I’ve read 13 books so far in 2026, and eight of them were penned by Irish authors — here is how they ranked

I’ve managed to get through 13 books this year, which feels like a decent tally given I’m juggling life with a baby and a toddler. Eight of those titles came from Irish writers.

To be honest, I could have written three entirely different versions of this article, as the top three were neck and neck.

The eight books in contention were May All Your Skies Be Blue by Fíonna Scarlett, Everything that is Beautiful (Louise Nealon), Show Me Where It Hurts (Claire Gleeson), Thirst Trap (Gráinne O’Hare), Heart, Be At Peace (Donal Ryan), The Nowhere Girls (Carmel Harrington), So Late in the Day (Claire Keegan) and Foster (also Claire Keegan).

As is often the case with literary fiction from Irish writers, every single one of these books delivered. Glancing back through my reading diary, I notice they all earned a minimum of seven out of 10.

So have a look below to discover which one claimed the top spot.

8. Foster

You simply can’t go wrong with a Claire Keegan book and the only reason why this is at number eight is because I enjoyed So Late in the Day more.

But Foster, about a little girl who spends a summer in Kinsellas’ home, is beautifully told, and you would have to have a cold heart if the final few pages did not have an impact on you emotionally.

This is a short read, with just 88 pages, so if you were wanting something quick and powerful to get you back into reading, this is a great option.

7. The Nowhere Girls

This was the first time I had the pleasure of reading a Carmel Harrington book — and it won’t be the last.

The Nowhere GIrls hooked me in from the moment I read the blurb in Easons which started with: “On a cold afternoon in December 1995, two young girls are found abandoned on a platform at Pearse Station in Dublin.”

It then explains that the main character, Vega, is an investigative journalist who wants to find out what happened to the ‘Nowhere Girls’.

The short prologue immediately grabs your attention and from there the clever book stays consistent throughout with snappy short chapters that make you want to keep reading until the end.

6. Heart, Be At Peace

Donal Ryan is an exceptional talent and you know he is gifted when John Boyne refers to him as the “greatest current Irish writer”.

This perhaps deserves to be higher on the list, especially given that it was the winner of the Irish Book of the Year by An Post in 2024.

The book gives a stark insight into dark troubles plaguing a town in rural Ireland — and it is told from the perspectives of many different characters living there.

If you wanted a glimpse into what modern Ireland looks like, this is a sharp portrait of the good, bad and the ugly.

5. So Late in the Day

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Claire Keegan’s So Late in the Day is perfect for anyone experiencing a reading slump.

As many will know, Claire is the master of short stories, and this tale is about Cathal, a thoroughly unremarkable and misogynistic man who is travelling home from his Dublin office after work, will have a devastating impact on you, despite being just 47 pages long.

If you fancy reading a book in one sitting, which will leave you questioning how so much can be said in so few words, add this to your list.

And a side note, if you had time afterwards, Dua Lipa’s recent interview with Claire on her Service95 platform, where the talented pair discuss the themes of the book, is well worth a listen.

4. Thirst Trap

I wanted to mention Thirst Trap by Gráinne O’Hara as high up as possible because the characters (Harley in particular) were just so so good.

It tells the story of three women housesharing in Belfast who are still grieving the death of their friend.

Although it is heartbreaking at times, the humour in it was unrivalled, and it was a binge-worthy and chaotic read that I could easily envisage being told in an absorbing TV adaptation one day.

3. Show Me Where It Hurts

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On another day, this would have been number one, and I actually scored it 10/10 in my diary, so it is perhaps unfair that it wasn’t.

I found it by chance, and it was a spontaneous purchase, because I had just bought another book minutes before, again in Dublin Airport, this time on a separate work trip.

I read the back of the book in WH Smith, and instantly knew I had to buy it, and it was absolutely incredible.

For those intrigued, the blurb reads: “Rachel lives with her husband Tom and their two children: it’s the ordinary family life she always thought she’d have. All of that changes in an instant — when Tom runs the family car off the road, seeking to end his own life, and take his wife and children with him.

