Ross O'Carroll-Kelly

Last updated

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
RossOCarroll Statue.jpg
Statue of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Easons Headquarters, O'Connell Street, Dublin
First appearance Sunday Tribune column, January 1998
Created by Paul Howard
GenreHumour
Publisher Sunday Tribune , The O'Brien Press, Penguin Books, The Irish Times
Media typepaperback, audiobook, newspaper column, stage play
In-universe information
GenderMale
OccupationStudent, estate agent, rugby coach, reality TV star, biomedical waste disposal, mobile paper shredder operator
Family List of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly characters
SpouseSorcha Eidemar Françoise O'Carroll-Kelly (née Lalor)
ChildrenRonan Masters, Honor O'Carroll-Kelly, Brian O'Carroll-Kelly, Jonathan O'Carroll-Kelly, Leo O'Carroll-Kelly
Relatives
  • Charles O'Carroll-Kelly (father)
  • Fionnuala O'Carroll-Kelly (mother)
  • Erika Joseph (half-sister)
  • Rihanna-Brogan Masters (granddaughter)
Religion Lapsed Catholic
NationalityIrish

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly is a satirical fictional Irish character, a wealthy South County Dublin rugby union jock created by journalist Paul Howard. [1] [2] The character first appeared in a January 1998 column in the Sunday Tribune newspaper and later transferred to The Irish Times . The series comprises twenty-one novels, three plays, a CD, two other books, a weekly podcast, and the newspaper column, as of 2023. [2]

Contents

Works in the series

[3]

MediumTitleReleasePlot
Newspaper columnRoss O'Carroll-Kelly Sunday Tribune , January 1998 – July 2007The life and loves of Ross
The Irish Times , 1 September 2007 – present
Novel The Miseducation of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
(revised edition titled The Miseducation Years)		 Sunday Tribune , 2000Ross's last two years at Castlerock College and his Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup victory
Novel Roysh Here, Roysh Now… The Teenage Dirtbag Years
(revised edition titled The Teenage Dirtbag Years)		 Sunday Tribune , 2001Ross's first year at UCD and holiday in the US
Novel The Orange Mocha-Chip Frappuccino Years The O'Brien Press, March 2003Ross's parents force him to fend for himself as an estate agent
Novel PS, I Scored the Bridesmaids The O'Brien Press, April 2005Ross and Sorcha get married
Spoken-word album The Twelve Days of Christmas Magpie Productions Ltd, November 2005A comedy album about the lead-up to Ross's Christmas
Novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress Penguin Books, June 2006Ross discovers that he is a father
Novel Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade Penguin Books, May 2007Sorcha falls pregnant
Play The Last Days of the Celtic Tiger Premiered at the Olympia Theatre, November 2007Plot is similar to that of This Champagne Mojito Is The Last Thing I Own
Mock travel guide Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's Guide to (South) Dublin: How To Get By On, Like, €10,000 A Day Penguin Books, May 2008A mock-travel guide to "SoCoDu."
Novel This Champagne Mojito Is the Last Thing I Own Penguin Books, June 2008Ross's father is imprisoned and his assets seized.
Novel Mr S and the Secrets of Andorra's Box Penguin Books, October 2008Ross becomes coach of the Andorra national rugby union team.
CompilationRoss O'Carroll-Kelly and the Temple of AcademePenguin Books, February 2009Contains The Miseducation Years and The Teenage Dirtbag Years
Book of mock-interviews We Need to Talk About Ross Penguin Books, June 2009A book of mock-interviews in which characters from the series discuss the protagonist.
Novel Rhino What You Did Last Summer Penguin Books, September 2009Ross goes Stateside to win Sorcha back. While there, he ends up starring in a reality TV show.
Novel The Oh My God Delusion Penguin Books, 7 October 2010 [4] [5] Ross faces genuine poverty as the Irish economy nosedives.
Play Between Foxrock and a Hard Place Premiered at the Olympia Theatre, 15 October 2010 [6] Ross's parents sell their house, and the O'Carroll-Kelly family fall victim to a tiger kidnapping.
Novel NAMA Mia! Penguin Books, 6 October 2011Ross sees a turning point in the recession, for himself at least.
Novel The Shelbourne Ultimatum Penguin Books, 27 September 2012Ross refuses to change his ways, while all around him are affected by the Recession.
Novel Downturn Abbey Penguin Books, 26 September 2013Ross becomes a grandfather; Honor shows she's Ross's daughter.
Play Breaking Dad Premiered at the Gaiety Theatre, 25 April 2014 [7] The year 2022. Ross is horrified upon meeting Honor's new boyfriend, who is very similar to a young Ross.
Novel Keeping Up with the Kalashnikovs Penguin Books, 11 September 2014Sorcha is pregnant again and Ross must come to Fionn's rescue.
Novel Seedless in Seattle Penguin Books, 15 September 2015Ross is forced to get neutered.
Novel Game of Throw-ins Penguin Books, 8 September 2016Ross plays for a struggling Seapoint rugby team.
Novel Operation Trumpsformation Penguin Books, 21 September 2017Charles aims to emulate Donald Trump; the triplets take up soccer.
Play Postcards from the Ledge Premiered at the Gaiety Theatre, 25 October 2017 [8] In 2029, Ross revisits his childhood home and old memories.
Novel Dancing with the Tsars Penguin Books, 13 September 2018Ross and Honor aim to win a dance contest.
Novel Schmidt Happens Penguin Books, 9 September 2019Ross is unexpectedly contacted by the national team coach.
Novel Braywatch Sandycove, 3 September 2020Ross is hired to coach a school in Bray.
Compilation RO'CK of Ages Sandycove, 1 April 2021Compilation of Irish Times columns, 2007 to 2020.
Novel Normal Sheeple Sandycove, 19 August 2021Honor goes to the Gaeltacht; Ross takes up Gaelic football; Charles as Taoiseach attempts to seize even more power.
Novel Once Upon a Time in… Donnybrook Sandycove, 1 September 2022Ross becomes manager of the Ireland women's rugby team.
Novel Camino Royale Sandycove, 17 August 2023Ross and his rugby teammates walk the Camino de Santiago; Sorcha wants a divorce; Sorcha's sister may be pregnant with Ross' baby.
Novel Don't Look Back in Ongar Sandycove, 29 August 2024Ross returns from the Camino with Sorcha seeking an divorce and Ronan working for Hennessy.

