KIELY, Benedict. The Waves Behind Us: Further Memoirs (Signed edition)

London: Methuen Publishing Ltd., 1999. First edition. 8vo. pp. 183, with index. Original black cloth, lettered in gilt to spine, in the original pictorial dust jacket. A fine copy. Signed by the author on the title page.

A later autobiographical work by the celebrated Irish writer Benedict Kiely (1919–2007), continuing the reflections begun in his earlier memoir Drink to the Bird. In this volume Kiely recalls episodes from his life as a writer, journalist, and broadcaster, offering vivid portraits of literary and cultural life in Ireland during the twentieth century.

The memoir moves through Kiely’s formative years, his time at University College Dublin, and his encounters with prominent figures in Irish cultural life, including writers, journalists, broadcasters, and public personalities. Dublin itself features prominently, with evocative recollections of the city’s streets, pubs, literary circles, and institutions. Among the many subjects touched upon are Brendan Behan, Seamus Murphy, the Brazen Head, and the White Horse pub, all woven into Kiely’s characteristic blend of anecdote, humour, and historical reflection.

Kiely was widely admired as one of Ireland’s finest essayists and storytellers, his work combining deep knowledge of Irish folklore and literature with an engaging narrative voice. The Waves Behind Us stands as a reflective summation of a long literary career and offers valuable insight into the intellectual and cultural milieu of modern Ireland.

Signed copies of Kiely’s later works remain sought after by collectors of modern Irish literature and literary memoir.

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