RIGHT NOW YOU might have a book voucher or two burning a hole in your wallet.

So… What to spend it on?

Well, how about catching up on some of the Irish fiction you might have missed in 2024? Here are our picks of eight standout novels and two short story collections from the past 12 months.

Why not add your own favourites in the comments.

Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney

The book All Fours by Miranda July has gotten a huge amount of attention this year, but have you read Breakdown, which has many similarities? It’s the excellent debut novel from Cathy Sweeney, about a middle-class woman who leaves her home in the morning and doesn’t come back. It’s insightful, poignant and funny.

Wild Houses by Colin Barrett 

How Barrett manages to combine pathos with humour we don’t know… and his gift for dialogue? Talk about skill. Wild Houses was justifiably longlisted for the Booker Prize this year, and we’re sad it didn’t make the shortlist. It’s about a young teen called Doll who’s abducted by two local County Mayo crooks (called Gabe and Sketch) and winds up in the house of the introverted Dev, who has enough of his own personal problems going on. One of the best characters here is Doll’s girlfriend, Nicky, a fierce voice who you’ll be rooting for ahead of all the lads.

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry

Look, there is no one in Ireland who writes like Limerick man Kevin Barry. End of. In his latest novel – by turns tragic and romantic – he spins us all the way to 1890s Montana, and into the love affair between a Corkonian named Tom and new bride Polly. No, she’s not Tom’s new bride, so the lovers go on the run. Barry’s sentences are an absolute joy to behold, so full of vim and spark. 

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Of course you’ve heard of Sally Rooney – but have you actually read Intermezzo? Her fourth novel sees the Mayo writer focus on the stories of two brothers, Ivan and Peter Koubek, who have recently lost their father. With 10 years between them, both men are struggling to figure out exactly what to do with their lives, and in both cases relationships with a woman (or two women) begin to give them focus. These see Rooney in some new territory as a writer, which is very exciting indeed. 

Long Island by Colm Tóibín

We never thought Brooklyn would get a follow-up, but here we are – and it’s a gorgeous read. Tóibín has such a gift for getting across a story in simple and plain language, yet his sentences pack a huge punch. In his update of the story, Eilis has something terrible happen in her personal life, sending her back home to Ireland – where her old lover Jim is waiting. But can they – and should they – rekindle things?

The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes

This hefty novel fairly zips along thanks to Hughes’ gift for lively, energetic characters with a huge amount of depth. This tells the story of four annoyingly intelligent Flattery sisters, one of whom – Olwen – tires of her situation and flees for the countryside. Her sisters follow, but can they figure out why she left?

Heart Be At Peace by Donal Ryan 

One of Ireland’s favourite novelists for a very good reason, Donal Ryan says he was asked by loads of people what happened to the characters in his debut The Spinning Heart. Eventually he decided to put pen to paper and find out. And what a treat for us, his readers. He has such a beautifully lyrical style, and always gets to the heart of human emotion. 

Hagstone by Sinéad Gleeson

If you or a loved one love art or indeed are an artist of any type, you’ll understand a lot of what motivates the protagonist Nell in Sinéad Gleeson’s debut novel. Nell lives alone on a beguiling very remote island off Ireland’s coast, and finds herself drawn into the world of the strange Inions, a cult-like group of women who want her to make art for them. Fans of folk-horror will love this too. 

Old Romantics by Maggie Armstrong

Sometimes a debut author comes along with a voice that you feel like you’ve never encountered before. This year, that person was Maggie Armstrong, whose short story collection Old Romantics was like a splash of water to the face. It’s a series of interlinked stories about a woman called Margaret, and we follow her misadventures in family life and romance. Sometimes Margaret is confusing, other times you just want to give her a hug. 

Quickly, While They Still Have Horses by Jan Carson

Longtime fans of Belfast-based writer Jan Carson will know she can turn her hand to any kind of fiction, and her short stories are always thrilling. In this collection, we meet a girl who can see a ghost in the back of her parents’ car; a dad whose children disappear into thin air; and an Ireland where horses are endangered. Brilliant from beginning to end, with a touch of magical realism across many of the tales.