darraghmartin

Some nice words that some people have said about my work (and I didn’t even give them chocolate)..

Future Popes of Ireland

“The Dublin author’s ability to write with heart, humour and recognition make for an engrossing novel that tackles everything from religion to abortion, contraception to gay rights, the Fianna Fáil tent to the recession. That Martin manages to do this without ever sounding preachy shows his immense skill as a storyteller…Epic in scale and a pleasure to read, Future Popes of Ireland will have no problem finding its congregation.

(Sarah Gilmartin, The Irish Times)

Darragh Martin’s family history is set within Ireland’s see-saw social and political climate from the 1980s up to 2011. A sharp chronicler, you can practically smell the past as it wafts up at you from his pages. And while there’s tragedy, and outrage, too, there’s whipsmart satire and riotous comedy alongside a type of scholarliness that provides this novel with its zest and ingenuity. Think Zadie Smith. But much funnier.”

(Anne Cunningham, The Sunday Independent)

“It could be the story of any Irish family: the rifts that open up between people, and the silences that stand in the way of their reconciliation. Like so many of the stories that Irish people tell, it’s highly entertaining, clever and funny. It’s also, on another level, not funny at all.”

(Kathleen MacMahon, The Sunday Times)

“When the zealous restrictions are worn away and no longer there to prevent people being who they need to be, what is left? In Future Popes of Ireland, the answer is an untidy and achingly human mixture of shame, love, and apologies that don’t need to be uttered aloud. A meander through loves and lives and consequences brings us to this realisation. Stylish verve – short chapters (some abruptly so), structural playfulness – and astute characterisation piled on over decades, complete the effect. Martin’s novel never sits still. Things are always changing and always the same, much like the nation that plays a starring role in it.”

(Hilary A White, The Irish Independent)

“Funny, warm and full of heart.” (Image Magazine)

The Keeper

“‘The Keeper is far too good for my liking. Darragh Martin must be stopped.’ – Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series.

“This intriguing and action-filled book is a must read…I would give it five stars.” – The Guardian. Read the full review here.

“A thrilling story mixing Irish myth and contemporary life.” – Robert Dunbar, The Irish Times, one of his picks of 2013, see the full blurb and his other favourites here.

“a cracking fantasy adventure novel with an Irish flavor.” – Sarah Webb, The Sunday Independent.

“This is a thrilling, fast-paced novel that drags Irish legends into the present day and gives them a fresh, new spin. It’s ideal for readers aged ten and up.” – Helen Corcoran, Dubray Books. Read the full review here.

“Fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter will enjoy this fast-paced high fantasy adventure that adds a refreshing twist to Celtic myths and legends”- School Library Journal. Read the full review here.

“This intriguing and action-filled book is a must read. I completely agree with what Eoin Colfer’s quote about this book, “A new star of the fantasy genre. I couldn’t sleep until I finished it.” Read the full review here.

An Air Balloon Across Antarctica

“Martin is a formidably talented playwright and at his best, a writer of great suppleness and maturity… An Air Balloon across Antarctica is poignant and funny, whimsical and grave”.

– Cameron Woodhead, The Age, Melbourne. Read review.

“A beautifully scripted take on the depths of the human soul.”

– Sally J. Stott, The Scotsman.

“I was crying my eyes out while witnessing the most convincing depiction of a relationship break-up I have ever seen.”

– Laura Barnett. The Guardian. 

The Map of Lost Things

“Sometimes wistful, sometimes snarky, always beautifully written, Martin’s stories are from a most traditional source, but he takes a most modern storytelling approach.”

– Kate Shea Cheannon. Irish Stage NYC. 

The Disappearance of Jonah

“Meticulously crafted and beautifully paced, The Disappearance of Jonah is a poignant portrait of characters overcoming grief, making connections, and trying to find closure.”

– James Comtois, nytheatre.com.

“an excellent production which does everything but disappear in the lineup of this year’s Fringe.”

– Laura Volgtanz, dctheatrescene.com.