Language

The novels are written entirely from Ross's first-person perspective, written in an eye dialect representative of the intonation attributed to affluent areas of South Dublin, commonly called "Dortspeak" (after the DART, a rail service covering the Dublin coast). This accent is one of the primary targets of satire in the columns and novels. Due to the wide variety of esoteric slang used in the novels, a glossary ("ThesauRoss") appears as an appendix to Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's Guide to (South) Dublin: How To Get By On, Like, €10,000 A Day . Though the basic idioms are derived largely from standard Hiberno-English, the South Dublin accent as represented by Howard has distinctive features:

Although the main satirical targets of the columns are affluent South Dublin dwellers, elements of working-class culture (sometimes called skanger culture) are also parodied, again, primarily through language.

Eye dialect is also used to portray the accents of people from Northern Ireland, "culchies" (rural people), and foreigners.

Characters

Cultural impact

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly was something of a craze in Ireland, [9] and his name has become a byword for all that is perceived to be wrong in Celtic Tiger Ireland. Though it is largely viewed as satire, there are those who view Ross O'Carroll-Kelly as a role model or an idol. Paul Howard has claimed some people have imitated Ross's friends pastime of driving through disadvantaged areas in expensive cars, shouting "Affluence!" at passers-by and throwing €5 notes out the window. [2] Following Ross's move to The Irish Times , the Irish Independent began a similar column, OMG! featuring a female counterpart to Ross, in its Weekend supplement on 22 September 2007. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin 4</span> Postal district in Leinster, Ireland

Dublin 4, also rendered as D4 and D04, is a historic postal district of Dublin, Ireland including Baggot Street Upper, the southernmost fringes of the Dublin Docklands, and the suburbs of Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Irishtown, Merrion, Ringsend and Sandymount, on the Southside of Dublin. Most of the area was known as Pembroke Township until 1930 when it was absorbed by the City and County Borough of Dublin.