“Suddenly Rachel is left poring over the wreckage to try and understand what happened — to find a way to go on living afterwards.”

If you are in the mood for something to pull at your heartstrings, this one is certainly for you.

2. Everything that is Beautiful

This easily could have been number one — and it was another story that genuinely stayed with me.

Lousie Nealon, along with perhaps John Boyne, could well be my favourite Irish author at the moment, and her debut novel Snowflake was up there with one of the best I’ve read, similar to how I felt reading Close to Home by Michael Magee.

My expectations for her second novel, published this year, could not have been higher — and I remember exactly where I was when I got to the end of chapter one.

I was in Dublin Airport waiting for a flight, and having excitedly purchased Louise’s book earlier that morning, I knew I was in for another rollercoaster journey, after an early twist that felt like a punch to the gut.

This book, which tells the story of Niamh Ryan and her relationship with the Foley family, was masterful.

As you can tell by now, I don’t like giving too much detail away, but this is a rare book that I will eventually read again, and likely one I will recommend to my children too when they are older.

1. May All Your Skies Be Blue

I was impressed by Fíonna Scarlett’s debut book (Boys Don’t Cry) so I was eager to buy May All Your Skies Be Blue, which was the first book I read in 2026.

The emotive story, which has split chapters from a period in the summer of 1991 to present day, explores the beautiful and heartbreaking friendship between Shauna and Dean across 30 years.

It is set in a working-class area of Dublin, which the author calls The Green, and like Fíonna’s previous novel, the characters are enthralling and utterly believable, while the dialogue is full of brilliant and bold Irish humour.

As I hinted at earlier, I struggled to separate this book from my two other favourites, which were Everything that is Beautiful and Show Me Where It Hurts.

However, the one deciding factor was how I felt after reading the final page of May All Your Skies Be Blue. At the time, I remember getting chills, and immediately felt a desire to recommend the book to others.

Having read the final page once again just now, the chills came back, and this was the book that stayed with me long after I finished.

We know the Irish enjoy punching above their weight, whether that’s Katie Taylor in the ring, or Jessie Buckley at the Oscars, but the same can be said for our authors, who have a natural knack for remarkable story-telling.

Josh Hokit made the controversial statement after winning his bout at the UFC Freedom 250 event hosted by US President Donald Trump on the White House South Lawn

A UFC fighter seized the microphone following his bout to brazenly declare ‘Michelle Obama is a man’.

Josh Hokit claimed victory at the UFC Freedom 250 event on Sunday night, held on the White House South Lawn and hosted by US President Donald Trump.

Riding high on his win, he then used his moment in the spotlight to make the shocking outburst.

Hokit had faced fellow heavyweight Derrick Lewis at the event, before sitting down for a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

Rounding off the interview, he declared: “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”

Footage circulating online captured mixed reactions from the crowd, with some seen laughing while others appeared visibly taken aback by the remarks.

Rogan chose not to respond to the comments, simply announcing: “Ladies and gentlemen, Josh Hokit.”

Hokit also made his way over to Trump, draping a chain around the president’s neck.

Earlier in the evening, Brazilian fighter Mauricio Ruffy delivered a stunning knockout before pulling off a surprise wedding proposal.

Following his defeat of Michael Chandler, Ruffy dropped to one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, Nadine.

She responded with a thumbs up.

Meanwhile, US Park Police said in a statement that UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland’s presence at the Ellipse drew enough attention from attendees that it resulted in disorder.

He wasn’t cited or arrested, they said. Instead, he was taken to his hotel and told not to come back to the venue.

Earlier in the day, Strickland was escorted barefoot out of the White House Ellipse area, where thousands of ticketed fans congregated to watch the fights.

Boxing legend Tyson Fury made a surprise appearance at the event, joining Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and a host of MAGA royalty.

