Irish glossary in HEART OF THE WREN

HEART OF THE WREN comes out on Friday, 3rd October, and is my first book set in my native Ireland. It includes a glossary of commonly used Irish words and phrases that crop up in the story, and I’ve added them below, for easy reference.

The book is set in Co. Kerry, in 1985, and references some people and events that will be familiar to Irish people of a certain vintage. In case you’re not, here’s a quick rundown of some of the highlights:

Source: GammaGoblin

One of the main characters, Dara, is likened in part to broadcaster Derek Davis. Derek was a mainstay of Irish television and radio for many years. A big man from Northern Ireland, he exuded warmth and charm, and in hindsight must have made quite an impact on me when I was a child in the 80s. Especially considering I grew up and married a big man from Northern Ireland who is warm and charming. The clues were all there from early age, honestly.

Lorcan Fitzgerald (the lonely farmer at the centre of the strange happenings in HEART OF THE WREN) confesses to having a soft spot for a radio DJ, Ronan Collins, and it’s not hard to see why. A good-looking man, famous for his ronnie (check the glossary!), Ronan has been a mainstay of Irish radio for decades. He once graced the cover of Hot Press, semi-naked, which I can only assume made Lorcan very happy indeed. You can read more about that over on the Hot Press website.

David Norris on Last House 1975. Source: RTÉ

In a quiet moment, Lorcan mentions the first time he remembers seeing a gay man. It was David Norris (now Senator Norris) being interviewed on Last House in 1975. This was very probably the first time an openly gay man had been interviewed on Irish television. You can watch the interview over on RTÉ’s website. David Norris was the chairman of the Gay Rights Movement and was instrumental in overthrowing the anti-homosexuality law in Ireland. He remains a pivotal figure in Irish politics.

Wrenboys

Wren Day (the 26th December) and the Wrenboys are an ancient tradition still seen in some parts of Ireland. I covered them in a previous blog post, which you can read here.

Photo by Bobga on Unsplash

Ireland’s police force is An Garda Síochána (“Guardians of the Peace”), also known as the gardaí, the garda, or simply “the guards.” They are hardly ever referred to by terms like “cops” or even “police” though people have been known to use some other colourful terms.

By Seaninryan – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Hurling is a national sport in Ireland, and it’s something that, I’ll be honest, I knew very little about before writing this book. Okay, I’d picked up a bit of it here and there. It’s impossible not to if you grow up in Ireland. I’ve even held a hurley once or twice, but I didn’t know anything about the actual rules of the game. I’m not a sporty person (shocking, I know) but Lorcan is and so it’s included in the book, in a scene that turned out to be very fun to write. I’ll never play it, though. Look at those hurleys. They look like they’d hurt. (That’s called foreshadowing.)

Irish Glossary

Here are some common words and phrases used in Ireland that appear in the HEART OF THE WREN

  • After (e.g. after finding out) or Have just (e.g. I have just found out)
  • Aul – Old
  • Bejaysus – (Bejesus) Used for surprise or emphasis
  • Bold – Naughty, misbehaved
  • Bollocks – Literally testicles, used in conversation to mean “nonsense”. (e.g. He’s talking bollocks.)
  • Céile – (pronounced kay-lee) Traditional social gathering with music
  • Craic – (pronounced crack) A good time, fun, entertainment, enjoyable conversation,  gossip. (Used in various contexts, e.g. “What’s the craic?” – “How are you doing?”)
  • Delf (also delph) – Earthenware, crockery, dishes
  • Diviliment – Devilment, reckless mischief, wild spirits
  • Eejit – A stupid person
  • Feck – Used to express annoyance, frustration, impatience, or surprise. Can be used in place of fuck in many cases but never in a sexual connotation. E.g. one can be told to feck off but one cannot feck one’s boyfriend in the stairwell of a poorly lit Dublin nightclub.
  • Fierce – Very
  • GAA – Gaelic Athletic Association. Used in conversation to refer to a number of Irish sports including hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, Gaelic handball, and GAA rounders.
  • Gas – fun, funny, entertaining. (Someone fun to be around is “gas craic.”)
  • Gobshite – see eejit
  • Grand – Fine
  • Gardaí (also Guards or Garda) – (pronounced Guard-ee), Irish police force. An individual officer is known as a guard or garda.
  • Go on outta that – (Go on out of that), an expression of disbelief
  • He did in his bollocks – No, he didn’t
  • Hoosh/hooshed – boost/ed, hoist/ed, lift/ed
  • Hurley – a stick used in a game of hurling. Similar to a field hockey stick but shorter and with a wide, flat, oval blade.
  • Hurling – a game resembling hockey played with hurleys. One of Ireland’s national sports.
  • I’m after/I was after – I have (done something)
  • In the nip – Nude
  • Jacks, the – toilet, usually public toilets
  • Jaysus – Jesus (Christ)
  • Langer – Penis (pronounced lang-er)
  • Mickey – Penis
  • National School – a primary school funded by the state
  • Poitín – (pronounced pocheen) Literally means “little pot”, a traditional Irish distilled alcoholic beverage. Very strong and very illegal in 1985.
  • Press – Cupboard
  • Ride – (n) attractive person (v) to have sex
  • Ronnie – Moustache
  • RTE – Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland’s national broadcaster
  • Santy – Santa Claus
  • Slagging – Making fun of, insulting
  • Sliotar – a hard, leather-covered ball used in the game of hurling
  • Sure – a discourse marker commonly used at the beginning of sentences to express various nuances like agreement, emphasis, or to introduce new information
  • Yer man – That man, the man being discussed
  • Yer one – That woman, the woman being discussed
  • Yis/Yis’re – You all / You all are
  • Yis/Youse – Plural of You
  • Yoke – Thing
  • Youse – You (plural)

