My colleague, data analyst Cathal Stack, collated the results into a list of the 100 most broadly popular titles, ranked in descending order based on the number of nominations each received. I then asked the panel to fine-tune the list by reordering the titles from 1 to 100, to reflect their own personal preferences and thus to establish which books had inspired the deepest love. On Thursday, we published numbers 100 to 51 and Saturday we will reveal the top 25 Irish fiction titles of the century so far.
Below are the books ranked 50 to 26. Another brilliant Stinging Fly debut short story collection. The Cork author has won the Windham-Campbell Prize and Sunday Times Short Story Award.
Read our review here Nell sets out into the world but finds her history hard to escape. Her leaving causes a lifetime’s turmoil to churn in her mother, Carmel. Over both looms Carmel’s famous father, a gifted but selfish poet.
Read our review here A harrowing exploration of a brutal gang rape of a young woman and its aftermath in a small Irish community, it fearlessly, relentlessly tackles the complex topic of sexual consent. Originally published as a young adult novel, it was adapted for an award-winning play . Read our review here An impressive, cerebral debut written with brio and humour, it teems with insights about class, race, language and sexuality.
Ava, a young Irish graduate teaching English in Hong Kong, gets involved with Julian, an English banker, and Edith, a local lawyer. Read.
