Life
1956; b. 23 July; ed. TCD, grad. French & English; acted TCD Players with Malcolm Dougles, et al.; played alongside Liam Neeson on BBC series; m. Douglas; dg. Clara, b. 1987; awarded Best Actress Award at Dublin Th. Fest., 1989; played part in Glenroe (Telefís Eireann) for nine years; encouraged to write by Deirdre Purcell; issued It Means Mischief (1998), a first novel dealing with Irish theatrical life, published by New Island Books; issued More
Mischief (1999), concerning soap star Deirdre O’Dare, unfaithful Roy and landed-gent Gabriel; issued Going Down (2001); The Blue Hour (2002); Striking Poses (2003), set in the Irish fashion world; A Perfect Life (April 2004), and Living the Dream (Oct. 2004); not to be confused with namesake author of Thin Air and other children’s fiction; has appeared on “The View”, John Kelly’s RTE arts review programme, in early 2005.
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Works
Fiction, It Means Mischief (Dublin: New Island Books 1998), 489pp., and Do. [rep. edn.] (Dublin: New Island 2003), 450pp.; More Mischief (Dublin: New Island 1999; Bantam 2000), 492pp.; Going Down (London: Bantam 2001), 476pp.; The Blue Hour (London: Bantam 2002), 557pp.; Striking Poses (London: Bantam 2003), 463pp.; A Perfect Life (London: Bantam 2004), 409pp.
Filmography, Criminal Conversation (1980), dir. Kieran Hickey, script by Hickey & Philip Davison, with Emmet Bergin, et al.; Attracta (1983), dir. Kieran Hickey, based on William Trevor's novel; Glenroe [RTE series] , 1983-2001, with Mick Lally and others, appearing as char. Terry Killeen.
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Criticism
Books Ireland [notice], (Sept. 1999); interview (Nov. 2004).
[Shirley Kelly,] interview, Books Ireland (Nov. 2004).
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Notes
Living the Dream (Bantam 2004), with Cleo, a former bookseller as main character; brings back the characters of Dannie Moore from A Perfect Life and Deirdre O’Dare from the Mischief books.
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Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)