Amazon.com: Fireballs (9780312109844): Dan Binchy: Books

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1994

The colorful characters of The Neon Madonna and The Last Resort return in another humorous tale of the raucous antics and whimsical disasters of the residents of Brulagh, a small southern Irish backwater village.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } The colorful characters of The Neon Madonna and The Last Resort return in another humorous tale of the raucous antics and whimsical disasters of the residents of Brulagh, a small southern Irish backwater village.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mick ("The Man With the Plan") Flannery, Irish member of the European Parliament, is up for reelection and his campaign is in deep trouble. He knows that his constituents are interested only in "finding a job and having a good time." This election go-around, his solution to their problems is having an international coal depot built right in the middle of his home district of Brulagh. The Irish Prime Minister-aptly named "Mullarkey"-could care less for Flannery or his depot, but if Flannery goes down, so does the PM's government. Packed off to New York to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Flannery is warned by the Foreign Office to stay sober and not talk about the delicate situation back home. But with drink in his hand and sex on his mind, he causes an international incident and has to hightail it south. After some help from his slightly larcenous friend Abe Linovitz, Flannery returns to Ireland empty-handed and desperate. But "Fireballs," a peat fuel concoction, will guarantee jobs for all and reelection for Flannery. With the help of another of Abe's clients-the "Paramount Chief" of the African Republic of Marabar-Flannery has the election in the bag... or so he thinks. Irish author Binchy (The Last Resort) has written a laugh-out-loud parody of the Irish and their politics that will bring the reader a wider smile by the turn of each page.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Binchy, cousin to the famous Maeve, continues his chronicles of the tiny Irish town of Brulagh (e.g., The Last Resort, LJ 3/1/ 93). The local gentry are still doggedly pursuing harebrained schemes to pad their pockets and bring fame to the tiny town. When their latest plan to host a rock concert meets with strong opposition from the church, the town turns its attention to former soccer hero Mick Flannery's elaborate plot to turn the local bogs into an inventive new "fireball" energy source. Backed by some shady Third World politicos, the plan bumbles along, leaving a trail of romantic trysts, whisky stills, and pub tomfoolery in its wake. No great substance here, but plenty of warm, gentle wit and entertaining characterization. Recommended.
Susan Clifford, Hughes Aircraft Co. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews