Joe Lane – ‘What Goes Around’
Our creative blog at Kerry Writers’ Museum continues with a special feature from Joe Lane, a writer with deep roots in Kerry and Cork.
Joe never planned to become an author, but a personal journey led him to write Red, White and Green, a novel exploring war, family, and identity.
In this heartfelt blog post, he reflects on the incredible moment of launching his book in the very schoolhouse his late mother once attended — an unexpected and powerful connection between past and present.
What Goes Around by Joe Lane
My name is Joe Lane and I am of Irish descent.
My mother was from Kerry and my father Cork. Things could get interesting around Munster final time even in Cricklewood. That’s all you need to know about my history. All very boring.
I have lived in Ireland for a number of years now and so far, no one has asked me to leave.
I moved to Listowel around fifteen years ago and was quickly accepted. Having frequented the John B Keane pub, I was drawn in by the all-pervading ambiance in the town regarding the arts.
Never having much experience in the arts other than being an enthusiastic bystander I watched and listened as plays were staged, poems were read, books were launched and original music and songs played. Artists were doing what they do and of course the Writers Museum.
It took me some time to address a question. Could I author a book? Around 2010 I decided I would address the issue.
My book was published 12 years later with the help of many skilled people and support from friends.
Red, White & Green, A Story of Redemption by Joseph Lane. Photo Credit: JM Agency.
One of the many pleasures derived from the experience was closing an extraordinary and unexpected loop.
Allow me to explain.
My late mother Maura Lane nee Mahoney was born in the Kerry village of Cromane.
When I launched my book in the village, I discovered the building being used-now a community centre- was the old schoolhouse which my mother attended.
My mother was born in 1927 and her son was launching a book in 2022 in her former classroom. The weather was bitterly cold, but I felt warm.
Although a small building I sensed the enormous changes and events which had occurred in Ireland since it being bult in1886. The building has a great dignity which has been imbued by stone and history.
My mother spoke of how she and her brother would feed a farm animal each before walking the half mile or so to school at Cromane Cross.
The launch did not take long, and I savoured every minute; my initial nervousness quickly forgotten as I was surrounded by friends and maybe someone else.
My mother has now passed, and I occasionally feel with a great satisfaction I shared a classroom with her.
Oh, the book is called Red, White and Green.
Joe Lane at his book launch in Kerry Writers’ Museum. Photo Credit: JM Agency.
Book Review Mini-Critique of Red, White and Green by author Joseph Lane. Genre: Fiction – Military. Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favourite.
Red, White, and Green by Joseph Lane transports readers back in time to the years 1898 to 1945. This book depicts not only the atrocities of war but also the inner turmoil of its protagonists as they find atonement and the power of blood ties. The author begins with an elaborate background story of a family making a painful decision to leave their home in Ireland. One of the brothers, Thomas Cork, has besmirched their family name by committing a gruesome crime, destroying what his parents have taken built. He risks implicating his brother, Connor, and his mother if they don’t leave. The story then shifts to World War II, where we are introduced to Pat and Bill, two young men fighting in the war, unaware of each other’s existence and relationship as first cousins. But a mission that puts them in harm’s way brings them on a journey to correct a wrong past.
Red, White and Green grabs your attention from the start. The intersection of war, family, and personal discovery provides a rich emotional narrative. It combines external conflict with internal struggles, creating a multi-layered story. While military novels often focus on strategy and combat, Joseph Lane’s storyline personalises the experience, showing how war impacts individuals and families. The plot and characterisation reveal the humanity of soldiers beyond their roles on the battlefield. Best of all, the search for hidden family truths adds an element of suspense. The contrast between wartime chaos and the intimate, personal unravelling of secrets makes for an engaging read. Uncovering and resolving the past inspires you to think about forgiveness, healing, and how history shape’s identity. A novel of this magnitude is well worth your reading time. Highly recommended.