Fall Guy

Religious belief and religious practice, the blindness of absolute faith, and, in its many and various incarnations, the fall from grace - all find their way into the latest collection of poems by Cork-born Gerry Murphy, a poet of wit and irreverence whose stunning frame of reference (from world classics, to history and politics, to the work of his fellow poets) masks a shallow, smart-alecky, throwaway cynicism (Eh, hang on, maybe that should be the other way around - Ed.) Fall Guy, as perhaps all poetry books should, ends with a nod to Beckett and starts with a bang on the head."Murphy's hilarious existential angst seems more relevant than ever during lockdown."-Martina Evans, The Irish Times"... a thrilling and provocative master of poetic monologue and social commentary." - Thomas McCarthy"... a great maverick genius of a poet." - Brendan O'Connor, Sunday Independent