Monday, November 10, 2008

And If You Tolerate This …

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 victim

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
  It 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.
  Meanwhile, our thoughts go out to the families of Carmel Breen, Shane Geoghegan and Kenneth Nicholl. RIP.

2 comments:

  1. 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....

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  2. Colin - 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.

    Cheers, Dec

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Declan Burke has published a number of novels, the most recent of which is ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL. As a journalist and critic, he writes and broadcasts on books and film for a variety of media outlets, including the Irish Times, RTE, the Irish Examiner and the Sunday Independent. He has an unfortunate habit of speaking about himself in the third person. All views expressed here are his own and are very likely to be contrary.