About the author

Caoilte Breatnach grew up in a trilingual environment. His parents and siblings were involved in diverse republican and socialist issues and in defending human rights. He has worked as a professional translator and contributed to heritage and cultural publications, and TV/Radio broadcasts.

Over the years, he authored a number of (now out of print) books including A Word In Your Ear, based on Kinvara folklore (Kinvara Community Council, 1989); Come Here I Want You, and The Life and Times of Pat Keane (KCC,1996); Kinvara, A Seaport Town on Galway Bay (Intro and extended captions to old photographs (Tír Eolas, 1997); Memories in Time - Folklore of Beithe 1800-2000 (BRDC 2003); Evelyn McCooke - Songs and Stories (Folklore and songs from one of the last native Irish speakers in Kinvara, 2004); and a chronicle on families campaigning on behalf of people with disabilities: A Caring World - Cion is Cúram (commissioned history of the Galway Association / Ability West, 2012).

This is his first novel.

Publications and other works

Endeavours to date include:

• 1989 (Book) A Word In Your Ear, based on Kinvara folklore (out of print)
• 1996 (Book) Come Here I Want You, The Life and Times of Pat Keane, (traditional singer and popular old-timer; Doorus, Kinvara) (out of print)
• 1997 (Book) Kinvara, A Seaport Town on Galway Bay (Introduction and extended captions to book of old photographs. Out of print);
  RTÉ’s Living Word – 5 two-minute reflections (253-word piece here).
  Essay in Force 10 Issue 9, 1997. (see sample here).
• 1998 (Book) Many’s the Pleasant Day I spent (Consultant editor) Folklore from the Portumna area, South Galway;
• 2000-2002 Project coordinator: 1. Research; Script commissioning; Fundraising etc. Stage-play on the life and times of Francis Fahy, famous poet, songwriter and nationalist born in Kinvara (Co. Galway). The Original Night of Francis Fahy had a successful run in Town Hall Theatre, Galway. 2. Compilation CD of poet’s songs (‘The Ould Plaid Shawl’; various artistes).
• 2003, 2006, 2008: Editor, Trácht Magazine; published by Kinvara Community Council;
• 2003 (Book) Memories in Time - Folklore of Beithe 1800-2000 (Gort District, South Galway): Winner, Galway Co. Council Heritage Award, 2006;
• 2004 (Booklet) Evelyn McCooke - Songs and Stories (with translations from the Irish) - Folklore from one of the last native speakers of Irish in the district;
• 2007 (Essay) Essays in Honour of Tom Munnelly (1944-2007) - The Old Kilfarboy Society, Co Clare (Tom was a full-time folklorist and foremost collector of traditional songs).
• 2009 Bursary award by Galway County Council: 14-day residency in Tyrone Guthrie Centre, County Monaghan, Ireland (work in progress on this debut novel).
• 2010 Project coordinator: Transfer of the Cresswell archive (incl. 500 approx. negatives (mostly b&w) images and notes etc. which the late Prof. Robert Cresswell, Paris, kindly donated to the Irish State in April 2010. Cresswell’s anthropological work in Kinvara in 1956-57 was published by the Institut d’Ethnologie (Paris) as Une communauté rurale De l’Irlande in 1969. A selection of his photos also featured in the National Museum, Collins Barracks, in 2020.
  See: Gallery Here.
• 2011 & 2012 Calendars of images from the Cresswell archive.
• 2012 (Book) A Caring World - Cion is Cúram (commissioned history of the Galway Association / Ability West). Free download available: A Caring World.
• 2019 RTÉ’s Living Word - 5 reflections on disability (270-word piece here)
  Work in progress on debut novel.
• 2024 (debut novel) Longlines published by Greenisland Press, Belfast.