“I’m immensely fond of Liam Horan’s skilful, vivid, nuanced writing, which moves from insight to humour to emotional truthfulness, often in the one crafted paragraph. He’s a storyteller of great gifts, and they are all to be admired in this deeply impressive debut novel.”

Joseph O’Connor, author of My Father’s House and The Ghosts of Rome:

“On the Way Out navigates the lives of ordinary people with tenderness, wit, and acuity. This debut novel captures the complicated and often sticky web of small-town life: overlapping conversations in community halls, wary bonds formed in half-heated meeting rooms, gossip that can be both kind and cruel. The town itself is a character—a bit ragged but full of possibility. Each chapter alternates between characters so that their lives echo and refract off each other. How will Louise’s struggle with her shop bump against Matt’s attempts at connection? How will Tríona’s breathing exercises help these residents catch their breath and continue on? The dialogue is sharp but not heartless, funny but also reveals the ache of loneliness and grief. On the Way Out offers heartbreak and heart mending, showing us that we are, indeed, bound together in community”.

Kerry Beth Neville, judge in the Gerald Griffin Competition for First Original Adult Fiction, 2025 - author of Momma May be Mad

“A deft coming together of the strands one expects in a novel: an engaging story, interesting characters, an ability to bounce the reader with its steady movement to a conclusion. Its wit and savvy of small-town politics and atmosphere will appeal to many readers. There are also the more subtle devices of the art of fiction, such as the writing style itself and the use of sub-themes such as pilgrimage and the Kenny Rodgers motifs of gambling and the need to fight for one’s rights. The importance of dialogue for the health of society, as well as the need to take chances, are deftly and wittily handled, but not without driving home the gravity of the situation with which small communities are threatened. We get a glimpse of self-interested power-play which threatens to wipe out a segment of the charm and livelihood of a small town, a street and its citizens, but the solution recommended is not violence, but wisdom and canniness. There’s decency in people once you don’t back them into corners, as Louise emails Matt. But occasionally it helps to talk quietly and carry a medium-sized stick.”

Ciaran O'Driscoll, poet and novelist, judge in the Gerald Griffin Competition for First Original Adult Fiction, 2025 - author of The Golden Ass

"If you're looking for a witty, laugh-out-loud novel, that has more Irishisms than BellX1's entire discography, then look no further than debut-novelist Liam Horan and his gem of a book 'On The Way Out'. 𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑜! 😉"

Louise Rooney

At the launch of *On The Way Out*, author Declan Varley delivered an affectionate, insightful appraisal of both the novel and its author, placing Liam Horan’s debut firmly within Ballinrobe’s long-standing literary tradition. He reminded the audience that creativity was woven through Liam’s upbringing — from a household where the “comings and goings of a town” were everyday conversation to the influence of his father Billy, whose district notes “pumped oxygen through the heart of this town.” Declan recalled their time together in school, crediting Billy with teaching him “the power of words” and shaping Liam’s instinct for observation, tone and the subtle hierarchies of local life. It was this deep-rooted understanding, he said, that gave Liam “a veritable PhD in knowing what is local and what matters and what makes towns breath.” Declan also spoke candidly about his long-standing admiration for Liam’s ability to portray small towns with accuracy and tenderness, joking that the “sin of envy” had accompanied him for decades. He praised Liam’s capacity to show how humanity collides with nature, geography, memory and community — a skill that comes fully into its own in *On The Way Out*. Turning to the novel itself, Declan described falling for its characters during early workshop sessions and seeing that connection deepen when reading the full manuscript. He highlighted Liam’s talent for creating “characters who breathe, who falter, who try again,” set within a town that “beats like a heart behind every page.” Small-town nuances — fear, love, attraction, survival — are rendered with precision, he said, and even the smallest detail, such as a laneway or a familiar shopkeeper, carries narrative weight. Above all, Declan praised the craftsmanship behind the book. “Every sentence is crafted and is dripping with meaning,” he said. “Every nuance maximised. Not a single word wasted.” Having witnessed Liam workshop paragraphs for hours, discarding whatever did not ring true, he described *On The Way Out* as the product of unmatched dedication to the craft. Calling it “a wonderful novel debut,” Declan concluded by encouraging readers to ensure the book is “on every bedside table and in every Christmas stocking,” and expressed his delight in formally launching a work he believes marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Liam Horan’s writing life.

Declan Varley, author of Kittyland and The Confession of Peadar Gibbons

Liam Horan, hiding in plain sight, has eavesdropped on the lives of the characters in Small-town Ireland and created a novel full of empathy and experience, warmth and hope. His writing provides a smile on every page and ‘On the Way out’ reminds us of the importance of community, friendship and a certain amount of stubbornness to navigate the turns and twists that life lays before us. A very enjoyable and uplifting read.

Frank Foley, Trim, Co. Meath

Reading this book is like having a beautiful funny conversation with someone. It has a subtle humour while revealing the life senior citizens go through, their fears, opportunities and jobs. Liam you did a good job on this piece.