Fury made his entrance after the second fight of the night, walking out to the Kings of Leon hit ‘Sex on Fire’ in a matching blazer and pants with his ‘Gypsy King’ logo printed in gold across the design.

The most eye-catching piece of his attire was his cap which featured a particularly bold message of support for the President. “Donald Trump for Prime Minister,” it ready alongside an embroidered British flag. The slogan was a nod to Trump’s signature red “Make America Great Again” caps.

The think tank confirmed that it had not considered reforming the so-called veto on Executive formation, which allows parties to block or collapse devolved government arrangements.

A new report from the independent think tank Pivotal has called for significant structural reforms to the Stormont Assembly and Executive, warning that current arrangements are contributing to political stalemate and weak delivery on public services.

The report, Improving the institutions: suggested reforms to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive , published on Monday 15th June, argues that repeated collapses and dysfunction at Stormont have left health waiting lists, economic performance and public services under sustained pressure.

It comes after Sinn Féin, Alliance and the SDLP published their proposals for reform in recent months and ahead of the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affiars Committee hearing from political leaders on the topic of reform later this week.

Pivotal says government in Northern Ireland has been “beset with stalemates, dysfunction and collapses”, adding that decision-making has often been inadequate to meet the scale of the challenges facing the region.

The think tank also argues that too much Assembly time is spent on non-binding motions, while insufficient attention is given to scrutiny of legislation and delivery-focused work.

The research draws on ten anonymised interviews with former ministers, MLAs, special advisers and senior officials. While views differed on specific reforms, Pivotal says there was broad agreement that structural changes could improve performance.

However, the report deliberately does not address the removal of the veto on Executive formation, arguing there is insufficient political consensus for such a significant constitutional change.

Assembly reforms

Among the recommendations for the Assembly, the report suggests introducing dedicated “bill committees” to scrutinise legislation on an ad hoc basis, arguing that existing statutory committees are overburdened and do not always provide detailed scrutiny of legislation.

It also calls for increased resourcing of the Official Opposition, which Pivotal says is currently operating at a disadvantage compared with the Executive. Strengthening opposition resources, it argues, could improve accountability and encourage more parties to opt out of government roles.

Other proposals include limiting the number of non-binding Private Members’ motions debated in the chamber, and changing how the Speaker is elected. The report suggests replacing the current cross-community vote requirement with a two-thirds majority to reduce the risk of deadlock.

Executive reforms

On the Executive, the report recommends a series of changes to the D’Hondt system used to allocate ministerial and committee roles.

These include bringing the Justice Ministry into the D’Hondt process, running D’Hondt as a single unified system for both ministerial and committee appointments, and introducing a minimum seat threshold for parties to qualify for Executive office.

It also proposes the creation of Executive sub-committees to resolve disputes on complex or cross-cutting issues before they reach full Executive meetings.

In addition, it calls for stronger enforcement of the “three-meeting rule”, which prevents papers being blocked indefinitely, and for renewed emphasis on the Programme for Government, the budget and the legislative programme as the core pillars of governance.

The report suggests some reforms could be implemented before the next Assembly election, including increased opposition resourcing, enforcement of the three-meeting rule and stronger alignment between budgeting and the Programme for Government.

Culture as well as structures

Alongside institutional change, Pivotal stresses that political culture is also central to improving Stormont’s performance, pointing to the importance of trust, cooperation and shared responsibility between ministers.

The report suggests that even well-designed reforms will struggle to succeed without improvements in working relationships.

It also notes that previous administrations, including the Paisley/McGuinness and Robinson/McGuinness periods, were cited by interviewees as examples where stronger leadership and better relationships led to more effective decision-making.

‘Crucial time’ for institutions

Director of Ann Watt said the findings come at a “crucial time” for Northern Ireland politics.

“This is a crucial time for politics in Northern Ireland. Public services are struggling, finances are tight, and there are many significant social and economic challenges that need to be addressed,” she said.

