A Conspiracy of Lies

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What to expect

'A propulsive and gripping political thriller hewn from one of The Trouble's darkest days, Connolly skilfully blends fact and fiction to arrive at something that feels blazingly true. A blistering read.' —Noel O'Regan

' An essential and disturbing novel that describes the bombing of Dublin 50 years ago with insights into the ensuing cover-up'

—Christy Moore  

'This is a vivid and absorbing fictional account of one of the darkest days ever visited on Ireland's capital city' —Justine McCarthy  

'A tender love story of two young Dubliners trying to survive the danger of the terrible political truths they uncover' —Theo Dorgan

 

Three bombs shook Dublin in May 1974.

Angie and Joe meet in the wake of the single worst atrocity of the Troubles. Brought together by the effect of the bombings on their lives, these two young people set out to discover who is responsible, facing confrontation with dark forces in Irish and British society. As Angie and Joe navigate the aftermath of the bombings, their journey leads them deep into the underbelly of 1970s Dublin, a time and place rife with cultural and political turmoil. Together, they vow to uncover the culprits behind the city's worst atrocity. Their investigation draws them into the shocking political and criminal landscape surrounding those in high places with the blood of innocents on their hands. The more they discover, the deeper they become involved in a world they don't understand—and the consequences could be devastating.

Critics Review

A Conspiracy Of Lies offers romance against a background of bombings. Both Joe and Angie are scarred by the events, and Angie’s mother is virtually blinded by one bomb. Joe narrowly misses being blown up by another.

Both eventually get jobs in a Dublin restaurant where they chance upon information which points to the identity of the bombers and their accomplices. Their efforts to pursue the matter bring them into conflict with various institutions.

In a vividly realized scene, Joe is beaten up by the police. The villain is a corrupt cabinet minister who has taken a bribe from an oil company and is in cahoots with British intelligence agents, who are complicit in the bombings. Angie is arrested and charged with a serious offence. Facing a long prison sentence, she is spirited out of court by her supporters, ultimately reunited with Joe on the continent where the story ends.

A Shakespearean comedy ends with a wedding, signalling the renewal of society. The wedding of Joe and Angie is not meant to signal the renewal of Irish society, however, which is portrayed as corrupt, incompetent, divided, treacherous, dishonest, cowardly and incapable of dealing with a crisis like the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. Instead it signals the survival of Joe and Angie, radicals who might be able to come up with a response.

Frank Connolly’s book is a carefully crafted, brave and challenging work which I think will feature on Irish Studies courses for some time to come.

Review: Frank Connolly's A Conspiracy of Lies

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