Ian O'Malley

Press Release Carlow Author’s story shines in A Pint and a Haircut Carlow author Ian O’Malley’s poignant ‘Speech, Speech’ is one of the stories collected for Haiti in A Pint and a Haircut. It is a story about his friendship with local Carlow artist Andrew Dowling who died suddenly in 2008. Journalist Frank McNally wrote of Ian O’Malley’s story: “Speech, Speech” is a beautifully written piece that deals with the human fear of public speaking. It also moves from comedy to tragedy with the deftness of a Joycean short story, even though, in keeping with the book’s sub-title, the events described really happened. A large number of Irish authors who responded to Garret Pearse’s call for stories for Concern’s Haiti fund were present at the launch of A Pint and a Haircut in St Andrew’s College Dublin last week. Broadcaster Marie-Louise O’Donnell, who launched the book, herself a native of Foxford, County Mayo, enthralled the large attendance with a wide-ranging speech. ‘Writing when properly managed, is but a different name for conversation. This is what your book is about – conversations, stories. This is what all great communication is about. This is what all great drama is about. This is what all great writing is about. Stories. ‘But it is about something else: John McGahern said that writing is really about the special relationship that exists between the reader and the writer. ‘Once a book is written, it belongs to the reader. all the writer can do is bow. A Pint and a Haircut belongs to the reader. When I read it, it belonged to me That is the best compliment I can pay you all. So as McGahern suggested, all of you who wrote these seventy-one stories, you can take a bow.’ Editor Garret Pearse commented on the generosity – and quality – of the response when he put out a request for stories to help Concern’s efforts in earthquake-torn Haiti. And on the generosity of software consultancy company Softco who sponsored the book. Londubh publisher Jo O’Donoghue and Brian Wall of Concern also spoke at the launch. A Pint and a Haircut contains seventy-one stories that will entertain, amuse, arouse our curiosity and, best of all, convince us that the Irish talent for writing and storytelling, combined in his volume, is as strong as ever. A Pint and a Haircut is published by Londubh Books on 14 October 2010 at €12.99/£10.99. It is available in bookshops countrywide and from www.londubh.ie. Londubh Books, 18 Casimir Avenue, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6w; Tel:-/-; Email- www.londubh.ie Praise in the media for recently published short story by Ian O’Malley in the collection, A Pint and a Haircut, November 2010. An Irishman's Diary Saturday, October 16, 2010 Frank McNally A Pint and a Haircut is, as the sub-title says, a collection of “true Irish stories” by people from all walks of life… “Speech, Speech” by Ian O’Malley, for example, is a beautifully written piece that deals with the human fear of public speaking. It also moves from comedy to tragedy with the deftness of a Joycean short story... http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/1016/-.html Tom Dunne November 4th, 2010 Editor of A Pint and a Haircut, Gareth Pearse on being asked on the Tom Dunne Show if any story especially stood out in the collection. “Speech, Speech” by Ian O’Malley is a fantastically told story, it’s a very funny story… told very touchingly. There’s a twist at the end which I really didn’t see coming, it really stopped me in my tracks. http://www.newstalk.ie/2010/programmes/all-programmes/tom-dunne/a-pint-and-a-haircut/