Following three centuries of colonization and much brutal cultural repression, in 1922, Ireland had finally obtained independence and thrown off the yoke of British imperialism. With independence, there was an enormous resurgence of enthusiasm to resurrect Gaelic culture and regain the glory days of Gaelic culture. Unfortunately, it didn’t really happen as planned. To understand… Read more »
A weekly update of Irish fantasy-related news – from an Irish perspective! Dominated by GoT and Star Wars today!! Liam-Cunningham says Game of Thrones stars are not making millions [Aaah, c’mon Liam!] (Irish Independent) Impressive independent GoT Short Film (The White Wolf) by two Belfast men: (Irish News) Go mbeidh an fórsa leat! — May… Read more »
A weekly update of Irish fantasy-related news – from an Irish perspective! David Freyne’s The Cured wins ‘Best Horror Feature’ at the Fantastic Fest, America’s largest genre film festival (IFTN) Liam Cunningham insists he doesn’t when the last Game of Thrones episode goes to air (ah, c’mon Liam!!) (UPI) A Fantasy Map of Ireland stirs… Read more »
With the 2017 Octocon kicking off this weekend, we decided it’d be timely for an update on Irish fantasy-related stories. An interesting insight to the ‘extras’ casting call process for Vikings: Season 6, much of which is shot in Ireland (Project Casting ) The trailer for Vikings: Season 6 – just a little bit of mayhem!… Read more »
Earlier this year, a database entitled The Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland was made available online but, unfortunately, this wasn’t without some controversy. In particular, a lot of people were unhappy with the term ‘hillfort’ because it’s quite an inaccurate term to use for many of the sites identified in the Atlas,… Read more »
During my visit home this week, I found myself in a surreal situation when I was shoulder-twisted into an extended family social occasion and ended up being cornered (literally) by a subgroup of religious zealots. Just for context, you probably need to understand that religion in Ireland has suffered a huge decline over the past… Read more »
After two pretty shocking workload months, we’re finally at a point where we can actually release some new writing. This short story (The Pursuit) should be selectively available at the end of next week (before we close down for the month of August) and more widely in September. The story takes place sometime after the… Read more »
One night at a party I was introduced to a woman who proudly informed told me she’d named her baby daughter ‘Banshee’ in celebration of her Irish heritage. Even at the time I was pretty stunned by the announcement. For an Irish person (and I would have thought most people would have known this), this… Read more »
I’d have to confess that, to date, the Fionn covers have been pretty much a hit and miss affair (but mostly miss). When we first started publishing we decided to use photomanipulations (where the artist/designer plays around with existing stock photography to create a suitable cover) because of budget constraints. Unfortunately, it didn’t take us long to realize… Read more »
We initiated the release of the second Celtic Mythology Collection yesterday and it’s a pretty impressive collection. I guess as editor, I’d be expected to say that anyway but the truth is I’m genuinely impressed, probably because of the larger range and mythological depth of the stories in this edition. From our perspective, the primary… Read more »
When I first started writing the Fionn mac Cumhaill Series over two years ago, I was keen to create a realistic, culturally authentic version of the famous Fenian Cycle that was recognisable to Irish readers but also accessible to non-Irish readers. As part of my overall goal with Irish Imbas Books however, I was also… Read more »
As mentioned in my last post, the initial shortlist of 19 short stories (this was actually a long-list – we’ll know better next time) was reduced to a more manageable number for the judges. The ten stories in question were: A Face in the Snow by Majella Cullinane All Man by Philomena Byrne Gebann’s Daughter… Read more »
Even in contemporary times, we continue to pass on mistakes and errors of record . Sometimes however, these mistakes are quite entertaining in their own right. One of my favourites is the famous ‘Tests of the Fianna’ – a set of difficult trials which warriors reportedly had to pass if they wished to enter Fionn… Read more »
Here’s a potential Christmas gift for the Fantasy fan in your life! You’ve heard of GAME OF THRONE’S MONOPOLY … Well, now, EVEN BETTER comes ……………… GAME OF THRONES CLUEDO!!!!! Possibly the most challenging of games ever played. Essentially YOU play the role of a city warden – one of King’s Landing’s finest – and… Read more »
FIONN: The Adversary is due for release on 28 February 2017. Chapter One The muscular curve of Fiacail mac Codhna’s buttocks was the first sight to fill Bodhmhall’s eyes when she finally came to her senses. Consistent as ever, the big warrior was standing naked outside the little cave, hands upraised in salutation to the… Read more »
You know the way you sometimes start up the car and then park at your destination but have absolutely no recollection of having driven there? That’s pretty much how I’m feeling at the moment. After three intense months of writing, research, half-finished articles, external contracting, publishing infrastructure, admin etc. etc. we’re coming to the close… Read more »
The Irish Imbas: Celtic Mythology Short Story Competition kicked off with an unexpected roar this year. As a very small niche press with less than a three year history we weren’t expecting the degree of interest we ended up receiving and, to be honest, we were a bit overwhelmed. In summary, seventy four submissions were… Read more »
There’s a lot of fantasy out there when it comes to women warriors, particularly where it relates to characters mentioned in Irish/Celtic mythology. To be fair, the subject’s hardly a new one. Writers and readers have been enamoured by tales of fighting women since people first started telling stories (particularly Herodotus with his notes on… Read more »
