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Audiobooks Narrated by Kelly O'doherty
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"Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions - Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.In this volume our classic authors turn their pens to the immortal quest for love. What they find and what they reveal are, of course, illuminating, beguiling and the best of magical literature.01 - The Top 10 - Love - An Introduction02 - Araby by James Joyce03 - A Modern Lover - Part 1 by D H Lawrence04 - A Modern Lover - Part 2 by D H Lawrence05 - The Fullness of Life by Edith Wharton06 - About Love by Anton Chekhov07 - Mr and Mrs Dove by Katherine Mansfield08 - The Blizzard by Alexander Pushkin09 - On the Gull's Road by Willa Cather10 - Madame Rose Hanie by Khalil Gibran11 - The Gift of the Magi by O Henry12 - The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde"
"'A dime a dozen' as known in America, is perhaps equal to the English 'cheap as chips' but whatever the lingua franca of your choice in this series we hereby submit 'A Rhyme a Dozen' as 12 poems on many given subjects that are a well-rounded gathering, maybe even an essential guide, from the knowing pens of classic poets and their beautifully spoken verse to the comfort of your ears.1 - A Rhyme a Dozen - 12 Poets, 12 Poems, 1 Topic. Sleep - An Introduction2 - The End of the Day by Katharine Tynan3 - 'Ere Sleep Comes Down to Soothe the Weary Eyes by Paul Laurence Dunbar4 - To Sleep by John Keats5 - Rest by Richard Le Gallienne6 - Sleep by James Weldon Johnson7 - Sleep on Thine Eyes by Hafiz8 - The Day is Done by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow9 - The Sleeper by Edgar Allan Poe10 - Nupital Sleep by Dante Gabriel Rossetti11 - Song VIII - While Ye Deemed Him A Sleeping by William Morris12 - Boaz Asleep by Victor Hugo13 - Lullaby by Louisa May Alcott"
"James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was born on the 2nd February 1882 in Dublin into a middle-class family, and the eldest of ten surviving siblingsAdmired as a brilliant student he briefly attended the Christian Brothers-run O'Connell School before excelling at the Jesuit schools of Clongowes and Belvedere. From there he went on to attend University College Dublin from 1898, studying English, French and ItalianIn 1902, Joyce was now in his early twenties, and went to Paris to study Medicine but soon abandoned his teachings. Back in Dublin to attend to his dying Mother he met Nora Barnacle. They bonded immediately into a life-long match. Together they decided to emigrate to Europe. The couple lived in Trieste, Rome, Paris, and finally Zürich where Joyce pursued a variety of jobs and ventures to supplement his literary pursuits but none of these paid off. After publishing a poetry volume, 'Chamber Music', in 1907, his short story collection 'The Dubliners', in 1914, helped establish his talent in the rapidly changing world. Although far from home Joyce's literary heart and works were set in his recollections of Dublin. Characters are close resemblances of family and friends and indeed enemies. His landmark work 'Ulysses', published in 1922, is set in the streets and alleyways of the city as it parallels Homer's Odyssey in a variety of styles including its famed stream of consciousness.His pen continued to produce classics of the order of 'A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man' and 'Finnegan's Wake' together with several volumes of poetry and a play 'The Exiles, in 1918. On the 11th January 1941, Joyce underwent surgery in Zürich for a perforated duodenal ulcer. The next day he fell into a coma. On the 13th after a brief period of lucidity in which he called for his wife and son he passed. He was 58.1 - The Poetry of James Joyce - An Introduction2 - Chamber Music by James Joyce3 - Villanelle of the Temptress by James Joyce4 - She Weeps Over Rahoon by James Joyce5 - A Memory of the Players in a Mirror at Midnight by James Joyce6 - Tutto Sciolto by James Joyce7 - Simples by James Joyce8 - Bid Adieu to Maidenhood by James Joyce9 - The Ballad of Persse O'Reilly by James Joyce10 - Song by James Joyce11 - Night Piece by James Joyce12 - Alone by James Joyce13 - Flood by James Joyce14 - Bahnhofstrasse by James Joyce15 - Watching the Needleboats at San Sabba by James Joyce16 - A Flower Given to My Daughter by James Joyce17 - On the Beach at Fontana by James Joyce18 - Ecce Puer by James Joyce19 - A Prayer by James Joyce20 - The Holy Office by James Joyce21 - Gas From a Burner by James Joyce22 - Tilly by James Joyce"
