How to Read the Agnes Browne Books
Brendan O’Carroll’s most famous literary creation is Agnes Browne (later adapted into the hit TV show Mrs. Brown’s Boys). The books follow a working-class Dublin family led by a foul-mouthed but fiercely loving matriarch. If you want to experience the full story of Agnes and her kids, you have two primary ways to read the series.
Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended)
This is how the books were originally released. Starting with The Mammy introduces you to the family exactly as O'Carroll originally wrote them, before he decided to explore Agnes's backstory years later. The publication order is:
- The Mammy (1994) – Introduces Agnes Browne, a newly widowed mother of seven children in 1960s Dublin, as she struggles to make ends meet and keep her family together.
- The Chisellers (1995) – Picks up a few years later, following the children as they grow into teenagers and begin to navigate their own lives, jobs, and struggles.
- The Granny (1996) – Concludes the original trilogy, focusing on Agnes as she navigates grandmotherhood, aging, and the shifting dynamics of her large family.
- The Young Wan (2003) – A prequel novel that steps back in time to tell the story of a young, unmarried Agnes Reddin growing up in 1940s Dublin.
Option 2: Chronological Order
If you prefer to read Agnes Browne's life in the sequence that the events occur, you should start with the prequel first. The chronological sequence is:
- The Young Wan (2003) – Book 0.5 (Prequel)
- The Mammy (1994) – Book 1
- The Chisellers (1995) – Book 2
- The Granny (1996) – Book 3
Note: Because The Young Wan was written nearly a decade after the original trilogy, it contains minor retroactive continuity (retcon) details that don't align perfectly with the background sketches given in the original books. However, it still serves as a fantastic window into the character's origins.
The Mrs. Brown Companion Books
Following the massive success of the TV show adaptation, O’Carroll released non-fiction and humor books written "in character" to expand the universe. These are not narrative novels, but rather fun companions for fans of the show:
- Mrs. Brown’s Family Handbook (2013) – A humorous guide to running a household, featuring recipes, tips, and family history.
- Mrs. Brown’s A to Y of Everything (2014) – An alphabetical guide containing Agnes’s unique take on life, love, family, and everything in between.
Standalone Fiction, Plays, and Memoirs
Beyond the Agnes Browne series, O’Carroll has written in other formats:
- The Scrapper (1997) – O’Carroll’s only standalone novel (originally titled Sparrow's Trap). It tells the gritty story of Sparrow McCabe, a Dublin boxer whose life spirals after a failed title fight, leading him into the dangerous Dublin underworld.
- The Course (1997) – Originally written and staged as a highly successful play in 1995, O'Carroll published the script in book format. It follows a group of "no-hopers" attending a Positive Mental Attitude seminar run by a conman.
- Call Me Mrs. Brown (2022) – O’Carroll's official autobiography, where he shares the true story of his Dublin upbringing, his career struggles (including bankruptcy), and how his mother Maureen inspired his most famous character.
Reader Warning: The Case of the Two Brendan O’Carroll's
If you search for Brendan O'Carroll on popular online book databases, libraries, or digital retailers, you are likely to find a massive catalog of military history books attributed to him. Titles like Fighting with the Long Range Desert Group, R Patrol Long Range Desert Group, and dozens of books in the Images of War series (such as Hitler's Heavy Panzers or Auschwitz Death Camp) are often mistakenly grouped with the comedian's bibliography.
They are not the same person. These historical volumes were written by a separate author: a New Zealand-based military historian and retired customs officer who happens to share the comedian's name. The comedian Brendan O'Carroll has never written military history.
The Journey from Page to Screen
For fans who want to transition from the books to the screen adaptations, it is helpful to understand the timeline. The 1999 film Agnes Browne, starring and directed by Anjelica Huston, is a direct adaptation of The Mammy, maintaining a softer and more dramatic cinematic tone. The hit TV sitcom Mrs. Brown’s Boys, which debuted in 2011, features O'Carroll himself in drag as Agnes and leans heavily into broad, live-audience slapstick comedy and meta-humor. In 2014, O'Carroll released the theatrical feature Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie, which took the TV series characters onto the big screen.
What to Know Before You Start
If you are coming to the books from the television series, prepare for a slight shift in tone. While the TV series is famous for its lighthearted slapstick, double entendres, and fourth-wall breaks, the original novels are somewhat grittier. They offer a more realistic and emotional portrait of Dublin poverty, hardship, and community resilience in the mid-20th century. However, they retain the warmth, laugh-out-loud humor, and deep love of family that made the character of Agnes Browne a global sensation.