The Miseducation of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly: The Diary of a Schools Rugby Player is a 2000 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the first in the best-selling Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. It was adapted from a series of columns by Howard in the Sunday Tribune.

<i>Roysh Here, Roysh Now… The Teenage Dirtbag Years</i>

Roysh Here, Roysh Now… The Teenage Dirtbag Years is a 2001 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the second in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>PS, I Scored the Bridesmaids</i>

PS, I Scored The Bridesmaids is a 2005 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the fourth in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. The title refers to the novel PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern.

<i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress</i> Book by Paul Howard

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress is a 2006 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the fifth in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade</i>

Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade is a 2006 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the sixth in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>This Champagne Mojito Is the Last Thing I Own</i>

This Champagne Mojito Is The Last Thing I Own is a 2008 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the seventh in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. It coincided with the beginning of the Post-2008 Irish economic downturn and the release of the first play about Ross, The Last Days of the Celtic Tiger.

<i>Mr S and the Secrets of Andorras Box</i>

Mr S and the Secrets of Andorra's Box is a 2008 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the eighth in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>The Oh My God Delusion</i> Novel by Paul Howard

The Oh My God Delusion is a 2010 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, and the tenth in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>Ross OCarroll-Kellys Guide to (South) Dublin</i> Book by Paul Howard

Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's Guide to (South) Dublin: How To Get By On, Like, €10,000 A Day is a 2008 faux-travel guide by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard, as part of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. It takes the form of a tourist guide to South Dublin, written by Ross and his friends.

<i>Between Foxrock and a Hard Place</i>

Between Foxrock and a Hard Place is a 2010 play by Paul Howard, as part of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. It had its world premiere on October 15, 2010 at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin produced by Landmark Productions.

<i>NAMA Mia!</i>

NAMA Mia! is a 2011 novel by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard and the eleventh in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>Breaking Dad</i>

Breaking Dad is a 2014 play by Paul Howard, as part of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. It had its world premiere on 30 April 2014 at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin produced by Landmark Productions.

<i>Keeping Up with the Kalashnikovs</i>

Keeping Up with the Kalashnikovs is a 2014 book by Irish author Paul Howard and is the fourteenth novel in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>Game of Throw-ins</i>

Game of Throw-ins is a 2016 book by Irish author Paul Howard and is the sixteenth novel in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>Operation Trumpsformation</i>

Operation Trumpsformation is a 2017 book by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard and is the seventeenth novel in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

<i>Postcards from the Ledge</i>

Postcards from the Ledge is a 2017 play by Paul Howard, as part of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. It had its world premiere on 25 October 2017, at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin produced by Landmark Productions.

<i>Schmidt Happens</i> 2019 book by Paul Howard

Schmidt Happens is a 2019 book by Irish journalist and author Paul Howard and is the nineteenth novel in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series

<i>Once Upon a Time in… Donnybrook</i> 2022 book by Paul Howard

Once Upon a Time in… Donnybrook is a 2022 book by Irish playwright and author Paul Howard and is the twenty-second novel in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

References

  1. ↑ Interview with Paul Howard, Robert Ryan, Oxygen.ie, retrieved 18 January 2010
  2. 1 2 3 Spawning a bundle of 'Rosser' wannabes, top snob takes to stage, Irish Independent , 31 August 2007, retrieved 9 April 2009
  3. ↑ Ross O'Carroll-Kelly - Books - Keeping Up with the Kalashnikovs Archived 27 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Ross O'Carroll-Kelly - Home
  5. ↑ Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (27 September 2010). The Oh My God Delusion. Penguin. ISBN   978-1844881758.
  6. ↑ Archived 14 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "ROSS O'CARROLL KELLY 'BREAKING DAD'- MUST END THIS SAT 24th". The Gaiety Theatre - Irish Theatre in Dublin. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Ross O'Carroll Kelly Postcards from the Ledge set for Gaiety Theatre run".
  9. ↑ "Man Friday, Roysh!". RTÉ One. 2 November 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  10. ↑ "OMG! The weekly diary of Cathy, a southside Yummy Drummie". Irish Independent . 3 November 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
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