'The Cullybackey Counterfeiters and other Barmy Ballads from Ireland’ (illustrated by Aisling Wilson). 2016.
Two pals, Jim Hughes and Billy Crowe decide that, if they can’t earn good money, they’ll have to (literally) make it themselves! Of course things don’t go as planned and they end up on a ridiculous trail up and down the length of Ireland in pursuit of their fortune. And do they finally become rich? – Well, you’ll have to read it to find out! The ballads in this book feature (amongst others) a posh lady who’ll do anything to ‘get her man’, a wife determined to know what her husband keeps in a mysterious chest in the attic, a grumpy old miser who plans to take his money with him when he dies, then back to our Cullybackey pals attempting to sneak into the London Olympics! ‘A Bit of Skullduggery and other Barmy Ballads from Ireland’ (illustrated by Kathryn Bannister). 2016. A series of simply surreal tales, ranging from a street trader selling what he claims are the skulls of famous Irish heroes, an octogenarian driver who has a somewhat peculiar attitude towards traffic lights, a legendary medieval magician whose mystic chant hurls him into 20th century Belfast and a certain man from that very city who goes to great length to invent a mystery illness disguising the fact that he’s a wee bit too fond of a pint! ‘The Scent of Romance and other Barmy Ballads from Ireland’ (illustrated by Aisling Wilson). 2017. Pig farmer Fred McCaughey is eager to find a wife but feels that the smell of his farmyard will put every woman off. Read what happens when he decides to follow the advice of one Dave McTeer, who last appeared as a ‘mentor’ to Jim and Billy in ‘The Cullybackey Counterfeiters’! There are ballads set in all four provinces of Ireland and once again demonstrate the priceless ‘logic’ of the island. Stories range from the curious way three pals from Donegal aim to keep their bond alive after one of them emigrates to New York, a couple of young fellows ‘enlightening’ a tourist about Ireland’s apparent space programme and even a tale or two featuring a leprechaun and a genie! It just gets barmier! ‘The Ballad of Wilf Barraclough and other Barmy Ballads from Ireland’s Neighbouring Nations’ (illustrated by Kathryn Bannister). 2019. Wilf Barraclough from Barnsley has a passion for Spam (the edible kind) but apart from this one indulgence, his needs are few. So, when he wins £10 million in the National Lottery, how will he spend the money - and deal with his two scheming nephews who want to get their hands on it? Then there's the story of a young Welsh couple who find their ideal home only to discover a rather scary secret up their chimney, a badly mismatched couple on a first date and the old Scottish pub with a special chair you really don't want to sit on! 'Risible Rhyme - a Book of Barmy Ballads' (illustrated by Kathryn Bannister). 2019. From Crystal Ball to Billy Small, the madcap exploits of some eccentric academics to a ghost who's too spooked himself to scare anyone, if you like humorous poetry with more than just a hint of the absurd, this is a book for you! |
'Nativity: The Person, the Portrait and the Poem' (illustrated by Kathryn Bannister). 2019.
Have you ever wondered what might have been going through the minds of those involved in the story of Christ's Nativity - Mary, Joseph or Elizabeth, or one of shepherds or Magi? Inspired by an invitation to write a piece to accompany a picture of the Virgin Mary for an exhibition, I went on to write ten poems, each about a different person, using some poetic licence whilst staying as close as possible to the details given by the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke. This is my first published book in a genre other than humour.
Have you ever wondered what might have been going through the minds of those involved in the story of Christ's Nativity - Mary, Joseph or Elizabeth, or one of shepherds or Magi? Inspired by an invitation to write a piece to accompany a picture of the Virgin Mary for an exhibition, I went on to write ten poems, each about a different person, using some poetic licence whilst staying as close as possible to the details given by the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke. This is my first published book in a genre other than humour.
'Purely Potty Poetry - a Book of Barmy Ballads' (illustrated by Kathryn Bannister). 2020.
Another helping of bonkers ballads but with a slight difference. As well as being written for those who enjoy a bit of humorous verse, each piece in this collection comes with a couple of suggestions for class or project group activities. Aimed mainly but by no means exclusively at slightly younger readers (around Year 6 upwards), this book will hopefully spark some ideas for project activities and encourage readers to try writing something too - and on a range of weird and wonderful subjects!
Another helping of bonkers ballads but with a slight difference. As well as being written for those who enjoy a bit of humorous verse, each piece in this collection comes with a couple of suggestions for class or project group activities. Aimed mainly but by no means exclusively at slightly younger readers (around Year 6 upwards), this book will hopefully spark some ideas for project activities and encourage readers to try writing something too - and on a range of weird and wonderful subjects!
'The Poshest Place in Piccadilly and other Barmy Ballads' (illustrated by Kathryn Bannister). 2023.
Whether it's two posh blokes trying to outclass the classiest hotel in London, a jail full of prisoners laughing at random numbers or a salesman who tries to outsmart his customers, the ballads just get crazier! And do you know what hodgepodge, flapdoodle and catawampus mean? If so, or you're curious to find out, this is the book for you!
Whether it's two posh blokes trying to outclass the classiest hotel in London, a jail full of prisoners laughing at random numbers or a salesman who tries to outsmart his customers, the ballads just get crazier! And do you know what hodgepodge, flapdoodle and catawampus mean? If so, or you're curious to find out, this is the book for you!