John Moriarty books | Where to begin with the great Irish philosopher
John Moriarty (1938-2007), poet, mystic and philosopher, has been hailed as one of the most original thinkers to have emerged from Ireland in recent decades, and warrants serious attention. He was born and reared just outside the little village of Moyvane in north Kerry. Growing up on his parents’ farm, he was attuned to the rhythms of weather and soil from his youth. After graduating from university in Dublin, and outgrowing the academic life of a lecturer in Canada, he would eventually return to Ireland – to Connemara – and later to Mangerton Mountain, to discover his ‘bush soul’.
He has been described by The Irish Times as ‘the greatest Irish thinker you’ve never read’, and he was a dear friend of The Lilliput Press. Every week we have customers visiting our shop asking us where they should start with his books. We hope that the below list will help in finding your next transformative read. If you haven’t heard of Moriarty yet, read a short introduction on him by Tommy Tiernan here.
‘Ireland’s most important writer since Samuel Beckett’ Thomas Moore (author of Care of the Soul)
‘I have given copies of the philosopher John Moriarty’s books to more than a few people. Reading him is about as close as I come to a spiritual life’ Kevin Barry (author of The Heart in Winter)
If you’re brand new to Moriarty, or have tried diving in too deeply too quickly and found yourself needing a guiding hand through this strange wood, we recommend starting with A Hut at the Edge of the Village, a wonderful and accessible introductory book to Moriarty’s body of work, and then making your way through his catalogue chronologically, as listed below – but do take a look at the commentaries and anthologies section – we also support starting with whichever book seems to call out to you the most!
A Hut at the Edge of the Village
Edited by Martin Shaw with Foreword by Tommy Tiernan (2021, 200pp, pbk)
A thematically ordered anthology framed by introductory essays and drawings by the celebrated English award-winning author, storyteller and mythologist Martin Shaw, celebrating this international eco-conscious visionary. A small book of big thoughts that Manchán Magan describes as the book that will ‘give the world Moriarty’.
Dreamtime (1994, 288pp, pbk)
The mothership of Moriarty’s writings, launched by Michael D. Higgins at the Clifden Festival 30th September 1994, which announced him to the world. It is described by Conor Farnon as ‘the great book of transformations’, a gathering of sixty-one pieces, none exceeding ten pages, a ‘tapestry of themes and styles’ in the rhythms of John’s inimitable speech’: lyric prose interspersed with poetry, prayer and sacred texts, alongside retellings of exotic myth bedded in world religion and belief. Dreamtime is now recognised as a classic of spiritual writing. A vade-mecum to walk the reader through life.
Turtle Was Gone a Long Time Volume 1 (1996, 265pp, hbk)
Turtle Was Gone a Long Time Volume 2 (1997, 312pp, hbk)
Turtle Was Gone a Long Time Volume 3 (1998, 352pp, hbk )
These three volumes are the foundation stones of JM’s philosophic writings – conjoined stories and interpretations mirroring the deep histories of Ireland, Greece, Egypt, native America, India and farther afield. Volume 1, ‘Crossing the Kedron’, contains the nucleus of John’s own poetry and belief. Volume II, ‘Horsehead Nebula Neighing’, continues his spiritual journey towards Divine Ground, calling for cultural regeneration and evolutionary legitimacy. Volume III, ‘Anaconda Canoe’, trawls world literature, mythology and sacred texts from the classical-Christian shores of Europe to the farther reaches of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas of the Amazon basin.
Nostos: An Autobiography (2001, 710pp, hbk)
What the Curlew Said: Nostos Continued (2007, 376pp, hbk)
These two remarkable volumes tell the origin story of John’s early upbringing in Moyvane in north Kerry, his schooling at St Michael’s in Listowel and progression to UCD in the Dublin of the 1950s. His teaching sojourns in Wales and Leeds are recounted; his time in London; his travels to Greece, his five-year spell of teaching English literature at Manitoba University in Canada, with excursions to the Grand Canyon and Mexico; his fifteen years in Connemara where he wrote and recovered his ‘bush soul’, and thence to his homeplace in The Coolies near Muckross in Killarney looking onto Mangerton Mountain. Both books are conveyed in numinous prose lit by hallucinatory observations and evocations of the natural world around him. Hailed by poet Paul Durcan as ‘one of the most remarkable autobiographies I have ever read in my entire life’. “Nostos”, meaning “homecoming” in Greek, reflects Moriarty’s return to his roots and a deeper understanding of himself.
