, poetry, memoir, and essay.

‘Rewind’ starts off with a foreword by Adam Harris, founder of Autism Ireland charity Asiam.ie - which are receiving all proceeds from the sale of this anthology. Roisín Coyne opens proceedings with ‘Before You Judge’ and sets the standard for a high-quality publication throughout. Kay Forristal's ‘Greenhills’ vividly reflects on family and the place we call home. Poet Emma Davis’s stirring ‘In Loving Memory’ is one of many favourite poems dotted throughout the collection. ‘Chestnut Heaven’ by Eoin Brady sinks the reader into the cosy world of our youth. The language is syrupy and rich, taking us on a rollercoaster of great storytelling. Helen O’Sullivan's ‘That Year’ starts with the line ‘I have a terror of being killed by a tree.’ This uncompromising nonfiction piece is expertly formed, forewarning the climate change catastrophe facing us all. Claire O'Connor’s sci-fi future ‘Erase and Rewind’ brings us into a fresh speculative fiction world, a territory all her own as we have seen from her highly praised ‘Over The Wall’ trilogy. Eamon O'Cleirigh's skilfully crafted story ‘An Open Wound’ reveals the gnawing painful dramas we suffer within ourselves. Overall, this new anthology embraces many styles from creative essay, science fiction, and established forms like poetry, memoir and short story. It is an ambitious anthology containing Ireland’s current top writers and easily serves as a great starting point for readers. A highly recommended publication.

My Favourite: Eileen Moynihan's ‘The Sun Is Not At The Table’. Gretchen's tale of her and her husband Albert pulls the reader into what at first might seem like an unassuming story. But the unfolding drama grabs the reader and brings them along helplessly to the engrossing, brilliant finale.

You can buy ‘Rewind - A Collection’ here on Amazon (available on all regions): https://amzn.eu/d/ijk1XdP

The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, edited by Sinead Gleeson [New Island Books, 2016]

This must be the definitive anthology of Irish women writers available today. The collection is put together by Sinéad Gleeson, who has paved her own unique blazing path in Irish writing. With essays on music (her Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth collaboration) and her award-winning book ‘Constellations’, we know we are in good hands. New Island Books brought us the ‘Young Islanders’ anthology, edited by Dave Lordan in 2015. This resulted in my exposure to two now favourite Irish writers Claire-Louise Bennett, and Colin Barrett. The same publisher a few years later then unleashed this essential overdue anthology of women in Irish literature. Maeve Brennan, Mary Costello, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne, Nuala Ní Chonchúir and more are featured at the top of their game.

My Favourite: Evelyn Conlon ‘The Meaning Of Missing’. This story from Evelyn's short story collection ‘Moving About The Place’ is a perfect crystallised snapshot of her underappreciated talent. Her story collection ‘My Head Is Opening’ from Attic Press 1987 is one of my favourites in Irish writing. From Co Monaghan, Evelyn Conlon writes gripping stories of searing honesty and heart. Up there with Leland Bardwell, she is one of the most interesting writers from the 80s that I currently return to.