The Greatest Irish Historical Fiction Books of All Time

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 488 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
1069 Some Experiences Of An Irish R.M. E.Œ. Somerville, Martin Ross 1899 Irish English
1808 Amongst Women John McGahern 1990 Irish English
1817 Brooklyn Colm Toibin 2009 Irish English
1826 The Bitter Glass Eilís Dillon 1958 Irish English
3128 Strumpet City James Plunkett 1969 Irish English
3248 Longsword, Earl Of Salisbury Thomas Leland 1762 Irish English
3766 Small Things Like These Claire Keegan 2021 Irish English
5004 Good Behaviour Molly Keane 1981 Irish English
5173 Days Without End Sebastian Barry 2016 Irish English
6387 Charles O'malley Charles Lever 1841 Irish English
6390 A Belfast Woman Mary Beckett 1980 Irish English
6801 Langrishe, Go Down Aidan Higgins 1966 Irish English
6839 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas John Boyne 2006 Irish English
7123 The Land Of Spices Kate O'Brien 1941 Irish English
7184 Rory O'more Samuel Lover 1837 Irish English
7190 Ennui Maria Edgeworth 1809 Irish English
7190 The Last September Elizabeth Bowen 1929 Irish English
7378 Slammerkin Emma Donoghue 2000 Irish English
7416 The Real Charlotte Edith Somerville, Violet Florence Martin 1894 Irish English
7468 A Drama In Muslin George Moore 1886 Irish English
7471 The Black Prophet William Carleton 1847 Irish English
7642 The Headless Horseman Thomas Mayne Reid 1865 Irish English
8015 The Emperor Of Ice Cream Brian Moore 1965 Irish English
8282 Black List, Section H Francis Stuart 1971 Irish English
8470 The Big Chapel Thomas Kilroy 1971 Irish English
8471 The Captains And The Kings Jennifer Johnston 1972 Irish English
8591 How Many Miles To Babylon? Jennifer Johnston 1974 Irish English
8660 The Wild Irish Girl Sydney Owenson 1806 Irish English
8660 The Collegians Gerald Griffin 1829 Irish English
8787 Birchwood John Banville 1973 Irish English
9103 Hereafter Vona Groarke 2022 Irish English
9201 Old God's Time Sebastian Barry 2023 Irish English
9304 Two Lives William Trevor 1991 Irish English
9304 A Star Called Henry Roddy Doyle 1999 Irish English
9516 This Is Happiness Niall Williams 2019 Irish English
9547 Fools of Fortune William Trevor 1983 Irish English
10153 Nora Webster Colm Toibin 2014 Irish English
10163 Farewell Companions James Plunkett 1977 Irish English
10224 Ordinary Human Failings Megan Nolan 2024 Irish English
10811 The Secret Scripture Sebastian Barry 2008 Irish English
10968 The South Colm Toibin 1990 Irish English
10978 Death And Nightingales Eugene McCabe 1992 Irish English
11207 At Swim, Two Boys Jamie O'Neill 2001 Irish English
11298 This Side Of Brightness Colum McCann 1998 Irish English
11686 Without My Cloak Kate O'Brien 1931 Irish English
11686 Doctor Copernicus John Banville 1976 Irish English
11923 Reading In The Dark Seamus Deane 1996 Irish English
12167 A Long Long Way Sebastian Barry 2005 Irish English
12208 The Banyan Tree Christopher Nolan 1999 Irish English
12260 Trans Atlantic Colum McCann 2013 Irish English
12384 The Heart's Invisible Furies John Boyne 2017 Irish English
12451 The House Of Splendid Isolation Edna O'Brien 1994 Irish English
13110 The Old Jest Jennifer Johnston 1979 Irish English
13110 Silver City Maurice Leitch 1976 Irish English
14371 A Fanatic Heart Edna O'Brien 1974 Irish English
14371 Reading Turgenev William Trevor 1991 Irish English
14371 The Little Red Chairs Edna O'Brien 2015 Irish English