Gabriel Byrne has recorded several audiobooks and audio CDs, including his most recent book, Walking With Ghosts, and his previous memoir, Pictures In My Head. While several of these resources are available, some are now out of print.

Availability information in the entries below is current as of April 4, 2023.

Most of the information provided is from Amazon.com USA. Other destinations on the web that may have these items include: Alibris.com, AbeBooks.com, and eBay. Be sure to check these links frequently if you are interested in obtaining these titles–items come and go quickly.

And remember: you can always try your local library! If they do not have a title in their collections, they can often get items for you through Interlibrary Loan–so give your local library a try.

If you know of any additional audiobooks or other audio works by Gabriel Byrne, please contact me: stellakuru@gmail.com

Walking With Ghosts, by Gabriel Byrne

Published 2020

Narrated by Gabriel Byrne

Length: 06:56

From Grove Atlantic Press:

As a young boy growing up in the outskirts of Dublin, Gabriel Byrne sought refuge in a world of imagination among the fields and hills near his home, at the edge of a rapidly encroaching city. Born to working class parents and the eldest of six children, he harbored a childhood desire to become a priest. When he was eleven years old, Byrne found himself crossing the Irish Sea to join a seminary in England. Four years later, Byrne had been expelled and he quickly returned to his native city. There he took odd jobs as a messenger boy and a factory laborer to get by. In his spare time, he visited the cinema where he could be alone and yet part of a crowd. It was here that he could begin to imagine a life beyond the grey world of 60s Ireland.

He reveled in the theatre and poetry of Dublin’s streets, populated by characters as eccentric and remarkable as any in fiction, those who spin a yarn with acuity and wit. It was a friend who suggested Byrne join an amateur drama group, a decision that would change his life forever and launch him on an extraordinary forty-year career in film and theatre. Moving between sensual recollection of childhood in a now almost vanished Ireland and reflections on stardom in Hollywood and Broadway, Byrne also courageously recounts his battle with addiction and the ambivalence of fame.

Walking with Ghosts is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking as well as a lyrical homage to the people and landscapes that ultimately shape our destinies.

Availability: Amazon.com, Audible, AudioBooks.com, Apple Books + other sellers

Pictures In My Head, by Gabriel Byrne
Originally published: 1997

Narrated by Gabriel Byrne

From Barnes and Noble:
In vivid cinematic sketches, international film star Gabriel Byrne’s absorbing memoir presents a series of fascinating glimpses into his public and private life. Byrne leads the reader from his youth in Dublin, through his career on stage and screen, to his current work as producer and actor. Along the way he shares his impressions of Hollywood, New York and his native Ireland, and takes us behind the scenes of film sets. He shares memories of famous actors like Richard Burton and writes of the joy of being present at his son’s birth. Gabriel Byrne’s unique narrative style colors every page, mixing colloquial dialogue with evocative descriptions. The result is a frank, intimate account that reveals the man – and the writer – behind the actor’s many faces… the executive producer of the Academy Award-nominated In the Name of the Father leads readers through his career from stage to screen and his current interests in diction and production, and shares his impressions of Hollywood, New York, and his native Ireland. 36 photos. [Information about print book]

Review from Library Journal:
Byrne is internationally known for his acting in numerous films, such as Into the West and Miller’s Crossing, and for being the producer of the Oscar-nominated In the Name of the Father. Now he will be known as a writer of memoirs as well. His book begins as the story of his boyhood in 1950s Dublin, with vivid descriptions of his home, the pubs, and the streets, as well as of his stint as a novice at a seminary in Wales. He also writes of his first love, his beginnings as an actor in Dublin’s vibrant theater scene, and the birth of his two children. In each chapter, Byrne’s voice comes across like the voiceover in a film. His descriptions of Hollywood, of a big-budget production in Eastern Europe, and of his return to Ireland for a break are particularly engaging. Byrne has many stories to tell, and his readers will hope for more in the near future. This absorbing autobiography is recommended for both public and academic libraries. [Information about audiobook]

Availability: Amazon.com audiocassette and Audible + other sellers

The Poetry of William Butler Yeats
Originally published: March 1996

Narrated by: Stephanie Beacham, Gabriel Byrne, Minnie Driver, Samantha Eggar, Colm Meaney, Roger Rees, Julian Sands, and David Warner

Amazon.com Review:
Yeats is truly the voice of old Ireland. His poetry is steeped in Irish myth and legend; his characters inhabit a world of magic, great beauty, and great sadness. This collection of 85 poems, including “The White Birds,” “The Song of Wandering Aengus,” and “To Ireland in the Coming Times,” reflects Yeats’s range of emotion–joy and regret, passion and lost love, dreams and dashed hopes. Beautifully read by an all-star cast, including Gabriel Byrne, Julian Sands, Colm Meaney, and Minnie Driver, this collection is both an excellent introduction to Yeats’s work and a treat for his longtime fans. (Running time: 1 hour, 1 cassette) –C.B. Delaney

Availability: Amazon.com audiocassette and Audible + other sellers

The James Joyce Collection
by James Joyce
Originally published: 2001
Reissued: 2017

Narrated by Gabriel Byrne

Selections from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Dubliners, (including “The Sisters,” “An Encounter,” “Araby,” Eveline,” “Two Gallows,” “A Painful Case,” “Clay,” and “The Dead”) and Chamber Music

From Amazon.com:
Revel in selected readings from the works of that literary titan James Joyce, a key player in modernism — one whose works came to define the very movement.

