Mayo author Anne Walsh Donnelly launches her impressive debut novel

"It is an exquisite piece of art, the writing is crisp and poetic"

The official launch of Mayo author Anne Walsh Donnelly's debut book, “He Used To Be Me,” has taken place at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar.

It is described as an impressive debut, highly original, written in vivid, memorable prose.

Published by New Island Books, “He Used To Be Me” tells the story of Matt, a Mayo man who wanders the streets of Castlebar in search of the claw marks of the cága (jackdaws) who have spoken to him since he was a boy.

In extraordinary prose, Anne Walsh Donnelly imagines Matt’s inner life, from the loss of his twin brother as a child, through the care-free days of early manhood, to the aftermath of a horse-riding accident that would leave him in care for another 30 years.

Praising the book, Dermot Bolger said: “Every town has marginalised figures, roaming the streets for so long as to be barely noticed.

"Anne Walsh Donnelly’s sublime achievement is to reclaim one such man’s past by allowing him space to articulate his story in a unique and fragmented manner.”

Mayo writer and poet Alice Kinsella observed: “He Used To Be Me is an exquisite piece of art. The writing is crisp and poetic.

"It’s a story of heartache and magic, and the inner workings of a mind on the edge. This is a man who is so original and yet recognisable, the person who rarely makes it into literature, yet lives on the fringes of many communities. An intense burst of a life that will carry you not just along but within it.”

The author, Anne, revealed: "The fictional character Matt came roaring into my life during the collaborate writing and visual art Benchmark project in the Linenhall in 2019.That's why it was great to have the launch there."

Anne Walsh Donnelly lives in Castlebar and writes prose, poetry and plays.

Her published poetry collections include Odd as F*ck, and The Woman With An Owl Tattoo. Poetry Ireland in conjunction with Mayo Arts Office appointed her as Poet Laureate for the town of Belmullet in Co Mayo in 2021.

Her play, My Dead Husband’s Hereford Bull, was performed in the Linenhall in 2022.

“He Used To Be Me” is now available in all good bookshops and will also be on sale at the launch.

It can also be ordered online from the New Island website.