Ceas an Chait

Funny and entertaining

A cat has nine lives (and nine deaths), according to tradition, and this beautiful, cute picture book contains nine short chapters and a conclusion; nine fateful adventures in the cat’s life, each one funnier and more entertaining than the previous one.

Ecellently written

Set in a largely rural setting, the prose is concise but nevertheless rich in language in the short sentences. It is this richness of expression and writing that impressed one of the judges of the Oireachtas Literature Competition who said: “It’s a long time since I’ve read writing as good as this. It is absolutely excellent.… This book should be published without delay so that it can be a handbook for every aspiring writer.”

Beautiful illustrations provide additional insight

To conclude the stories, there is a piece of verse in the tradition of the ‘amhrán’. And if that’s not enough, there are beautiful illustrations throughout the book that provide a visual artist’s additional insight into the written word.

The original version of this work won a prize at the 2011 Oireachtas na Gaeilge Literary Competition.

Labhrás Finneadha, who was raised in an Spidéal, County Galway, currently lives on the continent, This is the third publication from his pen, and the second collection of stories

Asarlaíocht, Gorta agus Teamplóirí (Sorcery, Famine and Templars) was published in 2013, and in 2015, his first book of short stories, Íbíotsa, was published, depicting the small incidents of life of the island’s hidden community.