After The Fall

Brian Kirk’s poetry exhibits mastery of craft and respect for both poetic form and experiment. In his ‘broken song / from restless birds’, he displays the contemplative gifts of the natural philosopher. Here we have an Everyman exploring the joys of love and familial relationships, the tedium of office and farm work, the disappointments of religion and world politics, ‘and the rest / that makes our lives so blundering, so blessed’.

Breda Wall Ryan

The Rising Son

It’s 2016 and Jack O’Connor, a twelve-year-old London boy, is confused. He is left in the care of a grandfather he never met in a city he doesn’t know by his mother who wants to be left alone. While in Dublin, in his grandfather’s house, Jack is drawn to an old blanket. The blanket belonged to his late grandmother and seems to have magic powers.

It is the week of the centenary of the 1916 Rising and Jack’s grandfather sets out to teach him some history. In doing so he awakens in Jack a sense of his Irish identity. Thanks to the magic of the blanket Jack gets to see the events of the Rising first-hand and, at the same time, he uncovers the truth about his own family, past and present.

It’s Not Me It’s You

Three short stories, winner of the Southword Fiction Chapbook 2019

Hare’s Breath

Brian Kirk’s pure intentions illuminate each carefully crafted line of Hare’s Breath. This collection forms a contemporary and moving biography of old ways and geographies disowned until they disappear, as the hard edges of city life impose themselves on the boredoms and dangers of a rural childhood. Brian’s poems hint back in elegy for a writer-friend lost far too young; and for people and places left too soon. But, to quote from The Invisible House, ‘there will be time for all of us / to find the things we lost along the way, to learn the words of songs / we longed to sing but never had the heart.’ A thoughtful and unexpectedly joyous book.

Jane Robinson

author of Island and Atoll (Salmon Poetry)

Adventures of Little Red the autistic chicken

Summary: The Autistic Chicken: Adventures of little Red

On Catriona’s farm, three chickens—Little Red, her baby brother Duke, and her big sister Miyuki—begin their day together in a cozy coop at sunrise. Little Red, who is autistic and sometimes struggles with loud noises, finds the bustling farm overwhelming as animals and machines fill the air with sound. Her siblings offer comfort, but Little Red needs quiet and decides to escape the coop for a peaceful adventure.

She sneaks out to visit Catriona, the kind farmer, who welcomes her with a gentle smile and a calm spot in the garden. After enjoying the quiet and reassurance, Little Red returns to her family, feeling refreshed and understood. Together, the chickens snuggle at sunset, sharing stories and the warmth of their family. This gentle tale highlights the importance of understanding, support, and love within a caring community, showing that every chicken—and every person—deserves to feel safe and valued on Catriona’s farm.

Splashing into autism friendship, little Red and Tommy story

Splashing into autism friendship, little red and Tommy story

Little red starts preschool at peckworth preschool

Little red starts school

BULLETS IN THE WATER

A gripping tale of small-town intrigue and corruption

When Mike Carson, a disgraced New York journalist, returns to his Texas hometown to sell his late uncle’s house, what should be a simple task quickly spirals out of control.
Asked to investigate a suspicious death, Carson uncovers a web of lies, self-dealing, and drug trafficking that reaches the highest levels of local government and law enforcement. With each revelation, the stakes grow higher, and Carson finds himself in the crosshairs of powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.
McAnally masterfully weaves together multiple storylines, creating a rich tapestry of small-town life that feels authentic and lived in. From the seedy underbelly of local politics to the struggles of everyday citizens, every character and setting rings true.
As Carson grapples with his own demons and past mistakes, readers will find themselves rooting for this flawed but determined hero.

Fast-paced, with a colorful cast of characters and razor-sharp dialogue, Bullets in the Water is a must-read for fans of crime fiction and investigative thrillers.

The Bratinsky Affair

‘An intelligent and atmospheric thriller… An accomplished debut.’ Thomas Waugh

Wicklow, 1976.

The dramatic death of Countess Irina Bratinsky, a well-connected dealer in Fabergé jewellery, becomes international news.
But why are the Irish, French and Russian police so interested in her death?

For journalist Tom O’Brien it’s an opportunity to advance his career as he exposes the countess’s secrete life of espionage and crime.

Tom meets Irinia’s granddaughter Olga – and they retrace Irina’s steps from revolutionary Russia to war torn France.

Inexorably they are drawn into the search for a missing family heirloom – a mystery which has already claimed three lives.
When Irina’s long lost brother Pavel emerges from the gulag as one of the most ruthless criminals in Brezhnev’s Russia he has vengeance on his mind rather than reconciliation.

In their search for answers Tom and Olga confront Pavel in the ruins of Irina’s ancestral home outside Saint Petersburg. The question is: will they survive?

These Dark Things

My first appearance in print was a short story, Ill Met by Moonlight, published by Briar Press, New York, as part of an anthology of 12 gothic short stories.