Books To Read On Your Visit To Gay Ireland

Oscar Wilde might be the best known literary giant that came up in what was then the not-so-gay Ireland, but he is not the only one. In fact, if you'd look at Irish literature from the Victorian times until now, you might be surprised at how many great gay authors came up in Ireland. But if you ever heard that stereotype that says that the Irish like to talk, you'd soon figure out that they also like to write. And if you're going on a visit to gay Ireland, here are five novels from noted gay and lesbian Irish authors that can keep you company. 

1. Hood, by Emma Donoghue

Hood is the 1995 novel written by Emma Donoghue, an Irish-Canadian author best known for her novel Room. In Hood, Donoghue's explores the loss and grief that's left after the main character's lesbian lover dies in a car crash. If you need a novel that will convey the dangers of forming a same-sex relationship in a time when Ireland wasn't as tolerant as it is now, but will also focus on how we, as humans, deal with the loss of loved ones - this is a great choice.

2. Biography of Desire, by Mary Dorcey

Mary Dorcey is an Irish author of short stories, novellas, and a novel - Biography of Desire. Dorcey's main characters are two women -  Katherine, a married woman with two children, and Nina, Katherine's first lesbian love. Through their perspectives, Dorcey helps us understand the deep nature of desire, making this a perfect read for those of us who are finding it hard to deal with our own desires.

3. The Master, by Colm Toibin

In The Master, Colm Toibin portrays the American-British writer Henry James through four years of his life, from the failure of one of his plays in London theatre, up to the point preceding a very fruitful part of his writing career. The Master shows all the complexities of James, his family life, and his repression of his own sexuality.

4. De Profundis and Other Prison Writings, by Oscar Wilde

You can't go to gayIreland and not read at least a bit of Oscar Wilde. De Profundis and Other Prison Writings, with an introduction by the great Colm Toibin, are not an obvious choice. But they do hold one of the strangest love letters ever written, De Profundis, and for that reason alone you should give them your attention.