In short stories, poems, and monumental novels, James Joyce set out to discover the meaning of his nationality, simultaneously celebrating and ridiculing the history of Ireland in the brilliant style that has made him the most towering figure in the literary landscape of the early twentieth century. Dublin-born, Gabriel Byrne — who has starred in sixteen films, including Little Women and The Usual Suspects — clearly brings to life Joyce’s short stories from Dubliners and selections from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Chamber Music.

Availability: Amazon.com audio CD + other sellers

Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe
Originally published: 1997

Edgar Allen Poe Stories, with narration by Gabriel Byrne, Marianne Faithfull, Christopher Walken, Iggy Pop, Abel Ferrara, and others

Disc: 1
1. Alone – Marianne Faithfull
2. The Raven – Christopher Walken
3. The Tell-Tale Heart – Iggy Pop
4. The Conqueror Worm – Ken Nordine
5. The Black Cat – Diamanda Galas
6. For Annie – Gavin Friday
7. To Helen – Ed Sanders

poe-closed-on-account-of-rabies-audiobook-backcover

Disc: 2
1. The Haunted Palace – Ed Sanders
2. Ulalume – Jeff Buckley
3. Berenice – Dr. John
4. The City And The Sea – Deborah Harry and the Jazz Passengers
5. Annabel Lee – Marianne Faithfull
6. The Masque Of The Red Death – Gabriel Byrne
7. The Raven (excerpt) – Abel Ferrara

Excerpt of Amazon.com review:

These kinds of tribute albums are always tricky, even when they are just dealing with a musician’s body of work. What Hal Willner has done on this two-CD set is amazing, though. To try to collect the pieces from Edgar Allan Poe’s eclectic catalog of stories and poetry, find the right artists to read, sing, and/or interpret those works, and then to package it all appropriately was a major feat. Every track is not a five-star work, but the collection earns the five stars for sheer effort and uniqueness. From the cover art by Ralph Steadman, appropriately weird and spooky-looking, to the fabulous liner notes by Charles Baudelaire and Willner, himself, this CD set has been an indispensable part of my Grade 11 English (American Literature) curriculum since its release.

Everyone is going to have his or her favorite tracks/stories/poems, but here are mine:
1. Gabriel Byrne reading “The Masque of the Red Death” — great accent, cool music and background noises; nicely understated, Byrne lets the story tell itself.
2. Diamanda Galas reading “The Black Cat” — smoking five packs a day does pay off for some people. . . . I almost wet my pants when I first heard her read the opening line of the story.
3. Dr. John reading “Berenice” — not the typical Poe selection, very cool New Orleans accent and grovely voice.
4. Iggy Pop reading “The Tell-Tale Heart” — classic story, great voice and interpretation.
5. Marianne Faithfull reading “Alone” — again, great voice and creepy effects.

Availability: Amazon.com Audio CD and audiocassette from other sellers

Passion: Men on Men: Provocative Excerpts on the Passions of Men
Originally published: 1995

Narrated by Dave Barry, Gabriel Byrne, Graham Chapman, Andrei Codrescu, Dave Pallone, John Ritter, and Michael York

Excerpt of Amazon review:
First of all, this book has very little to do with erotica. The title of the book is Passion; Men on Men. It is a collection of writings regarding men, their feelings, thoughts and emotions. There are both humorous pieces as well as thought provoking ones. Yes, there are some writings concerning gay men but straight men are not left out; longing is universal after all. It is truly a mix bag of essays and excerpts from books. An audiobook quite unique.

Availability: Amazon.com audiocassette from other sellers

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Gabriel Byrne brings to life a favorite Christmas poem.

Originally published: 2002

A Christmas Audio CD produced by Hallmark during the Christmas season of 2002. Gabriel Byrne recites the traditional poem. The song tracks are by unknown artists.

Songs include: Jingle Bells, A Holly Jolly Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Up on the Housetop, I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and more. Amazon customer reviewers note that this is a perfect holiday treat for young children.

Availability: Amazon and also on eBay.

Out of Print

The New Yorker Out Loud
Stories by Martin Amis, Seamus Deane, Ian McEwan, Lorrie Moore, and John Updike
Originally published: 1997

Narrated by Gabriel Byrne and Frances McDormand

Availability: Amazon.com Audio CD (currently out of print)

Celtic Myths and Folk Tales
Originally published: 1999

Narrated by Gabriel Byrne

Availability: Amazon.com audiocassette (currently out of print)

Myths and Tales of Ancient Ireland
Originally published: 1997

Narrated by Gabriel Byrne

Availability: Amazon.com audiocassette (currently out of print)

The Star-Child and the Nightingale & the Rose
by Oscar Wilde
Originally published: 1996

Narrated by Gabriel Byrne

From Alibris Books:
Known for his acerbic and urbane nonfiction, Oscar Wilde was also a master of the fairy tale. As Wilde explained, his fairy tales were written “partly for children and partly for those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy.”

Availability: Amazon.com audiocassette from other sellers (currently out of print)