Inside

by Kevin O'Malley

Formats

Softcover

$30.50

Softcover

$30.50

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 2/18/2004

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 5.5x8.5

Page Count : 402

ISBN : 9781412017701

About the Book

The year is 1961, the place, Ireland. Inside a monastery is Brendan O'Kane who, at thirteen years of age, has been recruited into the Irish Christian Brothers. Does he have a true vocation? The recurring doubt causes him sleepless nights. Furthermore, he is confused about his awakening sexuality, repressed totally as it is by the Catholic Church in Ireland of the sixties and by his vow of chastity. Years later, he is faced with a momentous decision: he must decide once and for all if the price he has paid has really been worth it . . .

INSIDE will strike a chord with many who grew up in the fifties and sixties, who remember the smells of the classroom and dancehall in those pre-deodorant days, the taste of fried bread and the sounds of the hymns and popular songs of the era - not to mention the swish of the leather strap.

INSIDE is a must for those who have had their own experience of the Brothers - or who may have heard about them in recent news stories worldwide - and who would like to know what made them tick, what made them so successful in their heyday, and what made some of them, at least, dysfunctional.

Other works on a similar theme: THE BOYS OF ST VINCENT'S (Canadian tv docudrama), THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (Australian film), THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS (Australian one-man-play), and from Ireland, STATES OF FEAR (tv documentary), GIVE UP YER AULD SINS (animation), THE MAGDALENE SISTERS (film) and SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY (novel and film).

About the Author

Kevin O'Malley, teacher, writer, one-time actor and director, is now very much on the Outside, having had first-hand experience of the Irish Christian Brothers. INSIDE is a story that had to be told, and Kevin is pleased to be the first to tell it like it was.

“I read it in one fell swoop. I could not put it down, I found it so enjoyable. A tremendous read. Full of poignant moments, and plenty of humour too. Will make a terrific movie.” (GERRY RYAN, 2FM)

“A wonderful trip down memory lane.” (MICHEAL O MUIRCHEARTAIGH)

“A gripping tale, an inspiring read.” (FINGAL INDEPENDENT)

“Fascinating.” (MARK CAGNEY, TV3)

“Witty, engaging… will pleasantly surprise readers.” (INTO MAGAZINE)

Customer Reviews

"This book is a unique record of a vanished way of life - the life of the Irish Christian Brothers, as seen through the eyes of one of their own. It tells the story of Brendan O'Kane who, like hundreds of boys back in the 1960s, entered the religious life at the ripe old age of 13. This was considered normal back then. Desirable, even. In Ireland one of the greatest honours was to have ""a priest in the family"" - or failing that, a nun or a brother.
This fictionalised memoir (we presume it's autobiographical) brings us right back into Catholic Ireland of the 1960s. We can smell the incense, the lighted candles, the beewswax on the floors of the corridors. We can hear the bells for morning prayer, the Gregorian chant, the laughter and banter on the playing fields. We can hear the silence - as the young, dedicated novices prepare for the monastic life by undergoing eight day retreats with no conversation whatsoever, confining themselves to prayer and meditation.
Of course, not everybody who joined stayed the course - and this dilemma, to stay or go, to persevere or to abandon one's vocation, becomes the central theme of the book, and causes anxiety, scruples and terror in young Brendan (even the title of the book suggests imprisonment).
Yet it's not all doom and gloom. Far from it. The book has many humorous and poignant moments as Brendan and his peers stumble from one hilarious scrape to another. The author keeps the chapters short, with many of them ending on a knife-edge. Yes, it's a real page-turner.
Even if you know nothing of the Christian Brothers, you'll find this book a gripping read. The characters are true-to-life, and sometimes larger than life.
The author has avoided the temptation to make this either an expos? or a cover-up of the abuses which some of the Brothers have undoubtedly been guilty of over the years. He tells it like it was, and leaves judgement to the reader. What comes across between the lines, however, is tha

George Sampson

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