Maureen Nalubega, Balla, Co. Mayo

I came across On The Way Out by accident but I'm so glad I did. I read it in one sitting (I couldn't put it down). I can't think of a better way to spend a winter's evening with a good fire. I loved the language, and the absence of bad language was so good to see. It really brings home how Ireland and towns in particular are changing. I highly recommend this book. Five stars all the way.

Sean Lowry, Ballinahown, Athlone, Co. Westmeath

This guy can do that thing of very plain, simple language, not overtly trying to impress anyone - just telling the tale but with as economic prose as possible and hitting all the right notes.

Mike Maguire, Limerick

The word that keeps coming to mind when I think about this book is ‘hug’. It is a small hug of a book. My usual go-to read is a crime or thriller, the darker the better. This is a world removed from that. This is a world populated by real people, ordinary people, worried about how they’re going to pay the bills, but who still have room to try something new. And so, we meet a number of people gingerly stepping into the first meeting of the Sixty Soon, Sixty Something group, which is just as it sounds - a place to try something new, to push the comfort zone a little. And those of us who would fall into that ‘target market’ get it - the desire to widen our horizons against the pull of the familiar. Here we meet Louise and Matt, our main protagonists, but other smaller though important characters as well - the irrepressible Joanne, Maggie, who was born, bred, married and will die in the town, ‘Pound Shop’, whose brief appearance was one of the many laugh-out-loud moments for me. And that’s one of the things I loved about this book - the humour. It’s subtle and sneaks up on you unawares and is woven into the story just as it weaves its way into our own lives. On The Way Out is set in the fictional west of Ireland town called Rathfin, but it is a place any of us who live in rural Ireland gets. What’s happening on the world, or even the national stage, is merely a backdrop to what’s happening in the town, in this case, the future of the community centre. And I enjoyed how the author used this to show how all politics is, at the end of the day, local. This is a book that took me by surprise somewhat, maybe because it’s not my usual fare. Nobody McGyvers anything, no plot twists fall from the sky, though without giving anything away, there’s a lovely little surprise near the end that made me go ‘ahh’. And all of the characters are real, flawed, likeable people that I’d be happy to have in my life (Pound Shop excepted, maybe!) You’ll find yourself rooting for them, and if you’re like me, wanting to know what happens next for our main protagonists.

Máire Garvey, Westport

I loved it and didn’t want it to finish. The characters came over so well that I found myself totally involved in their lives from early on. The way the story is built and unfolds feels just right, carrying the reader along at a perfect pace. By the end, I was already wondering what happened next - on the Camino and on Rathlin - once everyone returned home. I hope there are ideas for the next one, which I’m sure there are. Congratulations on an amazing achievement, with many more to come.

Kathryn O'Connell, Ballinrobe & New South Wales

On The Way Out is a thoroughly engaging read. The book captures the characters and drama of small-town life with clarity and confidence. There is a strong sense of place throughout, rooted in community and everyday experience. The writing is a real strength. Many of the sentences are beautifully crafted, and the style feels precise and assured. The depiction of local struggles for shared facilities is convincing and adds to the realism of the story. I was particularly struck by the use of short paragraphs. Whether this was a deliberate choice from the outset or something refined in editing, it works extremely well. It keeps the narrative moving and suits the modern reader. A fully deserved winner of the Gerald Griffin Award for First Adult Fiction 2025.

Donal McGoey, Co. Limerick

This novel captures the ache of loneliness and loss with tenderness and humour, while never losing sight of hope. The friendship formed between Matt and Louise develops during this unputdownable book and we are intrigued to find out what happens. Will the Camino be more than just a walk? The reader feels a deep sense of attachment to the main characters and the community of Rathfin which mirrors many West of Ireland towns. I loved it and look forward to reading the rest of this story.....hopefully!

Liz Kelleher, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo

Liam Horan has a deep understanding of rural Ireland, small towns and the people who live there. The writing is nuanced and insightful, and often very funny, it captures the essence of rural people where so much is unsaid. So many will identify with the characters, who find strength and camraderie in adversity. But the tensions are not ignored here, the loss of faith in politicians is explored and the realisation that people have to rescue themselves. I found Louise’s situation particularly poignant. Lovely writing with a great turn of phrase. I look forward to more from this writer,

Martha Higgins, author of Hiding from the Heart (available here: https://www.buythebook.ie/product/hiding-from-the-heart/)

Liam Horan’s debut novel, On The Way Out, offers a portrait of a quintessentially Irish small town. The story is told with a deft, graceful touch. The characters of Matt and Louise, along with the secondary cast, the town, and the dialogue, all feel very authentic, so that the reader becomes emotionally invested in their fight for their community

Brian Keating, Co. Limerick - Brian's short story, Missing Person, will be published in The Galway Review, April 2026

I loved Liam Horan’s recently published novel On The Way Out. As someone who occasionally reads books, this captured humour and raw emotion in equal measures, and much more besides, set in a small rural community. You can envisage these characters in real life with every page you turn. It’s an easy read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Given the simplicity and interesting way Liam has beautifully written this novel, it is indeed not surprising he won the prestigious Gerald Griffin Competition for First Adult Fiction 2025 award.

Teresa Egan, Knock, Co. Mayo