BARRY O BRIEN
WRITER
The Notetakers
“Uncovering the secrets Dublin Castle tried to hide”
In the shadowed streets of pre-1916 Dublin, spies and informants shaped a nation’s fate. Some secrets were written to be buried—until now.
Book Overview
Summary
Within the walls of Dublin Castle, spies and informants shaped a city on the brink of revolution. In a world where loyalty was fragile and betrayal was currency, secrets once buried now rise again—rewriting the fate of a nation.
“The Notetakers pulls readers into this hidden realm of intelligence, deception, and the silent power of written reports”.
ABOUT THE NOVEL
What's in the Book
The Notetakers is a gripping work of historical fiction set in Dublin in the tense years leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising. Barry O Brien blends meticulous research with rich storytelling to expose the covert operations of G Division, Dublin Castle’s most secretive intelligence unit.
Through layered perspectives and atmospheric detail, the novel reveals how those who watched from the shadows—spies, detectives, informants—shaped history in ways rarely acknowledged.
MAIN CHARACTERS
Detective Inspector Daniel Barton
A man torn between his duty to the Crown and the grief that shadows him. Barton’s manipulation of intelligence files places him at the centre of Dublin’s unfolding crisis.
Detective Sergeant Tom Malone
One of the Castle’s meticulous “Notetakers.” His surveillance work forces him into moral grey zones as he tracks the rising tide of rebellion.
Sean Maguire
A fictional, street-smart orphan navigating the underworld of Dublin. His path intersects with the Castle’s intelligence operations in unexpected ways.
Patrick Pearse
Poet, teacher, revolutionary. Pearse’s actions captivate both the Volunteers—and the eyes of G Division.
Thomas Clarke & Seán MacDiarmada
Key architects of the coming Rising, watched closely as their plans tighten around the city.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barry O Brien masterfully blends fact and imagination to illuminate a world often overlooked in Irish history. His research into G Division, Dublin Castle intelligence, and the events leading to the 1916 Easter Rising shapes a story that is as authentic as it is electrifying. The Notetakers stands as a tribute to the forgotten men who observed history from the shadows.
TESTIMONIALS
