The Girl Who Loved Me Without Ever Saying It
I met Niamh in the queue outside a tiny café near Dublin Castle, both of us pretending the rain was only a passing thing when it had clearly settled in for the…
The Night I Gave Back His Key
I kept his key on my ring for eleven months after he left. It was a small brass thing, warmer in colour than the others, cut for a red door in Stoneybatter…
Give Me 100
He said it outside The Long Hall on a wet Thursday evening, with rain shining on the red paint of the pub and the buses hissing past like tired animals. “Give me…
The Night I Learned Love Could Wait at Connolly Station
I used to think love announced itself with certainty. A look across a room, a hand reached out at exactly the right moment, music rising somewhere in the background. By thirty-nine, I…
Sometimes the Right Goodbye Is the Greatest Act of Love
I met Niamh on a wet Tuesday evening outside Whelan’s, both of us pretending we didn’t mind the rain while waiting for the same late friend. She had a yellow scarf, the…
Our Story Began With Attraction but Ended With Respect
I met Niamh on a wet Thursday evening outside Whelan’s, both of us pretending the rain was not getting through our coats. She was laughing at something her friend had said, head…
The Person I Loved Most Never Loved Me Back
I met Clara on a wet Tuesday outside the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield, both of us standing under the same narrow awning, pretending the rain would give up before we did. She…
I Lost My Marriage One Small Lie at a Time
The first lie was so small I hardly noticed it leaving my mouth. Aoife asked me if I had paid the electricity bill, and I said yes while buttering toast in our…
She Walked Out Without Taking Anything Except My Peace
She left on a Tuesday morning, which felt almost insulting because Tuesdays are too ordinary for endings. There was no thunder, no smashed glass, no dramatic shouting that neighbours in our Portobello…
The One Person I Could Never Forget Was Never Mine
I met Niamh on a wet Tuesday evening outside the Abbey Theatre, when the rain was coming down sideways and everyone on Abbey Street seemed to be personally offended by the weather.…