"Katherine Tynan was born on January 23rd 1859 into a large farming family in Clondalkin, County Dublin, and educated at a convent school in Drogheda. In her early years she suffered from eye ulcers, which left her somewhat myopic. She first began to have her poems published in 1878. A great friend to Gerard Manley Hopkins and to WB Yeats (who it is rumoured proposed marriage but was rejected). With Yeats to encourage her, her poetry blossomed and she was equally supportive of his. She married fellow writer and barrister Henry Albert Hinkson in 1898. They moved to England where she bore and began to raise 5 children although two were to tragically die in infancy. In 1912 they returned to Claremorris, County Mayo when her husband was appointed magistrate there from 1912 until 1919. Sadly her husband died that year but Katherine continued to write. Her output was prolific, some sources have her as the author of almost a 100 novels. Here we concentrate on her poetry. Amongst the classics such as 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' are numerous war poems. She is now sometimes grouped amongst the War Poets of the First World War. Her experience was not direct but as a Mother with one son serving in France and another in Palestine, the emotions, fears and doubts are expressed in a beautiful heart-felt way. Katharine died on April 2nd 1931 and she is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London.1 - The Poetry of Katherine Tynan - An Introduction2 - Any Woman by Katharine Tynan3 - The Nurse by Katharine Tynan4 - The Only Child by Katharine Tynan 5 - Alienation by Katharine Tynan6 - The Young Mother by Katharine Tynan7 - Any Mother by Katharine Tynan8 - The Only Son by Katharine Tynan9 - The Father by Katharine Tynan10 - The Summons by Katharine Tynan11 - Joining the Colours by Katharine Tynan12 - The Aerodrome by Katharine Tynan13 - Flower of Youth by Katharine Tynan14 - A Lament by Katharine Tynan15 - The Predestined by Katharine Tynan16 - A Hero by Katharine Tynan17 - Mid the Piteous Heap of Dead by Katharine Tynan18 - The Weeping Babe by Katharine Tynan19 - All Souls by Katharine Tynan20 - No Man's Land by Katharine Tynan21 - The Old Soldier by Katharine Tynan22 - Salutation by Katharine Tynan23 - Wings in the Night by Katharine Tynan24 - The Great Sorrow by Katharine Tynan25 - The End of the Day by Katharine Tynan26 - They Who Return by Katharine Tynan27 - Quiet Eyes by Kathaine Tynan28 - The Refuge by Katharine Tynan29 - The Foggy Dew by Katharine Tynan30 - A Song of Spring by Katharine Tynan31 - Slow Spring by Katharine Tynan32 - Sheep and Lambs by Katharine Tynan33 - Easter by Katharine Tynan34 - Winter Sunset by Katharine Tynan35 - A Gardener Sage by Katharine Tynan36 - The Bird's Bargain by Katharine Tynan37 - St Francis and the Birds by Katharine Tynan38 - The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Katharine Tynan39 - Blessings by Katharine Tynan40 - A Song for the New Year by Katherine Tynan41 - Mater Dei by Katharine Tynan42 - Immortality by Katharine Tynan43 - The Epitipah by Katharine Tynan"
"Francis Edward Ledwidge was born on 19th August, 1887 in the small village of Janeville in Slane, County Meath in Ireland to parents that believed strongly in education. At the age of 5 his father died and the entire family, already desperately poor, were forced into work and by 13 the young Ledwidge took whatever job was to hand-from farm hand to road labourer. Throughout this time he applied himself to his poetry writing whenever and wherever he could. His poems were published on a regular basis from the age of 14 in the Drogheda Independent, his local paper.Ledwidge was an ardent Nationalist and was well known for his Sinn Fein and trade