I’m in the process of writing a feature about Irish women crime writers, and one of the questions asks if any of the ladies have a theory as to why there’s been such an upsurge in Irish crime writing recently. One of them pointed me in the general direction of today’s front page headlines, to wit: Long-running drugs feud claims another innocent victimIt surprises people when I tell them that there’s roughly 50 Irish crime writers currently being published. Actually, the wonder is there isn’t more.
Shot dead because he looked like gang's real target
999 caller told the operator he strangled Dublin mum
Man due in court over Larne murder
Dublin dad is charged with making child porn
Three men jailed for failed Securicor cash van heist
Dissidents co-operating with each other more, says IMC
Charged: 3 on €675m drug boat
Meanwhile, our thoughts go out to the families of Carmel Breen, Shane Geoghegan and Kenneth Nicholl. RIP.
A lot of the upsurge, at least North of the non-existant border is probably due to the end of the Troubles and the return of 'honest decent criminals'. It's a fine line, of course. Don't know if you've seen the Bobby Sands biopic, Hunger? Does that qualify as a crime movie? There was an interesting blog on The Guardian website the other day attacking the film for conveniently ignoring the fact that the hungerstrikers were in there for acts of violence. Of course the piece was torn to shreds by Guardian readers. What I do know is that if someone from the North, either side, had taken this idea for a movie in for funding, they would have been chased out of the room. But as soon as some British darling of the arts world decides to do it suddenly quangoes get their cheque books out. Bitter? With a wonderful script (by yours truly) based on a wonderful book (by yours truly) about the hunger strikes been lingering in development hell for eight years, you bet! Of course, it is a comedy version.....oh well....
ReplyDeleteColin - A comedy about the hunger strikes? Maybe the albinos had a point after all ... As for the rise of the ordinary decent criminals up North, tis enough to make a man's eyes mist over. They look after their own, don'tcha know? And they're nice to their mums. And ragamuffin orphans. "Robbin' hoods / Robbin' hoods / Riding through the glen ..." Ah, bless.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Dec