I hope you found this helpful and I really hope you enjoy reading about Lorcan and Dara in HEART OF THE WREN available in eBook, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited.

Heart of the Wren cover reveal!

Heart of the Wren by Glenn Quigley
Heart of the Wren

Here is the cover for my next novel! HEART OF THE WREN is coming on 3rd October 2025. Available in ebook, print, and Kindle Unlimited, it’s part of HAUNTED HEARTS: SEASON OF THE WITCH series of 11 standalone novels by Own Voices authors.

You can pre-order it here: https://mybook.to/heartofthewren

What is HEART OF THE WREN about?

Wren Day comes right after Christmas and it should be a time for music and merriment, but for burly gay farmer Lorcan Fitzgerald it might just be the last day of his life.

When he unearths an ancient Celtic brooch on his remote farm in 1980s Ireland, he becomes plagued by fires, breakages, and disappearances.
His beefy new lodger and farmhand Dara might be able to help – after all, he is a witch.
Accustomed to a solitary life on the road, friendly Dara must navigate life in the small village while drawing closer to lonely Lorcan, who carries an old pain that threatens to keep them apart.

Encountering a young woman with ESP, a terrifying spectral horse, and a fateful game of Hurling, can the men put a stop to the sinister supernatural forces gathering at the farm before Lorcan meets his final, horrible fate on Wren Day?

HEART OF THE WREN is part of the Haunted Hearts: Season of the Witch series of 11 standalone novels by Own Voices authors.

This book is a standalone story set in the same world as Curse of the Stag’s Eye but featuring new characters in a new setting.

Pre-order it here: https://mybook.to/heartofthewren

What is Haunted Hearts: Season of the Witch?

Haunted Hearts Season of the Witch

Haunted Hearts: Season of the Witch is an Own-Voices Paranormal Romance Series. Join us on our romantic journeys from some of your favourite authors! Be sure to read the entire 11 book series so you don’t miss a moment of falling in love, or sometimes falling into a happily ever after-life! Each book is a standalone but why not read them all? Everyone deserves their HEA!

Pre-order haunted Hearts: Season of the Witch here: https://mybook.to/HauntedHeartsTwo

Curse of the Stag’s Eye is out now!

It’s new release day! CURSE OF THE STAG’S EYE is out now in eBook and print.

There was a technical glitch (that’s the polite term) which meant Amazon cancelled all my pre-orders and I had to list the book again. This caused me no ends of stress this week and means that for now the eBook and Print editions are listed separately. They will be joined very soon but in the meantime, you can order one right now!

eBook: https://mybook.to/curseofthestagseye

Print: https://mybook.to/curseofthestagseyepb 

It’s also free to read on Kindle Unlimited.

If you did pre-order the book, thank you so much, and I’m so sorry for this hassle!

I’m selling a limited edition pack of a signed copy of the book with a lino print by the brilliant artist Ian J. Brown. These packs are limited to just 25 and some have already sold, so if you’re interested, get in touch! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, or at my email which is my full name at gmail dot com.

REVIEWS

A bearded man standing in front of a lighthouse. Curse of the Stag's Eye, Glenn Quigley, a Haunted Hearts book.

The reviews are coming in! Here what’s some early readers had to say:

“…there was so much to love here, from the story to the characters to the sheer mass of potential for more.” – Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“What an amazing book! … The characters were lovely and storytelling was so fun.” – Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Damn, this was an amazing read” – Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The spooky ghost story here was well thought out, not only was it the right level of spooky for a book of this length, but it wasn’t convoluted and didn’t drag out to the final chapter.” – Goodreads ⭐⭐⭐⭐

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT?

