Pádraig Standún Books

Tom Connor arrives home from Dublin he has been lobbying the government to provide work for the islanders he represents to be told by his housekeeper, Marion Warde, that she is pregnant with his child. This would be a blow for any man but it is especially disastrous because Tom is the local parish priest. Because he is a man of strong conscience and no believer in clericalcelibacy he determines to tell his people thetruth. The resolution of his dilemma makesfor dramatic and heartbreaking reading.Lovers is the author's own translation ofSuil le Breith, the classic Irish-languagebestseller first published in 1983. BobQuinn's award-winning film, Budawanny,was based on this novel.Padraig Standun was born in 1946 andordained to the priesthood in 1971. Hehopes to continue with his twin vocations ofpriest and writer."Gaeltacht's answer to The Thorn Birds. " Sunday Tribune

In a run down shack in the West of Ireland lives Biddy who is persuaded to stay in the local priest's house while he fixes up her home. There she takes a fancy to a pair of rubber gloves which the rosary brigade of the village believe to be a cover up for stigmata. Meanwhile, the priest - regarded by many as more of a communist than a Christian - has his own share of trouble when he is jailed for his part in a protest against the state of the roads. A hilarious tale of sex and sanctity.

The author of the highly popular Lovers, Celibates, and A Woman's Love, explores new territory in this extraordinary but totally credible tale of a strange beast that stalks an island community by night. Children have seen the 'Anvy' and say he is a hairy, naked, harmless creature. Others are not so sure. Is he man or beast? Maybe he doesn't exist at all. Islanders go about their daily business in a rapidly changing world, graphically and often uproariously depicted by Standun.

Set on a mythical island, a couple invests their newfound wealth in environmental projects to protect their home and the planet. Tom constructs a clifftop wall to shield against destructive waves, haunted by a historical tragedy, while Róisín cultivates land for sustainable food. Their idyllic life is intertwined with family dynamics, including their grandfather and his wife, who struggles with dementia and the loss of a sacred relic. Themes of politics, religion, and existential threats permeate the community, reflecting broader global concerns, yet the island remains a place of humor and insight.