Paul Howard breaks new ground with Fiach O’Bric

Paul Howard has developed a wonderful new character following on from his hugely successful Ross O’Carroll-Kelly series. Meet Fiach O’Bric, a widowed career diplomat who is dragged out of his planned retirement to take charge of a secret government department preparing for a United Ireland.

The department has supposedly been quietly preparing for reunification since 1958. Fiach finds himself managing a team of oddballs, timeservers, and a die-hard nationalist from Dundalk. And he spends his days refereeing rows about everything everyone has failed to agree for about 800 years, as well as absurd new suggestions – like conjuring a capital city that nobody actually wants. In Westmeath.

Nothing is too crazy to be proposed, nor too sensible to be rejected. Fiach can feel the hand of history upon his shoulder. He suspects it may soon throttle him.

Yet, Fiach also sees an opportunity. What if he could be the one to do what Tone, Pearse and centuries of Irish martyrs failed to do: make Ireland one, and somehow not die in the process. Dream on, Fiach.

Great reviews already and guaranteed to be a bestseller:

‘Funny, smart. seriously thought-provoking' Joseph O'Connor

'Hilarious, bang-on, even slightly disturbing - everything I love about Paul Howard's writing.' Roddy Doyle

‘I absolutely LOVED A Nation Once Again. It was such a huge pleasure to read, I laughed out loud so many times. Paul Howard is a literal genius.’ Marian Keyes

'Funny, smart and provocative, the scariest thing about this novel is that it might be based on fact.' John Boyne

'Riotously funny with a cast of characters I was sad to leave.' Sarah Breen

‘It was well worth dividing Ireland in the first place for this brilliant book.’ Declan Lynch

'Expertly mines the North's sectarian granite to produce a masterpiece of fact and hilarity. I almost passed out.' Joe Brolly.