Killoyle: An Irish Farce

Synopsis

In the delightfully eccentric Irish town of Killoyle, everyone seems to be wrestling with God, sex, drink, or all three at once. Milo Rogers dreams of becoming a poet while working as a headwaiter and drinking far more than is wise. Around him spins a cast of unforgettable characters: a former pin-up turned fashion writer, a religious obsessive who delights in elaborate practical jokes, and a community of lovable misfits whose lives collide in increasingly absurd and hilarious ways. Hovering over it all is an anonymous commentator whose acerbic footnotes gleefully interrupt and undermine the story itself.

Originally published in 1997, Killoyle is a wildly inventive comic novel that draws on the traditions of James Joyce, Flann O'Brien, and Samuel Beckett while carving out a voice entirely its own. Equal parts satire, metafiction, and bawdy farce, Roger Boylan's debut has become a cult classic of contemporary Irish literature and now returns as part of the Dalkey Essentials series.

About the Author

Roger Boylan is an American novelist who was raised in Ireland, France, and Switzerland. He studied at the University of Ulster and the University of Edinburgh before publishing Killoyle, the first novel in his acclaimed "Killoyle Trilogy," followed by The Great Pint-Pulling Olympiad and The Maladjusted Terrorist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist, and the Boston Review, and he is celebrated for his exuberant humour and inventive literary style.

Publisher

Dalkey Archive Press (Dalkey Essentials)

Publication Date

June 26, 2026

Format

Paperback

Pages

250

Subjects

Literary Fiction · Irish Literature · Satire · Humour · Contemporary Fiction

ISBN

9781628976496