Fjord of Killary opens with a harsh storm coming into Killary in Ireland. The narrator is early retired and is a “wordless” poet who buys a hotel in Killary, hoping that words will come to him. He’s new to Killary and doesn’t really make any kind of impression to his clients, one way or another. There are people at the bar drinking the night away like any normal bar scene, There is an older couple who seem very much in love, though something about them comes out later.
There is no plot to the story that I can determine and it felt a bit like reading about everyday life. However, the writing is excellent and I see potential. I looked up Kevin Barry and saw that he has a short story collection out called, ‘There Are Little Kingdoms.’ I think it would be worth checking out sometime. Perhaps he even develops a plot in some of the stories. You can read this story at The New Yorker.