Phoenix Park Football*

A Minister for Propaganda Elf speaks:
Twenty Major is a blogger. As a result of his blogging, he got a book deal. The first book, THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX PARK, got a bit of a kicking in the Irish print media at the weekend, although The Dubliner magazine did him proud (right). So, in the general spirit of inter-textual flummery that seems to be abroad at the moment, we hereby republish Bridget Hourican’s comprehensive review in full. Just click on the pic to read. We thank you for your cooperation.

This review is republished with the kind permission of The Dubliner.

* With apologies to Eamon Dunphy.

The Embiggened O # 9,012: Damn, We’re Going Need A Bigger Trumpet

Another red letter day in the world of independent publishing, people – The Dubliner, bless its cotton socks, gives our humble offering The Big O the four-star treatment in its current New Poor / New Rich issue. To wit:

“I finished this book in one sitting … the dialogue is amusing and the plotting is deft. It’s a complex story, handled with some style by Declan Burke … like any good crime novel, [it] twists and turns until the very last sentence.”

All of which would have been lovelier than Arthur Lee’s rose garden if they hadn’t gone and spoiled it all by tucking a disclaimer into the middle thusly: “Disclosure: [Burke] reviews films for this magazine.” Pah, rumbled with our greasy mitts in the till. Damn their beautiful, beautiful eyes.