Binding: Paperback
Date Published: 22 Aug 2026
Halcyon Day is a collection of seven short stories inspired by life on Ireland's wild Atlantic coast and the author's American roots.
Drawing on real experiences gathered in West Clare (colored by her unique perspective of American life), the author brings to life a world shaped by music, song, community and humor. An American who settled in Ireland in the late 1970s, she became immersed in local culture, married a sean-nós singer, and continues to live in the same cottage by the shore.
The short stories are all written by Jane Flynn, who lives outside Miltown. Remarkably, Jane is 86 years young, and this is her first book, although several of her stories have been published over the years in other collections. She is the wife of the late Mick Flynn, who was well known locally in sean nós circles, and passed away 12 years ago.
Most of the stories in ‘Halcyon Day’ depict a way of life in West Clare in the late 1970s and 1980s, and reveal her unique perspective of life at the time, with her keen eye for detail and love of the absurd.
The stories are for the most part based in the towns and landscapes of the region, and illuminate the happenings of various characters and outsiders whose worlds merge unexpectedly and hilariously. While she writes about Irish country life, she is not sentimental nor afraid to reflect its more unsavoury aspects.
The result is ‘Halcyon Day’ featuring stories written by a natural storyteller who precisely portrays the essence of West Clare with a genuine warmth and appreciation, revealing the distinctive language of its people and the rhythm of everyday life. And all the while, she honestly observes the ordinary with a sense of humour. Indeed, some of the stories draw on the writer’s own experiences after leaving America to settle in Miltown and marry into the rich musical culture of Clare. Sharon Dolan D'Arcy- The Clare Champion. Visit Sharon's wonderful interivew with Jane at: https://clarechampion.ie/a-gift-for-writing-an-eye-for-detail/
The title of the collection takes its name from ‘Halcyon Day’ her most personal story because it is about her and Mick. In fact she dedicates the book to her beloved husband “whose songs and companionship filled so many halcyon days.