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Rebecca Murphy - writer

@rebeccam_ire

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Bestselling author. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
Cork exile enjoying the quiet life in Wicklow.
My debut novel “Blood and Water” out now with Mercier Press!

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Bit of a wild couple of weeks (and I couldn’t tell anyone! ) but my manuscript Blood and Water won the @rtetoday @mercierpressbooks competition - beating 600 entrants, and will be published in April 2026.

Thanks so much to everyone from Mercier and Rte Cork for this amazing opportunity! Pre order from Mercier is available now, other retailers soon! I’ll add links in my bio :). #writing #books #irishbooks #bookstagram #irishbookstagram by @rebeccam_ire

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a year ago

I was thinking about International Lesbian Day, and what this little weird lesbian teenager would think about it; that it even existed at all; that she’d celebrate 2026 International Lesbian Day with her wife and her little gay family, a few months after publishing her little lesbian novel, and looking forward to more adventures in the months to come. At the very least she’d have burst into tears and wrote a very intense emotional poem about it. Plus ça change.

Happy International Lesbian Day to all the lesbians, old and young. How lucky are we to have each other ❤️🏳️‍🌈 by @rebeccam_ire

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10 days ago

Had a gorgeous evening with @dublinfrontrunners book club (and Teddy the dog) last night, answering questions about writing the book, the characters, the spicy bits 😅 thanks so much for having me. I love book clubs and chatting about writing so what a perfect combination.

@mercierpressbooks by @rebeccam_ire

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a month ago

SO excited to be part of @redlinefest and sitting down with @jenniferbrayinsta to chat about being a debut novelist, with the lovely @nursefancypants being our trusty interviewer!

Date: Friday 16th October
Time: 6:45pm
Venue: Civic Theatre Studio Space, Tallaght

Tickets available at the link in my bio, and check out the full festival programme, it’s fantastic!

@mercierpressbooks by @rebeccam_ire

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a month ago

7 years since singin’ in the rain on our wedding day. I don’t know how I got so lucky with such a wonderful wife. ❤️ by @rebeccam_ire

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2 months ago

A big thank you to everyone who came to the Pages of Pride event @dubraybooks this Thursday 🌈🏳️‍⚧️

It felt incredible to bring Neuroqueer to Cork as an author from Cork. I’m beyond proud. Thank you to @caoimheisme.books @dubraybooks and @mercierpressbooks for the opportunity to chat about all things fan fiction, d!d0s and writing. Also, wonderful to chat with @rebeccam_ire especially as we touched on Buffy fan fiction!!

The next Neuroqueer event will be @paperxclipsbooks in Belfast in October. 🍸 by @rebeccam_ire

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3 months ago

✏️Susan arrives on Dune Island with a plan, settle her late uncle’s estate, sign the papers, and leave within a week. The inheritance is simple, a weathered cottage, a small distillery, a stubborn dog named Walter. Nothing to linger for.

✏️Except Susan isn’t just there to close a chapter. She’s running, from Jen, from a loss she cannot yet name, and from a life that has quietly unravelled.

✏️But Dune Island does not let people pass through untouched.

✏️Cut off on the edge of the Wild Atlantic Way, where the ferry runs on Mick’s time and every glance carries a question, Susan begins to uncover what her uncle Frank left behind, not just property, but a lifetime of silence. And the longer she stays, the more the island reveals, buried stories, unspoken grief, a family history shaped as much by what was hidden as by what was known.

✏️And as the past begins to surface, Susan must confront the truths she came to escape.

✏️She came to Dune Island to be alone. The island had other ideas.

✏️Blood and Water is a haunting, beautifully observed novel about identity, inheritance, and the quiet devastations that echo through generations. With warmth, wit, and emotional precision, Rebecca Murphy introduces a striking new voice in fiction, one that lingers long after the final page.

✏️A debut novel about a marriage broken by grief, a West Cork island, and the family secrets waiting at the end of the road. For readers of Anne Enright and Maggie O’Farrell.