Invoking Ireland (2005, 240pp, pbk)
A linked series of richly detailed essays and visionary texts on Irish mythology and story-telling, written with the connective power of a poet and master linguist. Declan Kiberd described his commentaries as ‘the unleashing of lost ancestral forces’. Invoking Ireland serves as a call to rediscover and honour the profound wisdom embedded in Irish culture and spirituality, and invites readers to look beyond the surface of modern life and reconnect with the timeless truths and beauty of their heritage.
Night Journey to Buddh Gaia (2006, 619pp, hbk)
A visit to the Egyptian underworld where Moriarty journeys to the deepest depths of himself in imagery and reflection, and confronts his primal self and Karmic heritage through the earliest layers of civilization in Mesopotamia and Sumeria. By confronting the Minator, John confronts the beast in himself and the dependence of his own belief in a Christian god. This is a profound and multifaceted work that invites readers on a journey through Moriarty’s inner landscape, enriched by his deep engagement with mythology, spirituality, and ecological consciousness. It’s a book that encourages deep reflection and a re-examination of one’s relationship with the world and the divine.
Serious Sounds (2007, 64pp, pbk)
A richly meditative essay on Moriarty’s return to Christianity through the lens of his parents’ belief and the small farm of his childhood upbringing in north Kerry, where the slender veil between the animal and human kingdoms is gently lifted. A short but deeply impactful book that can be revisited multiple times, with each reading revealing new layers of insight and understanding.
One Evening in Eden (2007, thirteen 90-minute CDs)
A beautifully designed limited edition box set of 13 CDs only available from The Lilliput Press. These are special recordings of all of JM’s talks and lectures given during his lifetime: a magic mosaic of storytelling hypnotically conveyed in the rich music of his Kerry voice, creating a powerful and intimate connection with the listener. Best enjoyed in a meditative and reflective setting, allowing listeners to fully absorb and contemplate the insights presented by the poet-philosopher. Moriarty invites listeners to embark on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening, and encourages a deeper appreciation of nature, a greater understanding of myth and culture, and a more meaningful engagement with life’s big questions.
These recordings are also being released in audiobook format.
COMMENTARIES AND ANTHOLOGIES
A Moriarty Reader: Preparing for Early Spring
Edited by Brendan O’Donoghue (2012, 490pp, hbk)
A first gathering of the works of this poet, mystic, philosopher, distilling key passages from some 10 per cent of all of JM’s pan-ethnic writings; it forms a vital primer and guide to Ireland’s most original thinker, with detailed headnotes and introductions. A Moriarty Reader serves as an excellent introductory text for those unfamiliar with his writings and illuminates unacknowledged aspects of his thinking for those already familiar with his work.
John Moriarty: Not the Whole Story
by Mary McGillicuddy (2018, 304pp, pbk)
A voyage and insight into the writings of JM, bringing him home to Connemara and native rural Kerry, linked by the connective tissue of his writings about nature, landscape and family. Moriarty’s work can be daunting; Not The Whole Story is the attempt of Mary McGillicuddy to provide a key – to open the door into his genius, ensuring that his legacy will not be lost.
Introducing John Moriarty in His Own Words
Edited by Michael W. Higgins & Sean Aherne (2019, 232pp, pbk)
An anthology with commentary and core texts on philosophy and spirituality by theologian and scholar alike. An essential addition to the library of anyone interested in Irish philosophy and spirituality.
John Moriarty: Grounded in Story
Edited by Amanda Carmody & Mary McGillicuddy (2024, 210pp, hbk)
An anthology of JM’s early writings sumptuously illustrated with artworks and photographs of JM’s family and homeplace in north Kerry. ‘A guide into the world, and the wisdom, of this extraordinary man’, as Gabriel Fitzmaurice has it. This selection of writing brings John Moriarty home to Moyvane and demonstrates the influence of his native place on the development of his thought and introduces, in his own words, the culture and the characters that had such a profound effect on him.
If you want to find out more, take a look through the books on our website, or drop into our shop in Dublin’s Stoneybatter between 09.30-16.30 on weekdays.
