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The Ghosts of Rome’ named An Post Irish Book of the Year 2025

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Joseph O’Connor’s latest novel, The Ghosts of Rome, has been named the overall An Post Irish Book of the Year 2025.

The announcement was made during a special television broadcast on RTÉ One hosted by broadcaster Oliver Callan. The book, which previously won ‘The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award’ at the An Post Irish Book Awards, was selected as the overall winner by a panel of judges chaired by author Paul Howard.

The Ghosts of Rome is the second instalment in O’Connor’s Escape Line Trilogy. It follows the success of the first book, My Father’s House, which has sold over 150,000 copies in English. Both novels reached the Number One spot on the Irish bestseller charts within days of their release.


Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty

The trilogy is inspired by the extraordinary true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, known as the ‘Vatican Pimpernel’.

Though born in County Cork, O'Flaherty was raised in Killarney, attending the local Monastery school.

During World War II, O’Flaherty used his position in the Vatican to coordinate an ‘Escape Line’, a secret network that smuggled over 6,500 Allied soldiers and Jews to safety from Nazi-occupied Rome.

Despite constant threats from the Gestapo and a bounty on his head, he operated from the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, providing refugees with food, money, and false papers.

Joseph O’Connor is currently working on the final book of the trilogy.

While The Ghosts of Rome continues to dominate bestseller lists, fans will have to wait until early 2027 for the conclusion of the series.

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Double award win for Jessie Buckley

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Killarney-born actress Jessie Buckley celebrated a historic weekend by securing Lead Actress awards at both the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) and the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).

Buckley was honoured for her role as Agnes in the film ‘Hamnet’, becoming the first Irish woman ever to win the BAFTA for Leading Actress.


The weekend of success began on Friday night in Dublin, where she was presented with the IFTA for Lead Actress by Stephen Rea.

Buckley, who grew up in Killarney, described the homecoming as deeply emotional, stating that the recognition meant a great deal because of her love for mothers and women.

She also paid tribute to her co-star Paul Mescal, who won Supporting Actor at the same ceremony.


On Sunday evening, Buckley jetted to London for the BAFTA ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall, where fellow Irish actor Cillian Murphy presented her with the Leading Actress award.

During her acceptance speech, she admitted she never imagined as a little girl that she would be allowed to make a film.


Buckley dedicated her win to the women who have inspired her and encouraged her to break traditional moulds. “This really does belong to the women past, present and future who taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently,” she said.


In a moving moment, she also shared the award with her young daughter, who has travelled with her throughout the production of the film.

She described being a mother as the “best role” of her life and promised to remain “disobedient” as a parent.

Her goal, she explained, is to ensure her daughter can belong to a world in all her “complete wildness” as a young woman.

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High-end vehicle stolen in Killarney overnight theft

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A high-end vehicle was stolen from the Killarney urban area during the early hours of Tuesday morning, February 24.


The theft occurred between midnight and 6 am, with reports indicating that a high-end Audi was taken from a residential area.


Gardaí received a formal report of the vehicle theft this morning and have launched an immediate investigation into the matter.


A Garda spokesperson told the Killarney Advertiser that investigations are currently ongoing. Local officers are appealing to anyone who may have noticed suspicious activity in the Killarney town area overnight, or anyone with dash-cam footage from the midnight to 6 am period, to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064 6671160.

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