Category Archives: Women’s Fiction

All the Fun of a New Book!

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With Sarah Webb, Trish Hennessy and Meriel O’Toole in Halfway Up the Stairs Bookshop in Greystones, Co Wicklow.

The first few weeks after Fairy Hill’s publication have been great fun, meeting lots of lovely readers and booksellers, librarians and teachers, visiting schools and bookshops to talk about the book and encourage everyone to write and to Keep Reading.

 I had a brilliant time with lots of lovely readers in a very packed Halfway up the Stairs book shop in Greystones (one of my favourite places a book shop that specialises in children’s books).

It was great to get along to meet so many friends at the Children’s Writer and Illustrator’s Lunch organised by the wonderful Sarah Webb in the Royal St George Yacht Club last week. 

Then I was back in the North Wicklow Educate Together School only a few days later meeting a great bunch of First Year students.

I love meeting my readers and talking about books and words, and the pictures we all get in our head that inspire stories and poems, plays and songs, scripts and even comics and graphic novels.  The one thing I notice is all the really talented young writers out there with great stories to tell…..

Launch of Treasures of the Strokestown Famine Archive virtual exhibit.

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With Dr Jason King of Irish Heritage Trust at the new National Irish Famine Museum at Strokestown Park House

It was a real pleasure to be back in Strokestown Park House on Saturday for a very special event ‘Archive to Arts’ which marked the launch of Treasures of the Strokestown Famine Archive Virtual Exhibit.

Strokestown Park’s collection of records and documents is a real treasure trove with over 50,000 documents and items which will help provide huge information about the parallel lives of tenants of Strokestown and its landowners, the Mahon family during a turbulent and tragic time in Irish history.

As a writer I often spend a huge amount of time researching and using archives so it is great to mark the start of an exciting project which will over time make parts of the collection with its valuable letters, petitions and eviction and emigration lists available digitally to all those with an interest in Strokestown Park House and the Great Irish Famine.

It was also a great opportunity for me to see the redesigned National Famine Museum which only recently reopened after a huge upgrade and tells the Strokestown Story in a hugely immersive way. Set in a bright new airy space with a lovely café it is well worth visiting.

The day was spent discussing the varied aspects of artists using archives to inspire their work, be it in theatre and performance, literature or art or music and how using archives can not only inform us but be a catalyst for something new. Other speakers included Anne -Marie O’Sullivan of Enchanted Croi Theatre, Professor Mark McGowan, Professor Kevin Whelan and singer and writer Declan O’Rourke.

With Anne-Marie O’ Sullivan, Declan O Rourke and Carolin Callery of Strokestown Park House

Archives to Arts 

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It is a real treat to be invited to return to Strokestown Park House and the National Famine Museum in Roscommon and to take part in  a very special event focused on Archives to Arts and Bringing the Strokestown Archive to life on Saturday 24th September.  

The Museum itself has only recently reopened with a new look after having a wonderful five million euro upgrade during the necessary Covid closedown, with an international panel of Famine experts overseeing the project.

To have an archive of over 50, 000 documents available that provide an insight into the parallel lives of tenants and the landlord is a real treasure for all of us with an interest in the past. As a writer having access to archives is invaluable and plays a huge part in the creation of my work and enriches it often sparking new ideas and stories and books that I simply have to write.

Among the panelists are singer and writer Declan O’Rourke and Anne-Marie O’ Sullivan of Enchanted Croi Theatre and there will be a screening of ‘Treasures of the Strokestown Famine Archive in the National Library’ presented by Professor Mark McGowan.

‘The Hungry Road’ Book Launch

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Pat Donlon, Marita and Fiona Murphy of Transworld Ireland

Exciting times with the launch of my new book The Hungry Road at Eason’s book shop in Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin on Thursday.  It was great to see so many friends and family brave the elements to come along to celebrate with me on this very special night.    My agent, Caroline Sheldon came all the way from London to cheer me on.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wonderful publisher Fiona Murphy of Transworld Ireland who encouraged me every step of the way with this epic novel about The Great Hunger. My friend Pat Donlon, former director of The National Library of Ireland kindly agreed to launch ‘The Hungry Road’ for me.  I felt it was serendipity as she has played such a big part in my writing career and was the one who launched my first book ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’.

Thank you to Eason’s who looked after the large crowd really well. They have always been so kind and so supportive to me over all my years of writing and publishing.

The launch party continued as the merry crew made our way to Davy Byrne’s to mark the occasion of the publication of The Hungry Road.  A heartfelt thanks to everyone for helping to make it such a memorable  book launch.

Caroline Sheldon, Pat Donlon, Marita and Fiona Murphy.      P.L. Lynch and Marita

The Hungry Road

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What a great way to start the New Year with the publication of my big new book ‘The Hungry Road.’

Inspired by true Irish heroes the book is set during the Great Irish Famine and took me almost three years to write and research and to put flesh on the bones of such an epic story.  It tells of of great courage, the kindness of good people, and the strength of the human spirit. At times I found it heart-breaking to read accounts of the times that I was writing about.  But finally my book is done and hopefully ‘The Hungry Road’ will find its way into the hands, hearts and minds of my readers.

There will be a lovely launch in Dublin and also in Skibbereen in West Cork, which I am really looking forward to later on this month.

TheHungryRoad_9781848271975_TradePaperback cover

‘Ireland’s hopes for freedom are dashed with the arrival of a deadly potato blight strikes terror in the heart of Irish people 

  1. Seamstress Mary Sullivan’s dreams of a better future are shattered as she looks out over their ruined crop. Refusing to give in to despair, she must use every ounce of courage and strength to protect her family as they fight to survive

Dr Dan Donovan is medical officer to the Skibbereen Union. The arrival of ‘The Hunger’ soon brings starving men, women and children crowding into the town and the workhouse desperate for assistance.

Parish Priest Rev John Fitzpatrick’s faith is tested by the suffering that surrounds him as the town’s pleas for help to the authorities fall on deaf ears.’

‘The Hungry Road’ by Marita Conlon- McKenna