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This is a no-holds-barred account of Nuala Moore’s progression from fisherman’s daughter jumping off boats to taking on some of the most fearsome stretches of water

Frank Ormsby says his “poems are populated with whole communities of isolated people”

Sun Nov 26 2023 - 00:01

The World Unmade: Writings from the Ireland Chair of Poetry by Frank Ormsby (UCD Press, €20)

Ormsby says his “poems are populated with whole communities of isolated people”, which touches upon one meaning of poetry in itself, in this enjoyable, slim book (70 pages that could be read on a lunch break). Ormsby was Ireland’s professor of poetry during the pandemic, therefore the bulk of this book - two lectures given during that time - are likely yet to find an audience. You will be rewarded. The Fermanagh man fondly looks back on his long and challenging tenure as editor of literary journal The Honest Ulsterman; the challenges are considered in more depth in the second section, relating to how Ormsby and contemporaries weighed, and felt weighted upon by, the Troubles in their work. The poet in conversation rounds things out, and the only pity is its brevity. NJ McGarrigle

Limitless by Nuala Moore (Gill Books, €19.99)

This no-holds-barred, detailed account of Nuala Moore’s progression from fisherman’s daughter jumping off boats and swimming into Dingle harbour to taking on some of the most fearsome stretches of water on the planet is an extraordinary glimpse into the life of an athlete who competed at the top levels of sport internationally and was largely unheralded for her efforts.

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That lack of recognition should change with the publication of her memoir, where she recounts the struggles faced and conquered and the battles that left her on the floor, wiped physically and psychologically. If the book has a downside, it is that her incredible exploits are recorded in minute detail, sometimes drowning the story.

The role of family in her success is recounted and the words of her father, a seasoned fisherman, ring through her mind in the toughest of times. From the first round-Ireland swim - which her team planned to do in 28 days but which took 56 - to ice swimming in Murmansk, Tumyen, the incredible feat of team-swimming the Bering Strait and her solo swim of the Drake passage, it’s a read those curious about extreme adventure will relish. Miriam Mulcahy

Run to the Western Shore by Tim Pears (Swift Press, £12.99)

It’s 72 AD and Quintus, a dark-skinned slave, is crossing Britain with a company of Roman soldiers. Quintus has a natural flair for languages, even those of the western isles the Romans find so barbaric. When Olwen, daughter of a local chief, is presented to the Roman leader as a gift, her fate appears to be sealed. But, driven by a resolution to be free, Olwen steals away, taking Quintus with her. As they travel westwards to the Welsh coast, they tell each other stories – she of legendary people and creatures, closely bound to the land she loves; he of how he came to be enslaved. The journey takes many months, mingling odyssey and love story, and vivid descriptions of natural beauty dominate this gentle narrative. Claire Looby

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