Columba Books

Following the success of Mythical Irish Beasts (2018) and Mythical Irish Wonders (2020), Mark Joyce returns with Mythical Irish Places, an encyclopaedia of Ireland’s most magical and wondrous locations.

Our ‘Gospel truths’ are largely sourced and redacted from the Hebrew Bible. The Death of Jesus the Jew demonstrates how the Passion Narratives have little to do with ‘Gospel truth’ and how these stories, with their anti-Jewish polemic, hosted the unintended seedbed for the racial anti-Semitism of the nineteenth century, which in turn led to the Holocaust.

Fr Ray Kelly, ‘the singing priest’, became a worldwide internet sensation when a video of him singing Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ at a wedding in 2014 went viral. His wonderful voice captured hearts globally and landed him a record deal with Universal Music. In 2018 he auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent, singing ‘Everybody Hurts’ by R.E.M., and he made it to the semi-finals of the show. This is his memoir, describing his fascinating journey from parish priest to fame, and following his experience of sharing his exceptional talent with the world. Charting his childhood in Tyrrellspass, his calling to the seminary and his work as a priest, the book culminates in Fr Kelly being catapulted into the limelight because of his extraordinary talent.

Michael Kelly has led more than a dozen pilgrimages to the Holy Land. In this unique guidebook, he will take readers to the sites associated with the earthly life of Christ from Bethlehem to Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem. Whether you are planning a trip to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, or simply want to deepen your understanding or faith this book is indispensable.