French flair! Longford author’s new book in bookshops throughout France
Noel Monahan’s new book, “Les Russes Arrivent” (“The Russians are Coming”) is a book of magic and chance
Noel Monahan’s new book, “Les Russes Arrivent” (“The Russians are Coming”) is a book of magic and chance, and a demonstration of how words can capture the imagination and interest of people overseas.
This beautiful book has collected some of Noel’s works and placed it alongside a French translation, adding to the unity of language and intrigue in how poems look when placed side-by-side.
“The Russians are Coming” relates to the element of chance from a poem that Noel happened to write, all related to Granard, retrieving from the days of childhood going to national school, praying for the conversion of Russia.
However, it is about the imagination of a child who thought that Granard could use a shake-up, like waiting for snow to arrive.
“Russia invaded Hungary and Budapest in 1956, and a lot of refugees came from Hungary to Ireland,” reminisced Noel.
“That was a big item of news at the time. I, as a child, prayed the conversion of Russia while wondering if it’d be bad if the Russians did arrive.
“There were tanks and guns which were different from at home. That’s the magic of it.
“A reader today will wonder and see it from a more political point-of-view.”
Yet, Noel acknowledges that poetry has its own freedom. A poem that can be casually written becomes “independent and has its own rights,” he says.
The centre poem, “The Russians are Coming” was written in Cavan, and published in 1995 in his second collection called “Snowfire”.
It captured the intrigue of Emmanuel Malherbert, a great poet and also a scholar.
“He liked what he was reading. The element of chance that your poem becomes bigger than yourself.
“It leaves the Longford, Cavan area and journeys to France, and gets translated.
“Leaving an island like Ireland, and it is now on sale in the French bookshops throughout France, which is great. Emmanuel Malherbert has translated many writers, great writers.
“I’m chuffed that I’m amongst all these great people.”
Noel is yet to meet Emmanuel, but it became known that he was working on translations for a possible collection.
He found out about the collection’s publication on November 20, 2025 two weeks beforehand. Calling it a wonderful surprise, and that Salmon Poetry (Noel’s usual publishing house) approving of it, Noel once again related to the theme of chance. Previously in his writing career and when he was a teacher, a poem of his came up in the Leaving Certificate.
“French teachers could be interested in County Longford and Cavan and it’s about the counties, and it’s in French. It’s well-written and gives a good biography and assessment of my work,” he remarked about his new book.
“The French language is so musical. I think some of them work better in French. English has that rough, continental touch at times!”
Recounting the words of poet Paul Celan that it was a “message in a bottle” (regarding chance on how this achievement happened), Noel’s work now sits in French bookshops.
A search of the publisher, Alidades, the book’s name and Noel’s has the book’s whereabouts listed for those who are interested in searching for it.
With the cover having a photo of old Granard, and with many poems relating to the town, this book has brought a piece of Longford into mainland Europe, for different audiences to read and enjoy.
Noel hopes, although unconfirmed, to go to Paris and do a reading there in the Centre Cultural Irlandais.