When a dog finds a strange, alien antler in a restored bog, the owner’s first thought is to keep it for himself. But when he realises the value of his find, he is drawn back to the rich peat to keep searching.
It is not one stag skeleton that is buried there, but dozens – an ancient dying ground of the Great Irish Elk. Other things have surfaced from the bog: prehistoric settlements, bronze cauldrons, ancient butter, iron weapons – and the mutilated body of a two-thousand-year-old female. Fifty years ago, a young archaeologist named her Belroe Woman, and dedicated his life to telling the story of her sacrificial death.
While state and public treat the bog body as a national treasure, others must reckon with its otherworldly influence over their lives: the peat-cutter who first unearthed her and carries this discovery like a curse; the archaeologist’s daughter who grows up in the shadow of the bog’s strange magnetism; and the young environmental scientist whose work draws her back to where it all began. From antler to bog body, The Red Mouth – an béal rua – is a haunting, lyrical exploration of how shifting histories can reshape landscape, language and legacies. The deep time of the bog is both mystical and sinister, the iron-fed streams running through its soil staining everything they touch.
ISBN 9781526691132
No plans, no responsibilities - Sinead's 'living the dream' in Belfast. Really, she's been fired, her friends are fed up with her, and her judgy big sister won't answer her calls. Single parent and out-of-work actor Sarah has just found out urgent repairs to her house in Dublin are going to cost a fortune.
So she doesn't have the energy to deal with her immature sister Sinead, who only ever phones when she wants something. When Sarah lands a high-paying role 100 miles from home, Sinead has a brainwave: Sarah can stay at Sinead's houseshare while filming, and Sinead will move into Sarah's place to take care of her kids. Problem(s) very easily solved! Stepping into each other's lives isn't quite what they expected though.
As Sinead struggles with the non-stop chaos of parenting, Sarah rediscovers her rebellious streak - and how fun a crush on a handsome stranger can be. This summer the two sisters might finally start to understand each other. But will it be enough to fix everything?
ISBN 9781399761222