by Ultan Macken
After she died, we found out that a number of my father’s novels were out of print with Macmillan and Pan Books (the paperback imprint of Macmillan) in London. Brandon Books of Kerry reprinted many of them and most of his novels are now in print along with two new books of short stories – City of the Tribes and The Green Hills have also been published.
There were four books that my father had planned to write at the time of his death. They included a sequel to The Bogman and a book called Before I Die. He had also planned to write a novel set in Dublin. Sadly, none of these projects came to fruition.
Walter Macken left a wonderful legacy. During his lifetime, he published ten novels, seven plays and three books of short stories. He also had two children’s books published. What an amazing body of work he left behind. I remember mother asking him once, what legacy did he want to leave and he said: ‘When people pick up my books in a hundred years time, they will read them and say, so that’s how people lived then.’ This is what he did in his work, he left a compelling record of how people in Ireland lived in the first half of the twentieth century. Hopefully generations of people from all over the world will continue to read him for years to come.
PUBLISHED WORKS BY WALTER MACKEN
Plays:
Oighreacht na Mhara (Inherit The Sea), published by Kennys Bookshop (1946)
An Fear Ón Spidéil (The Man From Spiddal), published by An Gúm (Government Publishing Company, 1952)
An Cailín Aimsire Abú (Salute the Servant), published by An Gúm (1953)
Mungo’s Mansion, published by Macmillan (London, 1946)
Vacant Possession, published by Macmillan (London, 1948)
Novels:
Quench The Moon, published by Macmillan (London, 1948)
I Am Alone, published by Macmillan (London, 1949)
Rain On The Wind, published by Macmillan (London, 1950)
The Bogman, published by Macmillan (London, 1952)
Sunset on the Window Panes, published by Macmillan (London, 1954)
Sullivan, published by Macmillan (London, 1957)
Seek The Fair Land, published by Macmillan (London, 1959)
The Silent People, published by Macmillan (London, 1962)
The Scorching Wind, published by Macmillan (London, 1964)
Brown Lord of the Mountain, published by Macmillan (London, 1967)
Collections of Short Stories :
The Green Hills and Other Stories, published by Macmillan (London, 1956)
God Made Sunday and Other Stories, published by Macmillan (London, 1962)
The Coll Doll and Other Stories, published by Macmillan (London, 1969)
City of the Tribes, published by Brandon Books (Kerry, 1997)
The Grass of the People, published by Brandon Books (Kerry, 1998)
Children’s Books:
Island of the Great Yellow Ox, published by Macmillan (London, 1966)
Flight of the Doves, published by Macmillan (London, 1968)
Articles:
The Presentation Convent Annual 1965
The Patrician Annual 1965
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ultan Macken
Ultan Macken was born in Galway in 1943. Having studied at University College Galway, he worked briefly as a journalist for the Irish Press Ltd. Macken undertook several teaching posts before becoming a feature writer / sub-editor for the RTE Guide in 1973. He remained in this position before opting for early retirement in September 1990. He then worked as a teacher and as a clerical officer for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. He wrote a one man show on his father, the acclaimed writer Walter Macken, called My Father, My Son. Author of many books including: Drug Abuse in Ireland, How to Play the Guitar, Eddie Keher's Hurling Life and Mike Murphy's Micro-Quiz.
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