union activism. This association got him fired from his job at the Slane copper mines, for organising a strike for better working conditions, but prompted his appointment as the Secretary to the Slane branch of the Meath Labour Union. As a poet Ledwidge found patronage from Lord Dunsany who was well known in literary circles and was offered regular funds if he did not fight in World War I. Ledwidge was originally opposed to the War but then, seeing the greater injustice of an enslaved Europe, changed his view and enlisted and fought for Lord Dunsany's regiment, part of the 10th Irish Division. He thrived in the army finding promotion, happy to be serving Ireland and continuing to write but on 31st July 1917, whilst road laying for the Battle of Ypres, a German artillery shell exploded and he was blown to pieces. He was 29. Francis Ledwidge, the patriot and nationalist has been called 'The Soldier Poet', 'The Peasant Poet' and the 'Poet of the Blackbird'1 - The Poetry of Francis Ledwidge - An Introduction2 - Ireland by Francis Ledwidge3 - The Call to Ireland by Francis Ledwidge4 - At Currabwee by Francis Ledwidge5 - My Mother by Francis Ledwidge6 - Nocturne by Francis Ledwidge7 - The Sylph by Francis Ledwidge8 - Evening in February by Francis Ledwidge9 - Evening in England by Francis Ledwidge10 - A Twilight in Middle March by Francis Ledwidge11 - A Rainy Day in April by Francis Ledwidge12 - Thoughts at the Trysting Stile by Francis Ledwidge13 - Evening in May by Francis Ledwidge14 - Autumn Evening in Serbia by Francis Ledwidge15 - An Attempt at a City Sunset by Francis Ledwidge16 - Behind the Closed Eye by Francis Ledwidge17 - The Visitation of Peace by Francis Ledwidge18 - To My Best Friend by Francis Ledwidge19 - In the Dusk by Francis Ledwidge20 - In a Cafe by Francis Ledwidge21 - Lady Fair by Francis Ledwidge22 - Low Moonland by Francis Ledwidge23 - Old Clo by Francis Ledwidge24 - The Maid in Low Moonland by Francis Ledwidge25 - The Weddiing Morning by Francis Ledwidge26 - To One Weeping by Francis Ledwidge27 - Youth by Francis Ledwidge28 - Had I a Golden Pound (After the Irish) by Francis Ledwidge29 - The Lanawn Shee by Francis Ledwidge30 - Fairies by Francis Ledwidge31 - The Little Children by Francis Ledwidge32 - A Fairy Hunt by Francis Ledwidge33 - Pan by Francis Ledwidge34 - The Find by Francis Ledwidge35 - The Shadow People by Francis Ledwidge36 - Bound to the Mast by Francis Ledwidge37 - To One Who Comes Now and Then by Francis Ledwidge38 - To an Old Quill of Lord Dunsany's by Francis Ledwidge39 - Lament for the Poets, 1916 by Francis Ledwidge40 - Waiting by Francis Ledwidge41 - Lament for Thomas McDonagh by Francis Ledwidge42 - The Dead Kings by Francis Ledwidge43 - The Lost Ones by Francis Ledwidge44 - An Old Pain by Francis Ledwidge45 - Growing Old by Francis Ledwidge46 - To One Dead by Francis Ledwidge47 - Soliloquy by Francis Ledwidge48 - A Soldier's Grave by Francis Ledwidge49 - At a Poet's Grave by Francis Ledwidge"
"William Butler Yeats was born in Sandymount in County Dublin, Ireland on 13th June 1865.His early years moved between Ireland and England. By his mid-teens he was writing but those works were described as 'entirely Un-Irish'. With Ernest Rhys he founded the Rhymers Club. Based at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street it's best described as a drinking club for performing poets. Yeats later cited them as 'The Tragic Generation'. By now Yeats was writing and publishing poetry and stories that were profoundly based in Irish folklore. Yeats is perhaps best described as Ireland's national poet in addition to being one of the major twentieth-century literary figures of the English tongue. He represents the 'Romantic poet of modernism,' with an extraordinary style created from the outward emphasis on the expression of emotions and the extensive use of symbolism, imagery and allusions. In 1923 his fame was brought to an even wider audience when he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. His personal life was driven by his many relationships in love and by his great interest in oriental mysticism and occultism. Yeats also wrote prose and drama and, as