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Doyle, Roddy

Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin in 1958. After going to university (where he gained a General Arts degree) he taught English and Geography for 14 years in north Dublin. He wrote during his teaching career and now writes full-time.

His first novel, The Commitments, was published in 1987. It was successful and made into a popular film in 1992. The Snapper was published in 1990, followed by The Van in 1991. The three stories were set in the fictional Barrytown and featured in a collection called The Barrytown Trilogy.

Roddy and Paddy
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha was published in 1993 and won the Booker Prize. His writing is based on aspects of life in Ireland, particularly involving working-class characters and experiences. His themes and characters centre on the lives of Irish people.>

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha is about a boy growing up in Ireland in the 1960s. Most of the stories which Doyle writes are about life there, particularly for the working classes. When the story begins, it is 1968 and Paddy Clarke is 10. Through Paddy’s story, the reader grows familiar with what life was like in the 1960s, both in school and at home. Elements of the story may be autobiographical mixed with fiction. Like most of Doyle’s other stories, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha is set in the fictional Barrytown.

Photo credit: Roddy Doyle in the festival garden at Haus der Berliner Festspiele on September 14th, 2015, during his participation in the Children´s and Young Adult Program of the 15th International Literature Festival, Berlin: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roddy_Doyle
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8th May 1958

Roddy Doyle born

Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin to middle-class parents.
1980

Became a teacher

Doyle taught English and Geography for 14 years in north Dublin.
1987

Married Belinda Moller

Moller is the granddaughter of the former Irish president Erskine Childers. The couple have three children.
1987

The Commitments published

Doyle’s first published work, The Commitments, is the first novel in what became The Barrytown Trilogy. Like much of Doyle’s work, it is set in Ireland and centres around a group of Irish teenagers. Notable for his masterful use of references to popular culture, as well as his authentic use of slang, Doyle’s work is unusual in its reliance on dialogue rather than description or narration. He says, ‘I see people in terms of dialogue and I believe that people are their talk’ and ‘The best way to reveal a character is to get them to open their mouth’.
1991

The Commitments film adaptation

Doyle adapted The Commitments as a film, and won the BAFTA award for the Best Adapted Screenplay. The novel has also been adapted as a musical, debuting in the West End in 2013.

Watch the trailer for the musical here: The Commitments (Musical) - Official Trailer 2014

1993

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha published and won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction

Set in Dublin in 1968, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha centres around what life is like for a working-class 10-year-old. It was well received and earned Doyle the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Doyle became a full-time writer after this.
2001

Yeats is Dead!

Doyle was one of 15 Irish writers to contribute to the serial mystery novel Yeats is Dead! The proceeds from the work went to Amnesty International.
2009

Opened a creative writing centre

Doyle established the centre in Dublin with Sean Love. The centre is called ‘Fighting Words’.

Visit the website here

2017

Doyle’s latest book, Smile, published