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Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?
- Narrated by: Seamas O'Reilly
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
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Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?
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Summary
The Irish Times number one best seller
An Post Biography of the Year
Séamas O'Reilly's mother died when he was five, leaving him, his 10 brothers and sisters and their beloved father in their sprawling bungalow in rural Derry. It was the 1990s; the Troubles were a background rumble (most of the time), and Séamas, at that point, was more preoccupied with dinosaurs, Star Wars and the actual location of heaven than the political climate.
Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? is a book about a family of argumentative, loud, musical, sarcastic, grief-stricken siblings, shepherded into adulthood by a man whose foibles and reticence were matched only by his love for his children and his determination that they would flourish. It is the moving, often amusing and completely unsentimental story of a boy growing up in a family bonded by love, loss and fairly relentless mockery.
Critic reviews
"A gorgeous memoir." (Pandora Sykes)
"Tender, sad and side-splittingly funny." (Annie MacManus)
"A heartfelt tribute to an alarmingly large family held together by a quietly heroic father." (Arthur Mathews, co-creator of Father Ted and Toast of London)
What listeners say about Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 22-07-21
Brillant wit
This book is full of laughter. I’m very honoured to know Seamas & know his story xxx
Caraiosa
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-08-21
A truly heartwarming book which was exactly what I needed.
Wonderful book.I laughed cried and Was uplifted in a dark time which is such a gift At the moment. Loved every minute of this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eoin
- 26-09-21
Very funny
Really enjoyed listening to the book - initially I thought that the deadpan voice of the author was a bit odd, especially considering the subject, but later you warm to it, and later to find that it really adds to listen.
Seamus is really funny - There are so many great memories and anecdotes all intertwined with wonderful observational humor. Highly recommend this audiobook.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark O'Dwyer
- 25-09-21
Hilarious & sad in equal measure, brilliant book.
The incredible story of losing a parent when you're barely old enough to comprehend it, the madcap adventures of a single parent, 11 child, house.
Finally, the latent grief that can accompany such a huge loss. This book was a beautiful listen and I will buy the written version in order to take in the excellent language and writing style.
To use a cliche, this was an emotional roller-coaster, one which was thoroughly enjoyable.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patrick James McClay
- 06-10-22
Derry accent
Yes, it does go fast, so the audio book is probably only recommended for people who can follow a Derry accent. Other than that, brilliant, though probably best appreciated by people with some knowledge of the city's history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MAR
- 27-01-22
A BEAUTIFUL BOOK
This is a beautiful book that I thoroughly enjoyed. A moving and humorous book. Thank you.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 12-06-22
Brilliant story, quickly told!
Set the speed in the app to .8 speed. This is just perfect for me. At that speed, it gives me time to think, as I was listening, trying to picture the beautiful and tragic words.
I came to the story from the Guardian, so I’m thankful for that.
The Irish have a tremendous way of telling stories. You just want to keep listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mh7474
- 07-04-23
Loved this.
Loved this. Laughed out loud throughout my listening and frequently frightened the dogs out in the middle of nowhere. Brilliant fun. Though from a different generation I recognise so much in the rural Irish childhood.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Helly46
- 16-10-23
A breathtaking listen - moving and hilarious.
What an extraordinary and beautiful account of the author's life after loss of his mother as a very young child. The background of Northern Ireland is ever present but does not dominate. Instead, the figure of a benign, quirky, ever loving, impossibly capable father holding his huge family together in the face of grief, is the glue and centre of the story. It is deftly written and I laughed out loud countless times at O'Reilly's anecdotes of his childhood. Amid the laughter and tragedy there is simple, honest self reflection, and the acknowledgements at the end really finished me off. I wanted more. Wonderful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Julie
- 02-08-21
Such a good book.
I loved this book, it is written from the heart. I think when you have such a big loss as a child you cling to those who are left. Your Dad is an true inspiration. You all had your own grief to deal with & yet got on as a family too. Sad about the troubles you went through also. And the cows. Humor as well as heartbreak. From someone who lost both parent before I was 12yrs, I felt some of your pain. Thank you for actually talking about when life is over.
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