an ardent Nationalist, established himself as a spokesman of the Irish cause and served as an Irish senator for two terms. W B Yeats died at the Hôtel Idéal Séjour, in Menton, France, on 28th January 1939. He was 73.In modern times his contribution to literary modernism and to Irish nationalism remains incontestable. His sumptuous poetry elegantly envelopes the reader in a world very few can articulate but all know well. A legacy for everyone1 - The Poetry of W B Yeats - An Introduction2 - A Man Young and Old - I - First Love by W B Yeats3 - A Man Young and Old - II - Human Dignity by W B Yeats4 - A Man Young and Old - III - The Mermaid by W B Yeats5 - A Man Young and Old - IV - The Death of the Hare by W B Yeats6 - A Man Young and Old - V - The Empty Cup by W B Yeats7 - A Man Young and Old - VI - His Memories8 - A Man Young and Old - VII - The Friends of His Youth9 - A Man Young and Old - VIII - Summer and Spring10 - A Man Young and Old - IX - The Secrets of the Old11 - A Man Young and Old - X - His Wildness12 - A Man Young and Old - XI - From 'Oedipus at Colonus'13 - A Cradle Song by W B Yeats14 - A Prayer for My Daughter by W B Yeats15 - The Mother of God by W B Yeats16 - Among School Children by W B Yeats17 - The Stolen Child by W B Yeats18 - Long-Legged Fly by W B Yeats19 - The Poet Pleads with the Elemental Powers by W B Yeats20 - The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W B Yeats21 - The Wild Swans at Coole by W B Yeats22 - Leda and the Swan by W B Yeats23 - The Cat and the Moon by W B Yeats24 - Those Dancing Days Are Gone by W B Yeats25 - Imitated From The Japanese by W B Yeats26 - All Things Can Tempt Me by W B Yeats27 - A Statesman's Holiday by W B Yeats28 - The Fascination of What's Difficult by W B Yeats29 - A Drinking Song by W B Yeats30 - He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven by W B Yeats31 - He Bids His Beloved Be at Peace by W B Yeats32 - The Song of Wandering Aengus by W B Yeats33 - The Travail of Passion by W B Yeats34 - The Falling of Leaves by W B Yeats35 - He Thinks of Those Who Have Spoken Evil of His Beloved by W B Yeats36 - Down by the Salley Gardens by W B Yeats37 - Quarrel in Old Age by W B Yeats38 - The Secret Rose by W B Yeats39 - Under Saturn by W B Yeats40 - To Ireland In The Coming Times by W B Yeats41 - I Am of Ireland by W B Yeats42 - The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats43 - Meditations in Time of Civil War - I - Ancestral Homes by W B Yeats44 - Meditations in Time of Civil War - II - My House by W B Yeats45 - Meditations in Time of Civil War - III - My Table by W B Yeats46 - Meditations in Time of Civil War - IV - My Descendants by W B Yeats47 - Meditations in Time of Civil War - V - The Road at My Door by W B Yeats48 - Meditations in Time of Civil War - VI - The Stare's Nest By My Window by W B Yeats49 - Meditations in Time of Civil War - VII - I See Phantoms of Hatred and of the Heart's by W B Yeats50 - From A Full Moon in March - Parnells Funeral by W B Yeats51 - Easter 1916 by W B Yeats52 - Come Gather Round Me, Parnelites by W B Yeats53 - September 1913 by W B Yeats54 - The Ghost of Roger Casement by W B Yeats55 - The Apparitions by W B Yeats56 - Sixteen Dead Men by W B Yeats57 - An Irish Airman Forsees His Death by W B Yeats58 - He Thinks of His Past Greatness When a Part of the Constellations of Heaven by W B Yeats59 - He Remembers Forgotten Beauty by W B Yeats60 - Men Improve with the Years by W B Yeats61 - When You Are Old by W B Yeats62 - He Wishes His Beloved Were Dead by W B Yeats63 - The Wheel by W B Yeats64 - Sailing To Byzantium by W B Yeats65 - Death by W B Yeats"
"The beautiful island of Ireland has endured a history that is pock-marked with struggle and oppression, with religious division and self-serving administrations. It has sacrificed its youth in wars, its generations in famines and emigration but it has never forsaken its calling that Ireland is a beacon of dignity, humanity and a home for words and literature of every description.Across the centuries, whatever its joys or torments, its poets have assembled verse that speaks from its soul. These fifty poems can never be a complete package of Ireland. They give glimpses, aspects, insights and thoughtful views and opinions of a nation that is proud, free and gloried with a history that few others can carry. That few others possess. From Katharine Tynan, Francis Ledwidge, Isabella Valancy Crawford and Thomas Moore to James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and W B Yeats this roll-call of wordsmiths speaks of Ireland and for Ireland."
