Top 50 Irish Novels

This is one of the 759 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

James Joyce Center with The Irish Times, 50 Books

The James Joyce Center co-sponsored a contest with The Irish Times voting on the best Irish novels. They had a predetermined list of books which the voters could choose from.

Who voted?
Panel size (for shortlist) ≈ 10–15 experts (panel description but no head-count)
Selection method Panel-curated shortlist → open ballot of Top 10

This list was originally published in 2003 and was added to this site over 2 years ago.

View: List Grid Table

Cover of 'Ulysses' by James Joyce

Ulysses

Cover of 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' by James Joyce

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Cover of 'Amongst Women' by John McGahern

Amongst Women

Cover of 'At Swim Two-Birds' by Flann O'Brien

At Swim Two-Birds

Cover of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Cover of 'Gulliver's Travels' by Jonathan Swift

Gulliver's Travels

Cover of 'The Third Policeman' by Flann O'Brien

The Third Policeman

Cover of 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker

Dracula

Cover of 'The Book Of Evidence' by John Banville

The Book Of Evidence

Cover of 'The Butcher Boy' by Patrick McCabe

The Butcher Boy

Cover of 'Strumpet City' by James Plunkett

Strumpet City

Cover of 'The Chronicles of Narnia' by C. S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia

Cover of 'The Country Girls' by Edna O'Brien

The Country Girls

Cover of 'Molloy' by Samuel Beckett

Molloy

Cover of 'Tarry Flynn' by Patrick Kavanagh

Tarry Flynn

Patrick Kavanagh

Cover of 'The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne' by Brian Moore

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne

Cover of 'The Last Bouquet' by Marjorie Bowen

The Last Bouquet

Cover of 'The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy' by Laurence Sterne

The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy

Laurence Sterne

Cover of 'How Many Miles To Babylon?' by Jennifer Johnston

How Many Miles To Babylon?

Jennifer Johnston

Cover of 'The Land Of Spices' by Kate O'Brien

The Land Of Spices

Cover of 'Murphy' by Samuel Beckett

Murphy

Cover of 'The Barracks' by John McGahern

The Barracks

Cover of 'Castle Rackrent' by Maria Edgeworth

Castle Rackrent

Maria Edgeworth

Cover of 'The Woman Who Walked Into Doors' by Roddy Doyle

The Woman Who Walked Into Doors

Cover of 'Reading In The Dark' by Seamus Deane

Reading In The Dark

Cover of 'Felicia's Journey' by William Trevor

Felicia's Journey

Cover of 'The Captains And The Kings' by Jennifer Johnston

The Captains And The Kings

Jennifer Johnston

Cover of 'Fools of Fortune' by William Trevor

Fools of Fortune

Cover of 'Good Behaviour' by Molly Keane

Good Behaviour

Cover of 'The South' by Colm Toibin

The South

Cover of 'December Bride' by Sam Hanna Bell

December Bride

Cover of 'The Real Charlotte' by Edith Somerville, Violet Florence Martin

The Real Charlotte

Edith Somerville, Violet Florence Martin

Cover of 'The Emperor Of Ice Cream' by Brian Moore

The Emperor Of Ice Cream

Cover of 'Death And Nightingales' by Eugene McCabe

Death And Nightingales

Cover of 'The Charwoman's Daughter' by James Stephens

The Charwoman's Daughter

Cover of 'The Parts' by Keith Ridgway

The Parts

Cover of 'The Siege of Krishnapur' by J. G. Farrell

The Siege of Krishnapur

Cover of 'Langrishe, Go Down' by Aidan Higgins

Langrishe, Go Down

Cover of 'Black List, Section H' by Francis Stuart

Black List, Section H

Cover of 'Melmoth the Wanderer' by Charles Robert Maturin

Melmoth the Wanderer

Charles Robert Maturin

Cover of 'The Banyan Tree' by Christopher Nolan

The Banyan Tree

Christopher Nolan

Cover of 'Birchwood' by John Banville

Birchwood

Cover of 'Uncle Silas' by Sheridan Le Fanu

Uncle Silas

Sheridan Le Fanu

Cover of 'A Drama In Muslin' by George Moore

A Drama In Muslin

Cover of 'Esther Waters' by George Moore

Esther Waters

Cover of 'The Big Chapel' by Thomas Kilroy

The Big Chapel

Cover of 'The Black Prophet' by William Carleton

The Black Prophet

William Carleton

Cover of 'The Birds Of The Innocent Wood' by Deirdre Madden

The Birds Of The Innocent Wood

Cover of 'Surrogate City' by Hugo Hamilton

Surrogate City

Cover of 'Love And Sleep' by Sean O'Reilly

Love And Sleep