For editors, festival organisers, booksellers, and journalists. Use any of the text below as written. For interviews, readings, or review copies, use the contact page.
Short bio (50 words)
Ruairí de Barra is an Irish writer and poet based in Cobh, County Cork. He served 25 years with the Irish Naval Service, retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, and is now Regional Technical Lead for the RNLI in Ireland. His debut thriller, Migrant: A Libyan Storm, is complete.
Long bio (about 200 words)
Ruairí de Barra is an Irish writer, poet, and defence and security contributor. A Mayoman who has lived in Cork for almost three decades, he served 25 years with the Irish Naval Service, retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, including the humanitarian rescue mission Operation PONTUS in the southern Mediterranean in 2015 and the European naval mission Operation SOPHIA in 2018. He is now Regional Technical Lead for the RNLI in Ireland.
As an accredited Irish Defence Forces military journalist, he is a regular contributor to An Cosantóir. In 2017 he was the inaugural winner of the An Cosantóir Gen MJ Costello Award, and he has twice been nominated for the European Military Press Association Awards. His poetry has appeared in Tinteán, A New Ulster, Live Encounters, Bangor Literary Journal, Black Bough Poetry, The Boston Globe, and Poetry Jukebox, among others.
His first novel, Migrant: A Libyan Storm, Book I of the Storm Series, is an action-packed military and geopolitical thriller set between Lagos, Libya, and the Mediterranean. He also writes fantasy and science fiction as Karol Barry. He holds a BA in Leadership, Management, and Naval Studies from CIT and a Master of Commerce in Government and Public Policy from UCC.
At a glance
| Based in | Cobh, County Cork, Ireland |
| Writes | Poetry, defence and maritime journalism, thrillers, fantasy and science fiction (as Karol Barry) |
| Service | 25 years, Irish Naval Service; retired Senior Chief Petty Officer |
| Now | Regional Technical Lead, RNLI Ireland |
| Award | An Cosantóir Gen MJ Costello Award (inaugural winner, 2017) |
| Nominations | European Military Press Association Awards, 2017 and 2018 |
| Online | paperneverrefusedink.com · Bluesky @paperneverrefusedink.com |
Books in progress
- Migrant: A Libyan Storm (The Storm Series, Book I): manuscript finished; to agents January 2027.
- The Vastus Annals, Book I (as Karol Barry): in development; Chapter One published in Bard of the Isles, 2020.
- The Cataclysm (Shattered Gates, Book I, as Karol Barry): early chapters.
Selected journalism
- Rebuilding Somalia: The Sea is Their Future (An Cosantóir; EMPA nominee 2017)
- Shipshape and Ready for Action (An Cosantóir; EMPA nominee 2018)
- Academic chapters and papers: see Academic Publications
Photos
High-resolution author photographs are available on request through the contact page.
Contact
For interviews, readings, festival invitations, and review copies, use the contact page.
