I Can See It Still reaches No. 4 in Irish Times Bestseller List
Well, here’s a sticker I’m very pleased to be putting on a book of mine.
I Can See It Still is No. 4 in The Irish Times Paperback Non-Fiction Bestseller List this week. And in fairly exalted company too, alongside the likes of Mark Little, Patrick Radden Keefe, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Nikita Hand and Louise O’Neill. Not bad company for a book published under the grandly titled Townland Press, a publishing ‘house’ with precisely one book to its name.
My lifelong friend Martin Murphy, who runs the bookshop on Main Street here in Ballinrobe, and his colleague Orna Donnelly did the honours with the ceremonial first bestseller sticker. You can see the historic proceedings in the video. No ribbon-cutting or brass band, but a grand little moment all the same.
A lot of people made this happen. People helped with editing, checked facts, offered advice, spread the word, encouraged me, attended events and, most importantly of all, bought the book. I couldn’t begin to name everyone, and I’d be certain to leave somebody out if I tried. But I know who you are, and I am deeply grateful.
I want to particularly acknowledge Rachel Drury and Des Flanagan at BuyTheBook.ie. They showed me how a writer like myself, operating under my own newly inaugurated publishing ‘house’, Townland Press, could produce, publish and sell a book independently, and find his way onto a national bestseller list. Their guidance has been invaluable.
Coincidentally, they’ve just launched into the UK market at www.BuyTheBook.co.uk. If you’re a writer with a book you want to get out into the world, give them a shout. I intend to write more about my experience of independent publishing in due course. The opportunities available to writers have changed enormously.
I wrote more than 78,000 words in approximately seven weeks after Mayo’s All-Ireland victory, while also holding down a full-time job with the Western Development Commission. In other words, a mad undertaking. My wonderful wife, Noreen Gilligan, carried the can around the house during those crazy weeks and still found time for her ever-astute observations on the manuscript. I couldn’t have done it without her.
And a heartfelt thank you to the real stars of this whole show, the Mayo football team and management of 2026. They elevated spirits in this county to levels we never thought possible. Their maturity and generosity since 26 July has been extraordinary. What they have done for Mayo goes far beyond football.
Now, if Storm Boelo would just clear off, I could get around to the bookshops putting bestseller stickers on their copies. There are worse problems to have.
Thank you, everyone.