High on a wave-dashed cliff, the ancient standing stone known as the Stag’s Eye jealously watches over a cursed lighthouse with a grisly past.
Paranormal investigator Rhys has chosen this place to hold his first-ever ghost tour. Ghost-hunting veteran Dawn and her boyfriend Nikesh are eager to go exploring, while first-timer Gaz is hoping to learn more about the spirit world. He also intends to learn more about Rhys for various reasons, not all of which are entirely innocent.

The ghost of a murdered lighthouse keeper is said to climb the stairs every night, tending to the light, but other, far more sinister phantoms may lurk in the shadows. As the night wears on and the haunting becomes more and more hazardous, Rhys and Gaz grow closer. However, it soon becomes clear that not everyone on the tour is being honest about their reasons for being there. Can the supernatural activity be blamed on the curse of the Stag’s Eye or does someone know more than they’re letting on?

Haunted Hearts – Everyone deserves a happy ever afterlife! Haunted Hearts is an Own-Voices Paranormal Romance Series about love and the things that go boo in the night. Join us on our romantic journeys over 10 books from some of your favourite authors! Be sure to read the entire series so you don’t miss a moment of falling in love or sometimes falling into a happily ever afterlife! Each book is a standalone but why not read them all? Everyone deserves their HEA!

Authors include: Christian Baines , Sebastian CarterGlenn QuigleyRyan LawrenceFinn DixonTal FrostShane K MortonJ.P. JacksonAdam J. Ridley, and Colin Dereham

Teacup Promises

Teacup Promises

Teacup Promises

Spectrum Books

ISBN: 978-1-915905-35-2

Published 16th March 2024

Andrew Peacock is turning forty, sleeping with an older, straight, married man, and tired of the lies. So what better time to drag everything into the open than at a party for his lover’s wedding anniversary?

Told across six instalments, three decades, and one pandemic Teacup Promises charts the key moments in the relationships of Andrew, his boyfriend Jack, Jack’s wife Harriet, and Harriet’s lover, Stephen.

It’s time to spill the tea.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Clever, unique, and emotionally compelling with rich character development”  — BJ Toth, editor

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “the writing is stunningly clever, will leave you more than satisfied.” – J. P. Jackson, author

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Sends you on a delightful journey – a delight to read.” – Blake Allwood, author

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “What a story! … I was gobsmacked how well Glenn Quigley brought the whole story together.” — Goodreads review

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “…a shock I never saw coming!” – Goodreads review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Quigley proves proficient at spinning a networks worth of narrative into an enjoyable story.” – Goodreads review

Pre-order THE STAR WE SAIL BY

Pre-order the eBook edition of The Star We Sail By

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “…clever, whimsical, and romantic (and a little tawdry too).” – J.P. Jackson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “…full of so many twists and turns. The author writes in a way that makes every character come to life in the pages.” – Goodreads review

You can now pre-order the eBook edition of THE STAR WE SAIL BY on Amazon:

Or if you pre-order from the publisher, you’ll get it four days before it’s official release date of 20th February 2024!

The paperback edition will be listed soon (it takes a while to make it through the…systems? I guess? I don’t know the technical aspects of it all) and I’ll let you know when it’s available. I’ll also be selling signed copies, along with limited edition art prints of characters from the book. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky for the latest info, and remember to sign up for my newsletter, too!

Cover reveal!

The cover to the novel THE STAR WE WAIL BY - THE KNIGHTS OF BLACKRABBIT BOOK TWO by Glenn Quigley. An unshaven young man in an 18th century shirt looks over his shoulder. In the background, a road lined with half-timbered buildings and street lamps.

I’m thrilled to reveal the cover to THE STAR WE SAIL BY – THE KNIGHTS OF BLACKRABBIT #2!

It will be released on 20th February 2024 from NineStar Press. Pre-order link coming soon!

When young sailor Felix Diamond receives a letter from his estranged uncle begging for help, he returns home to Blackrabbit Island for the first time in ten years. There he discovers his uncle missing and his aunt positioning herself as the new head of the notorious Diamond family. With nowhere else to turn, Felix must enlist the help of former crime lord and current Watch Commander Vince Knight — a man he trusts less than anyone alive. He’ll also have to contend with his opium-addicted cousin and a handsome apprentice horologist with secrets of his own.

With time running out, Felix must race to uncover the truth behind his uncle’s disappearance while keeping his delinquent family’s claws off his childhood home — the rundown playhouse named The Star We Sail By.

ISBN: 978-1-64890-741-8

eBook ISBN: 978-1-64890-742-5

Quick catch-up

It’s been a while since I posted on here. In writing news, I have a new novel coming next year. THE STAR WE SAIL BY: THE KNIGHTS OF BLACKRABBIT book 2 is coming from Ninestar Press and I have another secret project in the works. It’s a story set in a haunted lighthouse and it’ll also be out next year.

In art news, I’ve added some new NSFW pieces to my gallery:

You can find some original art and prints for sale in my Etsy shop. Free shipping worldwide!

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