Photo of Roddy Doyle
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Roddy Doyle

b. 1958

2 series 11 books in order 4 standalone books

Roddy Doyle is an Irish novelist, dramatist, and screenwriter, the author of eleven novels for adults, eight books for children, seven plays and screenplays, and dozens of short stories. His work is set primarily in Ireland, especially working-class Dublin, and is notable for its heavy use of dialogue written in slang and Irish English dialect. He was awarded the Booker Prize in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, and several of his books have been made into films, beginning with The Commitments in 1991.

Born
1958
Known for
The Barrytown Trilogy, The Last Roundup

Series by Roddy Doyle

The Barrytown Trilogy

4 books in order · 1987–1995

  1. Cover of The Commitments

    The Commitments

    1987 · Roddy Doyle

    The Commitments (1987) is a novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle. It is the first book in the Barrytown Trilogy. The story follows a group of unemployed…

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  2. Cover of The Snapper

    The Snapper

    1990 · Roddy Doyle

    The Snapper (1990) is a novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle and the second book in The Barrytown Trilogy. It is set in Ireland and focuses on the lives…

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  3. Cover of The Van

    The Van

    1991 · Roddy Doyle

    The Van is a 1991 novel by Roddy Doyle and the third book in The Barrytown Trilogy. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1991.

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  4. Cover of The Barrytown Trilogy

    The Barrytown Trilogy

    1995 · Roddy Doyle

    A trio of comic novels by Roddy Doyle depicting the daily life of the working-class Rabbitte family in Dublin. The Commitments follows aspiring…

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The Last Roundup

3 books in order · 1999–2010

  1. Cover of A star called Henry

    A star called Henry

    1999 · Roddy Doyle

    Roddy Doyle's novel follows Henry Smart, born in the Dublin slums in 1901. His father is a one-legged man who works as a bouncer and enforcer in a…

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  2. Cover of Oh, Play That Thing (Jack Crossman Adventures)

    Oh, Play That Thing (Jack Crossman Adventures)

    2004 · Roddy Doyle

    The second book in Roddy Doyle's trilogy about Henry Smart continues his story in 1924 as he flees Dublin and finds himself in New York. There, he…

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  3. Cover of The Dead Republic

    The Dead Republic

    2010 · Roddy Doyle

    The Dead Republic is the final novel in Roddy Doyle's trilogy featuring Henry Smart, an Irish rebel who returns to Ireland in 1951 after a stint in…

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of The Guts

    The Guts

    2013

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  2. Cover of Paula Spencer

    Paula Spencer

    2006

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  3. Cover of Rory and Ita

    Rory and Ita

    2002

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  4. Cover of The woman who walked into doors

    The woman who walked into doors

    1996

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Roddy Doyle written?

We list 11 books by Roddy Doyle across 2 series, published between 1987–2013 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Roddy Doyle's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “The Barrytown Trilogy.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Roddy Doyle's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.

Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.