"There is a day in March when people of Irish descent, in whole or part, and those who just wish to partake of the Shamrock Isle's legendary hospitality, come together the world over to celebrate the world's most popular National festival: St Patrick's day.That day is March 17th, the traditional anniversary of his death in 561. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is acknowledged as the one who brought Christianity to its shores and drove out the snakes! Although it is now generally accepted that snakes never inhabited Ireland and it's more likely a reference to the driving out of pagans or druids.Now we celebrate not just St Patrick or St Paddy's day but all things tinged with the green, all things Irish and its culture with parades, céilís, parties and the wearing of green clothing or shamrocks, and the hours, long into the night, are filled with laughter and good-natured exuberance. Although the day can coincide with the church rituals of Lent the restrictions on eating and drinking are lifted and this gives added impetus to the imbibing of alcohol, the whirl of dance and the clatter and chatter of a vibrant celebration. Our poets revel with the words and verse on every aspect of the day."
"Nature's year begins. Temperatures slowly rise. Green gradually becomes the dominant colour of the landscape. Rain from drenching showers to windy squalls help nourish the land. Nature has embarked on her epic symphony of the year. Each year, each season, each day is a little different from her previous work. Days lengthen as her canvas and palette grows more confident. Colour emerges from the shades of monochrome. She is at work on tasks everywhere.Naturally our classic poets rise to the challenge knowing that they will only be able to detail fragments or broad brush stroke the whole. They ponder, they write, they wonder.In fifty poems we take you on their inspiring journey reflecting on the miracle of Spring."
"Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on the 16th October 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. The son of Dublin intellectuals Oscar proved himself an outstanding classicist at Trinity College and then at Oxford. Wilde then moved to London and its fashionable cultural and social circles. With his biting wit, flamboyant dress, and glittering conversation, Wilde became one of the most well-known personalities of his day.His only novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ was published in 1890 and he then moved on to writing for the stage with ‘Salome’ in 1891. His society comedies were enormous hits and turned him into one of the most successful writers of late Victorian London.Whilst his masterpiece, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, was on stage in London, Wilde had the Marquess of Queensberry, the father of his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, prosecuted for libel. The trial unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and trial for gross indecency. He was convicted and imprisoned for two years hard labour. It was to break him.On release he left for France. There he wrote his last work, ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ in 1898. He died destitute in Paris at the age of forty-six sipping champagne a friend had brought with the line ‘Alas I am dying beyond my means’.One of his most beloved legacies has been his five children’s stories which are gathered here in this volume. Much of the writing is very modern, even for today. He explores a range of themes in his own inimitable way, from friendship, generosity and sacrifice through bravado and bragging to the religious overtones of death. Whilst they are firm children’s favourites they also enchant parents and adults."
