O'Mahony's Booksellers Tralee

07/12/2025

07/12/2025

Thanks to Bryan McMahon who called to see us and signed copies of his book “Calamity & Controversy: The Famine Years in Di**le & West Kerry”

04/12/2025

In eighty short essays, historians, folklorists, archaeologists, theologians, anthropologists, poets, novelists, artists, literature scholars, and educationalists cast light on the lived experience of children in Ireland over the past 1,500 years. Ranging from the scholarly to the deeply personal, with vignettes from nearly every county in Ireland, this anthology will delight anyone interested in the social, cultural, and religious history of childhood in Ireland from the earliest times to the present day.

04/12/2025

Grieving his father’s sudden passing, a film scholar and father of two boys finds solace in the picturesque idyll of Ireland’s East Clare region, where he discovers and adopts an enigmatic border collie from an abandoned farm.

What is the essence of a sheepdog? As much a part of Ireland’s traditional and rural life as the countryside itself, working animals are known to be incredibly smart, loyal, with distinct personalities. Dara Waldron’s memoir about the wandering border collie he adopted the year after his father died is both an animal rescue story and a deep reflection on place, with a happy ending. To make a family pet of Oscar, Waldron enacts the daily ritual of walking the rugged hills and rivers of Ireland’s woodlands in its intemperate weather-rain, sleet, and snow. Oscar’s instinct, as a sheepdog, is to run away and return to his handler. Testing the limits of Waldron’s tolerance and trying his fragile trust, days with Oscar are defined by the author’s attempts to process his grief. Slowly it seeps into his consciousness: Oscar is asking him to understand a creature who lives for another, who will always return.
In lyrical description of Ireland’s mystical landscape, along with meditations on art, philosophy, and animal rights, this exquisitely wrought memoir about one man and his dog experiencing a symbiotic calling foregrounds the healing terrain of nature, and the true purpose and breadth of life.

Illustrated throughout with black and white stills in a cinema verite style.

04/12/2025

We are open on Sunday next the 7th December from 1pm to 5pm to help you find those special Christmas gifts.

04/12/2025

Go raibh míle maith agat.

01/12/2025

We were honoured to welcome Minister to O’Mahony’s Booksellers Tralee on Friday evening for the launch of From Bullets to Ballots.

The Minister paid a warm tribute to Owen’s remarkable talent and to the family influence that shaped his love of history. She also praised Kerry County Library and Tommy O’Connor for their free books initiative, which has already benefited over 1,000 children in Kerry.

Minister Foley spoke in depth about From Bullets to Ballots, offering a characteristically thoughtful and engaging review that left listeners eager to read more. She described the book as a comprehensive study of post-Civil War politics, its challenges, its shifts, and the resilience of the parties involved. What she found most heartening in the book was its emphasis on democracy. There is a quiet, determined consensus across parties to prioritise peace and unity. She recalled the colour of Kerry politics: church-gate speeches, lively rallies, and an electorate looking forward rather than back. Despite the devastation, people still sought the best outcome for their communities. She closed with Brendan Kennelly’s reminder that “something that will not acknowledge conclusion insists that we forever begin.” Kerry, she said, chose to begin again and continues to do so.

Owen reflected on launching his first book here in 2011, thanked Minister Foley, Professor Maurice Brick, remembered the late Jim Finucane, and acknowledged his friend Michael O’Regan. He spoke with passion about local history and the importance of supporting local bookshops that support local writers.

Our sincere thanks to Minister Foley, Councillor Ann O’Sullivan, Owen O’Shea, Bridget McAuliffe, Kate from and everyone who joined us for an uplifting evening. Signed copies available

24/11/2025

Thank you Radio Kerry

This Christmas, let’s keep Kerry thriving.
Every euro you spend locally — in-store or online — helps support jobs, families, and communities right here at home.

From the small shops on our main streets to the brilliant Kerry businesses selling online, your support matters more than you know.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be broadcasting from towns across the county, shining a light on the makers, retailers, creators, and local legends who make Kerry special.

Shop Local in Kerry this Christmas.
It starts with all of us.

24/11/2025

We at O’Mahony’s Booksellers, Tralee, were honoured to be invited by Bridget McAuliffe and Mary McAuliffe to sell The Civil War and Beyond at its Kerry launch last Friday night.
The launch took place in the a superb historical setting in the heart of Tralee. Minister for Children, Disability & Equality, Norma Foley, officially launched the book, describing it as an essential work that encourages reflection on our shared history.
She praised the depth of research, noting the book’s in depth examination of the Civil War in Kerry and its lasting consequences. She highlighted the stark realities uncovered: over 160 combat deaths in the county, rising to more than 200 when those lost to wounds or imprisonment are included, along with newly documented events brought to light through the conference research.
Minister Foley also emphasised the book’s honest portrayal of the horrors of war and its powerful recognition of women’s experiences ,their involvement, suffering, imprisonment, workplace discrimination, and the long trauma that followed. Drawing on Virginia Woolf, she noted how this book restores visibility to women often left unnamed in history.
She spoke of the wider trauma endured on all sides, recalling Martin Luther King’s reminder that forgiveness is an ongoing act, and encouraged us to learn from the past as we move forward.
Minister Foley gave a thoughtful and engaging review and encouraged everyone to read this important book.