15 of the best Irish books to curl up with this Christmas

The past 12 months have seen a bumper crop of books published by Irish authors. There is plenty here to curl up with over the festive season.

Donal Ryan's latest novel The Queen of Dirt Island is his sixth novel. Sebastian Barry called him the king of the new wave of Irish writers. The author hails from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary and now lives in Limerick. He lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Limerid.

Bono's biography, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, was released last month. It's received critical acclaim for its honesty and insights into the life and career of one of Ireland's most successful singer-songwriters. Bono has created forty original drawings for Surrendered. The book's subtitle, 40 songs, one story, is a nod to the book’s forty chapters, which are each named after a U2 song.

Edel Coffey's debut novel Breaking Point has been a bestseller since its release in January of this year. It is shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022.

Susannah made a mistake and left her baby in the car. Susannah is being put on trial for negligence.

15 of the best Irish books to curl up with this Christmas.

Ballymaloe House in County Cork, Ireland is the birthplace of modern Irish cuisine. The house's pastry chef JR Ryall's daily menu includes 130 recipes for his award-winning confections. Ryal's advice appears throughout the book.

Mary Lou McDonald is the bookies' favourite to be Ireland's next Taoiseach. She would be the first woman to reach the office and the the only Sinn Féin leader to enter government in the Republic of Ireland. The biography unearths new details of her family background and her privileged education.

Emma Donoghue's latest novel Haven is set around the year 600 in Ireland.

Donoghue's novel was inspired by a boat trip around the Skelligs in 2016. He had planned to land on Sellig Michael in 2020, but the monks would have taken it in their stride.

Abandoned Ireland is a book about the forgotten buildings of Ireland. It's written by Rebecca Brownlie, a photographer from Co. Down. It features beautiful and haunting photographs of the buildings. The book is priced at €27.95.

Dublin-based author Aingeala Flannery's debut novel The Amusements is set in the seaside town of Tramore in County Waterford. Helen Grant is indifferent to the charm of her surroundings, but she dreams of escaping to art college with her glamorous classmate Stella Swaine.

Sara Baume's new novel Seven Steeples is a powerful meditation on the nature of love and the resilience of nature. Baumé was born in Lancashire but raised in Co. Cork. She is at her best when exploring what it means to escape the traditional paths and evolve in devotion to another person and to the landscape. She has written two previous novels Spill Simmer Falter Wither and A Line Made by Walking.

Clare Shine has released her autobiography, co-written with author Gareth Mather. It details her struggles with mental health, loneliness, drugs and alcohol addiction. She also had an attempt on her life. Scoring Goals in the Dark was nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2022 Award.

Rachel's Holiday is the long-awaited follow up to Marian Keyes' bestselling Rachel's holiday. Rachel Walsh's life has changed since she was in rehab in the nineties. She has a job as an addiction counsellor and she even has gardens.

Keith Earls is a rugby player from Limerick, Ireland. He has won 93 caps for Ireland and 179 times for Munster. Earl is the second highest try scorer of all time for his country. His career has been marked by mental health issues. In his autobiography he talks about this. He also talks in depth about the inner turmoil that went unseen by team-mates, friends and fans.

Crazy Dreams is the highly anticipated autobiography from Paul Brady. Brady is one of Ireland's greatest living songwriters. He has worked with Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Carole King, Tina Turner, Mark Knopfler and Bonnie Raitt. His songs include The Island, Nobody Knows and The World is What You Make It.

A History of the GAA in 100 Objects is a book about the Gaelic Athletic Association. It presents a chronological history of Gaa and a social history. The book includes objects from every county in Ireland and overseas.

Kellie Harrington won gold at the Tokyo Olympics. She is now an amateur boxer and works at a Dublin psychiatric hospital. Her autobiography tells the story of her unlikely rise to greatness. The Commitments is written with Roddy Doyle, the award-winning author of The Committments. It is a look inside the life and psychology of a woman who is both brilliantly ordinary and utterly exceptional.