Ann Watt added that decision-making at Stormont has been “inadequate” in recent years, and argued that the report’s proposals could help “kick-start discussions” on how the institutions might be improved.

She also warned that structural reform alone would not resolve underlying political difficulties.

“Adjusting the structures of the Assembly and Executive is not a cure all,” she said. “Some of the biggest problems in Stormont today are cultural.”

No change to Executive veto

The think tank also confirmed that it had not considered reforming the so-called veto on Executive formation, which allows parties to block or collapse devolved government arrangements.

It said there is currently no consensus among major parties on such a change, and that its focus was instead on reforms that might attract broader agreement.

The report concludes that meaningful reform will require cross-party support, and argues that changes to both structures and political culture will be needed if Stormont is to operate more effectively in future.

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Boxing champion Tyson Fury attended the historic UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Sunday night and he had a very bold message for president Donald Trump on his cap

Boxing legend Tyson Fury made a surprise appearance at the historic UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Sunday night, joining Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and a host of MAGA royalty.

In the lead-up to the cage-fighting spectacular celebrating America’s 250th independence anniversary, the president and UFC boss Dana White strolled together from the Oval Office to the White House balcony overlooking the enormous open-sided structure, dubbed “The Claw”, positioned on the South Lawn.

The national anthem then rang out as fighter jets roared overhead in formation, prompting roars from spectators and chants of “USA, USA”. Trump subsequently settled into his seat near the iconic octagon cage, where seven bouts were scheduled. Amongst the 4,000 attendees at the purpose-built venue was British heavyweight boxing star Tyson Fury.

Moments before Tyson emerged, Trump was greeted by a chorus of trumpets on the White House’s South Lawn as he sauntered in alongside UFC chief Dana White.

Fury made his entrance after the second fight of the night, walking out to the Kings of Leon hit ‘Sex on Fire’ in a matching blazer and pants with his ‘Gypsy King’ logo printed in gold across the design.

The most eye-catching piece of his attire was his cap which featured a particularly bold message of support for the President. “Donald Trump for Prime Minister,” it ready alongside an embroidered British flag. The slogan was a nod to Trump’s signature red “Make America Great Again” caps.

Tyson’s surprise appearance at the White House came just one day after he sat ringside to watch brother Tommy defeat strongman Eddie Hall in a bout. Last night Tyson also told the crowd that he would like to fight Anthony Joshua in the future, further fueling the decade-long saga surrounding the two boxers.

Other Trump supporters in attendance included billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, NHL stars Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, as well as a number of high-ranking UFC champions.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman says a huge rise in complaints has resulted in delays.

A watchdog for investigating complaints about poor public services has warned of a seven month delay before cases are even allocated.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has blamed a massive rise in workload for the slow down.

The SPSO, funded by the Parliament, is the final option for Scots who feel let down by councils, the NHS and housing associations.

An email seen by the Record reveals that the Ombudsman’s work load will mean increased waits for people who use lifeline services.

The SPSO wrote: “I am writing with an update that, due to a significant increase in complaints being received by SPSO over recent months, we estimate that our current timescale for allocating your complaint to a Complaints Reviewer may now be around 7 months from receipt of your complaint.

“Our consideration of your complaint will begin at the point it is allocated to a Complaints Reviewer.

“I am very sorry for this delay and would like to thank you for your patience.”

According to the SPSO website, complaint numbers have more than doubled since 2019–20.

In their latest investigation report, the SPSO handled a complaint about the nursing care provided by NHS Borders.

Another probe centred around the care provided at home and in hospital to a patient with multiple sclerosis by NHS Lothian.

Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: “People turn to the SPSO as a last resort after being failed by our public services, and it is not right that they are then being left in limbo for months on end.

“This rise in complaints shows our public services are under pressure and too many people are being let down as a result.

“The SNP must make sure our public services are delivering and we must ensure that the SPSO is able to deal with complaints and get justice for people who have been failed.”