We are a nation renowned for our rich literary heritage, but the last few years in particular have seen a number of acclaimed Irish novels make the leap to the big and small screens, too.
From An Cailín Ciúin (based on Claire Keegan's novella Foster) to Normal People and That They May Face the Rising Sun, to recent TV shows like Karen Perry’s The Boy That Never Was, there is clearly a visual thread to many Irish stories that appeals to filmmakers and TV directors.
With another of Keegan’s works, Small Things Like These, set to be released in cinemas in November, it’s a timely opportunity to salivate over the great Irish books that would transition brilliantly to the TV or film screen.
Kevin Barry - City of Bohane
To say that Kevin Barry’s debut novel is a world unto itself would be to understate the case a tad. City of Bohane follows two rival gangs as they vie for control of the fictitious western Irish city. Although it’s set in 2053, this is a story that strips away technology and progress and invents its own reality, from the way the characters speak to the way they dress. This is a story made for film - and an adaptation could be a superbly off-the-wall, Mad Max-style affair in the hands of the right director. But is there one who is brave enough to take on one of the most ambitious works of Irish fiction in recent times?
Joseph O’Connor - Star of the Sea
We’ve all seen Titanic, The Poseidon Adventure, Captain Phillips and the like; films set on ocean vessels are ten-a-penny. None of them, however, have told the story of a serial killer on a famine ship bound for America in 1847. We learn the identity of the murderer early on in Joseph O’Connor’s 2002 international bestseller, but that does not detract from its superb story of tragedy and intrigue, all set against the backdrop of The Great Famine - an event that looms large in its characters’ minds. The novel has already been adapted for the stage, and has been optioned for a film adaptation several times - most recently in 2010 by Mark O’Rowe and John Crowley - but has still not made it to the big screen.
Caroline O’Donoghue - The Rachel Incident
Considering how well Caroline O’Donoghue’s third novel has sold Stateside, a TV adaptation could very well be the next Normal People. Set in Cork, there is a warmth and familiarity to the Leeside native’s story of two millennial best friends, James and Rachel, who are attempting to find both love and themselves - that has a mass appeal. When Rachel falls in love with her college professor, it sets off a chain of events that has both tragic and comic consequences for everyone involved. It’s a story fizzing with 2010s nostalgia, humour and poignancy - and with the right casting, it could be huge.
Sarah Gilmartin - Service
You could argue that we’re nearing overload with the number of restaurant-related films and TV shows in recent years, but we’d definitely watch an adaptation of Sarah Gilmartin’s Service. Gilmartin’s 2023 novel incorporated themes of power, consent and family dynamics in her cleverly-told story, which pieced together opposing viewpoints of famed Dublin chef Daniel Costello, his wife Julie, and Hannah, a young waitress who works in his high-end restaurant - which is shuttered when he is accused of sexual assault. The three interwoven stories make for a powerful arc and would work wonderfully as a mini-series.
Liz Nugent - Strange Sally Diamond
If you like plots with unexpected twists and turns, Strange Sally Diamond is absolutely packed with them. From the opening chapter of Liz Nugent’s 2022 novel, where the titular Sally describes putting her dad "out with the trash" after he dies, it’s clear that we’re in for an unconventional story. The reclusive Sally is indeed a strange character, but Nugent’s story gradually reveals more of her horrifying backstory as she bravely attempts to shake off her traumatic childhood and step out into the world. With the right actress playing Sally in a nuanced manner - Kerry Condon? Jessie Buckley? - and a director who paces the complex narrative correctly, this could be incredible.
Paul Murray - Skippy Dies
There has been a lot of chatter over the last year about Paul Murray’s latest tome, The Bee Sting - and rightly so. Yet while that story of a dysfunctional Irish family is undoubtedly ripe for adaptation, Murray’s 2010 novel Skippy Dies would arguably make for an even better TV series or film. A director could have a lot of fun with this tragicomedy tale about the students of a fictional Dublin boarding school, in the lead-up to the titular character’s death in a donut-eating contest. Neil Jordan options the rights years ago but really, it’s tailor-made for Wes Anderson.
Sinead Gleeson - Hagstone
Sinead Gleeson’s debut novel is one of the most visual we’ve read in a long time; the Dublin author’s descriptive turn of phrase puts you smack-bang in the midst of this strange, eerie island laden with secrets and mystery. By the time you’ve turned the final page, you’ll be making your own casting decisions. Who could play the lead character Nell - a fiercely independent artist pulled into a group of reclusive women, the Inions? Her rugged love interest, Cleary? The flashy American actor who arrives on the island with a barely-concealed objective? What about Maman, the imperious leader of the Inions? Coupled with the wildness of the setting - a fictional island 11 hours off the coast of Ireland - it would be a beautifully cinematic big screen affair.
Donal Ryan - The Spinning Heart
Over the course of the last decade or so, Donal Ryan has become one of our most important contemporary authors through his ability to find beauty in the mundane - and occasionally, the extraordinary - characters that populate his novels. His first published work has already been adapted for an award-winning stage show, while 2013’s The Thing About December made it to the big screen in an Irish-language adaptation, 2021’s Foscadh. We’d love to see Ryan’s writing get the same level of attention as the aforementioned Claire Keegan, particularly this astonishing portrait of a fractured community set in the midst of the recession. Lenny Abrahamson, your next project is here.
Catriona Lally - Eggshells
So much of Catriona Lally’s 2014 novel is set in the main character’s head as she wanders around Dublin - but given that the city and its environs play such a huge part in the story, this could make for an interesting adaptation. Vivian is something of a social outcast living in her late grand-aunt’s home and unsuccessfully attempting to make tentative connections with various people. It’s a beautiful story about conforming and belonging, with the myth of the 'Changeling’ woven through its narrative. As both a visual love letter to the capital and an exploration of a lost soul trying to find her way, it would make for a beautiful film.
Lisa McInerney - The Glorious Heresies
Like your TV series full of wit and action? The Glorious Heresies has both in abundance - and in fact, an adaptation of Lisa McInerney’s 2015 novel has supposedly been in the works since 2016, after production company Fifty Fathoms bought the rights to it. The current status of the project is unknown but there’s no doubt the fast-paced novel would make a brilliant series. Set against a backdrop of a haphazard murder in post-crash Cork, McInerney’s characters include teenage drug dealer Ryan, sex worker Georgie and Jimmy - the main mobster in Cork, and a role Cillian Murphy was surely born to play.
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