Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Gerard Beirne

@gerardbeirne.bsky.social

1.6K followers 1K following 360 posts

Author of 8 books of fiction & poetry. Recent:The Thickness of Ice (novel, Baraka Books, 2024);The Death Poems (Salt, 2023).Winner of Rubery Award for Fiction. Shortlisted Danuta Gleed Award, Bord Gais Irish Book Awards, & Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · Jul 15

Very pleased to have won the 2025 International Rubery Book Award for Fiction for The Thickness of Ice (Baraka Books).

www.ruberybookaward.com/2025-winners...

2025 Winners

FICTION Winner The Thickness of Ice by Gerard Beirne A restrained, but immersive novel set in the subarctic town of Churchill, Manitoba. We shift between different times and focuses and that makes...

www.ruberybookaward.com

6 1 19

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 21h

Colm Tóibín: Why I set up a press to publish Nobel winner László Krasznahorkai

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

Colm Tóibín: Why I set up a press to publish Nobel winner László Krasznahorkai

The Irish novelist discovered the Hungarian writer two decades ago, and was excited by the verbal pyrotechnics of a rule-breaking storyteller

www.theguardian.com

4 26

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 23h

Previously unpublished Seamus Heaney poems released
bbc.com/news/article...

Seamus Heaney: Previously unseen poetry published

A major volume of poetry by Seamus Heaney includes previously unseen works.

bbc.com

12 26

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 23h

I wonder if crime writers of old when typing up their manuscripts used dead keys more than most.

1 3

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 1d

Sarah Clancy @sarahmaintains.bsky.social:

After arrest, imprisonment, and deportation from Israel, Sarah Clancy, an Irish Gaza flotilla participant, reflects on solidarity, conscience, and the power of ordinary Irish people
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Sarah Clancy: Flotillas show that ordinary people must be the antidote to toxic world powers

After arrest, imprisonment, and deportation from Israel, Sarah Clancy, an Irish Gaza flotilla participant, reflects on solidarity, conscience, and the power of ordinary people

www.irishexaminer.com

2 3 12

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 1d

Galway activist @sarahmaintains.bsky.social home – but still angry at her treatment off Gaza

connachttribune.ie/galway-activ...

Galway activist home – but still angry at her treatment off Gaza - Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune

Galway activist home – but still angry at her treatment off Gaza

connachttribune.ie

2 9

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 2d

What's a great movie image that is ingrained in your head?

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 2d

There's no getting away from Yeats in Sligo. Mural spotted in The Canopy shopping centre.

2 7

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 3d

“Of all the subjects I’m interested in...writing is way, way down at the bottom of the list.”

Cormac McCarthy

3 5

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 3d

Graham Greene: “The greatest saints have been men with more than a normal capacity for evil, and the most vicious men have sometimes narrowly evaded sanctity.”

7 31

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 3d

Graham Greene: “The greatest saints have been men with more than a normal capacity for evil, and the most vicious men have sometimes narrowly evaded sanctity.”

7 31

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 3d

Independent TD Barry Heneghan and author Naoise Dolan @naoisedolan.bsky.social are among the detainees.

www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...

Independent TD and author among Irish citizens on board flotilla ships intercepted by Israel

Independent TD Barry Heneghan and author Naoise Dolan are among the detainees

www.irishexaminer.com

3 5

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 3d

Independent TD Barry Heneghan and author Naoise Dolan among Irish detained by Israel from Gaza flotilla www.independent.ie/world-news/m...

Independent TD Barry Heneghan and author Naoise Dolan among Irish detained by Israel from Gaza flotilla

Five Irish citizens are believed to be detained by Israeli forces after a group of flotilla vessels attempting to deliver aid to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Wedne...

www.independent.ie

4 6

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 3d

Marina Carr and Caitríona McLaughlin discuss The Boy: A Two-Play Theatrical Event

youtu.be/F3ImY_MMf-s?...

Marina Carr and Caitríona McLaughlin discuss The Boy: A Two-Play Theatrical Event

YouTube video by Abbey Theatre

youtu.be

1 2

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 3d

“Of all the subjects I’m interested in...writing is way, way down at the bottom of the list.”

Cormac McCarthy

3 5

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Rhianna Pratchett @rhi.bsky.social · 6d

GNU Jilly Cooper. Jilly and dad were friends and the only person I’ve known to call him ‘Tel’. Hope they’re both having a big drink somewhere.

13 93 860

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 6d

"There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."
― Oscar Wilde

1 19 91

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 6d

Independent Dublin bookshop damaged by fire reopens

Books Upstairs was set alight at around 3am on Monday, with Garda investigations ongoing

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

Independent Dublin bookshop damaged by fire reopens

Books Upstairs was set alight at around 3am on Monday, with Garda investigations ongoing

www.irishtimes.com

1 12

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 6d

How uncooth! Booed and heckled in my old stomping ground of Fredericton.

The Saint John Telegraph summed up the city’s pride in not having behaved like Frederictonians: 'We are very cosmopolitan for a small town, and do not hoot a man because he dresses oddly...'

backyardhistory.ca/articles/f/o...

Oscar Wilde's New Brunswick Tour

Oscar Wilde was only 27 years old when he toured New Brunswick in 1882, when he caused a sensation, selling out lectures all over, but also facing unexpected troubles like getting booed and heckled in...

backyardhistory.ca

6 16

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 7d

Also, The Buk: "The reason it's [poetry] not appreciated is because it hasn't shown any guts, hasn't shown any dance. It hasn't shown any moxie."

1 3

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 6d

Holy moly!

Gavan Reilly @gavreilly.com · 6d

🚨 Jim Gavin has withdrawn from the Presidential Election. #aras25 @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Richard James Foster @richardjamesfoster.bsky.social · 6d

Rereading this after 30 years: a remarkable collection.

Penguin paperback edition of Joyce’s Dubliners with a Brian Wildsmith cover.

3 2 26

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 9d

Brian showed me (and my family) exceptional kindness at one point early on in my writing career. This from Sunday Miscellany October 2019 (in a special episode commemorating him).

www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

2 4

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 6d

Just leaving these here:

7 6 60

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Rónán Hession @ronanhession.bsky.social · 7d

The Hale and Pace of indie literature.

Bluemoose Books @ofmooseandmen.bsky.social · 7d

Good morning.

Off to Leeds for some BBC interviews.

It's all coming together.

Time for a brew.

5 1 43

Reposted by Gerard Beirne

Gerard Beirne @gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 7d

Okay, didn't see that one coming. Got up this morning to work on a rewrite of my novel but ended up writing a first draft of a new story 5.5k words long. And now it's time for bed.

1 1 6