‘A wonderful novel about what history has done to Ireland, and what Ireland has done to history. The triumph is that it is not only deeply intelligent and self-aware, but also entertaining from the first page to the last.’ Hilary Mantel

‘With this one novel Darran McCann succeeds where many writers over an entire career fail, laying claim to a terrain entirely his own. Spread the word, Darran McCann has arrived.’ Glenn Patterson

‘Darran McCann drags Irish history out of the door by the hair. For the first time we see the Catholic church being taken on, not with a rear-view smugness but where it matters in an Ireland where power is changing hands. This is a compelling story of a people attempting to liberate themselves from authority.’ Hugo Hamilton

‘”After The Lockout” is a wholly original, vigorous and insightful piece of writing. It recreates an era and its exigencies with robustness and aplomb’ Patricia Craig, TLS

‘[”After the Lockout”] has an enemy in its sights and it goes for that enemy, though without becoming shrill or impugning the humanity of the clerical characters. Not enough first books have attitude, but this one definitely does, and that’s rather wonderful.’ Irish Times