Arthur Broomfield, in a collection of short stories that is sure to raise eyebrows, goes deep into the reality of life in contemporary Ireland. In his latest work, set in a rural landscape, Broomfield creates 'the event,' that changes the way we read – not just the story – but the changes that are taking place in Irish life. In stories that range from controversial insights into a fictious prison, and the mysterious appearance of rosary beads in a Protestant youth's jacket, to an after-hours double murder, Broomfield's authenticity is evident in his gift for dialogue; his humour, his poet's ear, breathe life into his morally vague characters. Sometimes robust, as in 'A night in Portallen,' or the heartbreakingly sensitive, 'The Martins,' his stories create a prism that will revolutionize our way of seeing Ireland in the twenty-first century.