#irelandbookclub #fiction #irishliterature #irishauthors #bookreadingcommunity booklover booksbooksbooks bookstagram bookstagrammer bookworm bookreader bookstoread books readwithme readingcommunityr bookreadingcommunity bookclub irelandbookclub bookclubofinstagram bookrecommendations fictionbooks irishauthors Ireland dublin booksbasedinireland booksireland bookrecs by @rebeccam_ire

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3 months ago

Thanks so much to @image.ie for this interview where I got chance to talk about my favourite writers, my favourite bookshops and just better generally about writing ❤️ the link to read is in my bio under linktree.
@mercierpressbooks by @rebeccam_ire

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3 months ago

Cork friends and those who love Cork (so, everyone)!

Cork Pride is coming up and I’m excited to be sitting down with my fellow @mercierpressbooks author @cjdebarra in @dubraybooks Cork to discuss our books, pride, and I’m sure plenty of other interesting topics.

Thursday 30th July
6pm
Dubray Cork

It’s free but you can book your ticket either via the link in my bio or through Eventbrite.ie

Would love to see you there! by @rebeccam_ire

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3 months ago

Do we really need the supernatural when everyday life is already so fascinating?

In this episode, @rebeccam_ire explains why she is drawn to the elevation of ordinary life. Influenced by classic Irish storytellers like Donal Ryan and Maeve Binchy, Rebecca believes that ordinary people's lives are already bursting with richness, heartbreak, joy, and loss - no ghosts or magic required!

From chatty encounters while canvassing to observing everyday moments in Cork, Rebecca reminds us that there is endless magic hidden directly within the mundane.

Listen to or watch the full episode via our website (https://corkcreative.ie/rebecca-murphy/) or wherever you get your podcasts to find out how she elevates these everyday stories in Blood & Water.

@mercierpressbooks
#CorkCreative #Storytelling #MaeveBinchy #EverydayMagic #IrishLiterature #CorkLife #fluxlearn by @rebeccam_ire

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3 months ago

"Maybe now isn't the time for you to be writing this book. Maybe you just need to step away and look after yourself." 🤍

In this clip, novelist @rebeccam_ire opens up about the four-year journey of drafting Blood & Water. Translating vulnerable, real-life experiences into fiction isn't a straight line. It requires a delicate dance between pushing your boundaries and knowing exactly when to step back.

Rebecca shares how a balance of self-compassion, private editing feedback, and a trusted circle of writer friends allowed her to turn a place of pain and grief into something deeply positive and cathartic.

Catch the full, honest conversation on creative resilience at https://corkcreative.ie/rebecca-murphy/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

@mercierpressbooks
#CorkCreative #CreativeMindset #SelfCompassion #WritingCommunity #IrishAuthors #fluxlearn by @rebeccam_ire

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4 months ago

Go on, admit it - how many times have you put off a creative project because "the timing wasn’t perfect"?

This week on the Cork Creative Podcast, we are joined by the Cork-born novelist @rebeccam_ire , whose debut novel Blood & Water is out now with the iconic @mercierpressbooks . After winning the @rtetoday Novel Competition, Rebecca sat down with us to chat about everything from studying drama at @universitycollegecork to the realities of balancing a full-time job with a dedicated writing craft.

Here are 3 key takeaways from our chat:

⏰ Ditch the 'Perfect Moment': Rebecca shares that waiting for the perfect office or cosy nook is a trap. Finding even 10 or 15 minutes a day keeps the momentum alive.

🔃 The Power of Dual Timelines: Discover how she mapped out the emotional and chronological links between her main character, Susan, and the heartbreaking backstory of Uncle Frank.

🏞 Rooted in West Cork: Hear how the dramatic, rugged landscape of a fictional West Cork island acts as a beautiful - and sometimes beautifully annoying - juxtaposition to the internal turmoil of her characters.

👉 Ready to get inspired and dust off your own creative ideas? Listen to or watch the full episode now via our website:https://corkcreative.ie/rebecca-murphy/
or wherever you get your podcasts.

#CorkCreative #CorkBusiness #IrishWriters #BloodAndWater #MercierPress #UCCAlumni #fluxlearn by @rebeccam_ire

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4 months ago