New book tells story of friends from Naas Co. Kildare who bonded through their love of music
Ghosts of Gallows Glen is a fictional novel about two Naas friends written by Barry Kinane from Wicklow
The Ghosts of Gallows Glen is a fictional novel about two Naas friends. It is written by Barry Kinane a singer-songwriter from County Wicklow.
Due to arrive in Barker and Jones, Naas on September 21, the book tells the story of two friends from Naas Co. Kildare who bonded through their love of music. When COVID hits in 2020 their life long friendship is challenged. Through dreams and connections with a deeper spiritual meaning they come to understand their souls have been connected since the Battle of Naas during the 1798 rebellion. This story of friendship, forgiveness and reconciliation will challenge the reader to examine their views about life in Ireland from 2020-22.
“The Ghosts of Gallows Glen transports the reader back to the ‘Covid Pandemic’ and the fear and threats both real and imagined that the ordinary people of Ireland had to deal with. Tyranny ruled with only a vilified few willing to question the government narrative of the ‘new normal’. Division, fear, isolation and family to the fore in what is a necessary and superb fictional reminder of what was inflicted on Ireland, the consequences of which we are still suffering to this day. Lest we forget. A great read,” said Patrick E Walsh – Letters from Desolation Row Substack.
“For starters, the cover artwork grabbed me and I was not disappointed. The book is a great read and an important record of the awfulness that took place during the ‘covid’ years. I enjoyed the style of conversational colloquial writing, with the use of Hiberno-English; Kinane’s use of language reminded me of the unique language employed by the Sicilian writer, Andrea Camilleri, in his Montalbano books (Sicilian dialect mixed in with standard Italian),” said Eleanor Ticchio, Co. Donegal.
Barry won the Sean McCarthy Ballad Writing Competition in 2014 and has released albums such as “The Hills Above the Valley” and “The Old Grey Cobblestone”, which feature stories of Irish history and local characters. He has written two books of local history “The Cluxtons of Kilcullen” and “Welcome to the Granite City”. The Ghosts of Gallows Glen is his first work of fiction. In a review of the CD “The Hills above the Valley” Nicky Rossiter writing for Irish music magazine said “Kinane has a rare gift of taking the stories of life and relatively recent history to weave magical musical tales that are like short stories of the highest quality.”
The book will be available in Barker and Jones in Naas from September 21 and from amazon.ie