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Celebrating the Literary Voices of County Leitrim

Discover authors, their stories, and the works inspired by this beautiful county.

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☘️ Leitrim’s Literary Legacy

This site is a space to explore the lives and works of authors from County Leitrim, and those who have written about it. Together, their writings offer a rich record of Leitrim’s people, places, and past — and help keep its stories alive. You’ll find author profiles, book lists, and links to where you can read or purchase their work. I’m also working to bring hard-to-find titles back into circulation and to help contemporary authors reach new readers. Whether you’re here to rediscover a forgotten voice or find someone new, céad míle fáilte.

📰 New & Noteworthy

New Release: Me Grandfather by Br Kilian Beirne

Leitrim Books is honoured to announce the republication of Me Grandfather: A Graphic Picture of Rural Ireland by Brother Kilian Beirne. Originally published in 1969, this memoir serves as a wonderfully preserved time capsule of early twentieth-century life near Drumshanbo. Brother Kilian, born Joseph Beirne, left County Leitrim in his youth to join the Brothers of Holy Cross in the United States, spending over a half-century as a dedicated educator at institutions across the country. Yet, his heart clearly remained tethered to the hearths and fields of his childhood. It is a distinct privilege for us to share Brother Kilian’s memories of a rural community anchored by faith, daily labour, and the enduring art of storytelling around the fire.

For decades, this volume has been a genuinely rare find. Upon its initial release, the book found a devoted audience among Irish emigrant communities—particularly in New Haven, Connecticut—who quickly bought out the original print run, eventually leaving even the Leitrim County Library with just a single, non-circulating copy. Featuring a new foreword by Brother Stephen LaMendola, C.S.C., who warmly recalls the author’s precise instruction and dry humour, this new edition restores access to a vanished agrarian world. We believe that modern readers, whether tracing their own Leitrim roots or simply seeking an authentic, welcoming voice, will find great resonance in these pages today.

To assist those who might wish to share Brother Kilian’s story within their own local circles, we have made two printable flyers available on our website. One provides a brief overview of his life and the memoir, while the other includes a simple QR code directing readers to where the book may be ordered. We warmly welcome anyone interested in passing along this piece of Leitrim’s history to download and share these resources as they see fit. Should you require a higher-resolution version of either flyer for printing, please feel free to contact us.

[Learn more and order your copy of Me Grandfather here]

👤 Recently Added Authors

Our author list is always growing! Here are the three most recent additions connected to the county. Discover their stories and their work:

Spotlight on Authors

Rev. Thomas Conefrey

Rev. Conefrey was a parish priest who played a leading role in the Irish Land War in Co. Longford, peacefully resisting evictions, and later chronicled the struggle.

Seamus O'Rourke

Seamus O’Rourke is a Leitrim-born author, playwright, and performer whose heartfelt memoirs and widely acclaimed one-man shows capture the humor, struggles, and spirit of rural Irish life.

George Nugent Reynolds

Reynolds was a Leitrim-born poet and balladeer whose stirring lyrics gave voice to Irish sentiment in the turbulent years surrounding the 1798 Rebellion.

“I think that each of us inhabits a private world that others cannot see. The only difference between the writer and the reader is that the writer is able to dramatise that private world.”
— John McGahern

🔍 Explore Leitrim’s Literary Heritage

Start exploring the stories of Leitrim — through the voices of its writers and those who’ve written it into memory.

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