Goodbye Kit is the imagined autobiography of Michael Kickham (1861 – 1909), an Irish missionary who went to New Zealand. After a bitter clash with his bishop and two years of acrimonious letters, he got permission to serve in Australia. In 1899, he returned to Ireland, then disappeared two years later. He was eventually found to be in Buenos Aires, no longer a priest. He died there in 1909. Reader reviews: The Irish Examiner: Murphy does a great service to shedding light on Irish emigration to the Antipodes, Argentina and the many nuanced religious and political facets of these huge social events. And we are in his debt for these achievements. Hopefully there is more to come from this intriguing writer. Julian Lecuona: With great pleasure I’ve finished reading your “Goodbye Kit”. Excellent, very enjoyable. Your English, more classic than that of the USA, appealed a lot to me. Michael is now a good friend of mine, very close. If we had known each other, if we had lived in the same place at the same time, we would have been very good companions and we would have supported one another. What remains with me is the image of a priest who is irreproachable, religious, close to the people, sought after, appreciated, who always did the right thing throughout his life. He was sincere to himself and to the people. For Michael, there was a dark cloud which undermined his health and caused great sadness in his life. “Leaving the priesthood wasn’t that simple. It signified a great shame for me and my family”. For Julian, it was never a personal shame, but I felt terribly sad seeing my family. My parents suffered incredibly. What must the families of my hometown have thought! Michael Nolan: There is an honesty and simplicity to the letters. The author has woven these letters, archive material and quotations from poems into a memoir which is a joy to read. Kathleen Buckley: I read your book, I could hardly put it down. A great read. Margaret Madden: The controversy between Marists and Seculars was so well portrayed that it aroused rage at the injustice. Anne Casey An interesting and enigmatic life, well told by Vincent Murphy. A joy to read. Edward Parry Surprisingly good. It's a gem to find. Una Leader From the beginning in Mullinahone right to the end in South America, Vincent Murphy has relentlessly pursued his quest to piece together the story of the man behind the letters. A most interesting read.