Authorpreneur Dashboard – Brighid OSullivan
Petticoat Rebels of 1916, Extraordinary Women in Ireland's Struggle for Freedom
History
The Petticoat Rebellion was a term coined by Irish and English newspapers in the 1870s. It was a reference to the Ladies Land League which carried on the work of the Land League for a short time. The ladies went one step further than the men however. As 'movers and shakers,' they raised thousands of dollars both in Ireland and abroad, fed the hungry, found homes for evicted tenants, and provided hope to the hopeless while men fought battles over land issues through legal means. Once the men were released from prison they disbanded the Ladies Land League but women continued to play a crucial role in Irish history, as they had for thousands of years.
Book Bubbles from Petticoat Rebels of 1916, Extraordinary Women in Ireland's Struggle for Freedom
Irish Boy Scouts with Guns!
The Fianna boy scouts were soldiers in training right under the noses of the British troops, the very enemy they would fight again years later in 1916. These boys, the youth of Ireland, became the hope of a new free Republic, and the heart of a wave of Irishness, pride, and patriotism like no one had ever seen before. They had nothing to lose when they joined. Many were barely keeping bread in their mouths, roaming the streets, and getting into trouble. When Constance Markievicz formed the Fianna Boy Scouts she gave them more than a roof over their heads and food in their bellys. Some did not survive but those that did gained hope, pride, and loyalty as part of their characters, something they never possessed before.
Jailing a Doctor!
100 years ago infant death mortality as well as contagious diseases were an every day part of life. People had big families having no choice but to accept the possibility that many of their children would not survive to adulthood. How horrifying for a parent. There was always a scarcity of competent medical professionals in Ireland and Kathleen Lynn became a doctor when it was virtually unheard of for a woman to do so. She not only was a fantastic doctor but worked along others involved in scientific discoveries. So how could anyone possibly arrest Doctor Lynn when she was so badly needed to save lives?
100 Things You Didn't Know About Ireland
History
This captivating book of Irish history and civilization is without a doubt, not your usual humdrum historical account of names, dates and battles. It is written in plain language for people of all ages. There is an enormous amount of information packed into a fairly short book. According to one review,
Book Bubbles from 100 Things You Didn't Know About Ireland
Trump the Next IrishAmerican President
So I hear Donald Trump is going to visit Ireland and that he has Irish roots. Also according to the Irish Times, a whopping majority of Irish and Irish Americans alike support Donald Trump for American President. That doesn't surprise me but it does explain why Trump is so outspoken, a bit brazen in his speeches, and just more willing to tell the truth than most Americans, at least the ones in politics. Did you also know that an Irishman printed the very first Declaration of Independence? More than a few presidents had Irish roots as well. America is littered with millions of Irish accomplishments!
Famous Irish Authors
Its true the Irish were great storytellers but I had no idea these 2 famous men were Irishmen but delighted to find out. Having an imagination as a child is the most wonderful thing in the world but many of us are discouraged from using that imagination when we approach adulthood. We're told to grow up, tell the truth, and get our heads out of the clouds. Thank God people like Bran Stoker and Jonathan Swift did not heed those words or we'd never have read Gulliver's Travels or Dracula! The only thing I love more than reading is writing. What a world it opens up inside me head!
Ben Franklin and Ireland
America and Ireland have been linked in one way or another almost since the beginning of America's history. Besides emigration, science, and aid in rebellion, great men like Ben Franklin, after touring Ireland made life changing decisions based on that trip. Like Ireland, America was under British rule and had some of the same problems economically and politically. He wasn't' the only one to tour Ireland and make decisions based on his views of Irish life. William Seward, Sec. of State to Abraham Lincoln also toured Ireland with his father. This led Seward to fight for the rights of Irishman in the United States.
Turning Irish into English
Some of my favorite things about Irish history are how they influence my home country, America and often the world at large as well. Of course there are two sides to every story and more victims then the history books write about. Along with his family, Boycott was escorted to a train in Dublin where he had planned to stay a week but was advised to leave earlier on a mail boat for England. A driver could not be found and they had to travel by military ambulance and those on the train were not sympathetic either. He claimed he lost 6000 pounds in the estate where he'd worked as land agent, literally putting him out of a job. After his leave similar boycott events escalated all over Ireland. It was blamed on Parnell's Land League.
Bewitched by a Cat
Poor Ann Glover. Before emigrating to America she would have lived in the rural part of Ireland, for the classes were well defined by geography until after the Famine years. Those that did not emigrate were poor farmers and country people who had no choice but to flock to the cities around the 2nd half of the 19th century. . In her native land, Ann Glover would never have been seen as a threat by her neighbors. Likely people came to her for spells or cures made from herbs, flowers and roots. They would have asked for incantations spoken over sacred wells or magic love tokens. People would have begged Ann Glover to help them with whatever ills they had without any reservations. In essence, Ann most likely was an herbal physician and revered among her own people. She should have stayed at home! .
Famous Irishmen
Do you know about the hundreds of scientists, doctors, inventors, explorers that were of Irish descent? No, probably not. What we usually hear about the Irish is they have their own music, were neutral during WWII, (btw, read my post on that, it will blow your socks off go to celticthoughts.com) and there was a great famine that nearly wiped out the race in the 1840s. This book is different however. Read how and why you should be extremely proud of your Irish heritage. 100 Things You Didn't Know About Ireland
Irish Scientist Extrordinaire
It constantly amazes me how many scientific discoveries were made right in Ireland. Most people don't know that. The island of Ireland is a fascinating place, full of folklore and legend, its own unique music of pipe, horn and drum, the friendliest people on earth, and a 2000 year old language but few of us know just how many scientific discoveries come from this magical place. Things that have saved lives for generation after generation, advanced technology, and changed the way the rest of the world lives. All of it for the better. Ireland is more than hundreds of years of turmoil, famine and loss. Much more and the fact that this blessed place has given back to mankind in her own time of trial and tribulation is a mystery to us all. Read the book and learn it all.
Leprechauns of America
My Dad loved Ireland. He never visited; never saw any Youtube videos set to Celtic music or digital images. He never learned to speak Gaelic nor did he know much Irish history. What my father loved was his grandmother. She emigrated during the Great Depression to our small town of Holyoke Massachusetts where the only claim to fame is an outdated canal system that now harbors closed paper mills and one of the largest St Patrick's Day parade in the United States. But my grandmother was a character and so was my father. Gramma swore like a sailor, told fantastic stories filled with leprechauns and magic and made the best mutton pies in the world. So my Dad had no reason to love Ireland at all but every reason to love my great grandmother and me. He would love this book!
The Sun Palace
Literature & Fiction
The battling personalities of a high spirited 16-yr. old in 6th century Ireland and that of her jealous aunt appear to have little in common. Brigit is kind though inexperienced, having lived most of her life with Christian monks while Medb, who is queen of the Sun Palace is sly, war-hardened, and completely in control of those around her. Each woman wants the same thing, the love of one man and to keep safe all she holds dear, one by killing everyone in her path, the other by exposing hidden truths. While Brigit is welcomed into her father's house, her foster sister, Geileis has finally married the man she loves. Arguis, while on the surface clams an arrogant manner; it is only a facade. A compassionate powerful personality is revealed to his new wife when his newborn son by another woman comes to live with the new couple. After much misunderstanding, the three become a family. They settle into their lives together when Arguis is brutally abducted and presumed dead. Grief stricken, Geileis has more than her husband's death that weighs heavily on her heart. Troubled by guilt and hopelessness, she agrees to marry another man. She has no idea that by doing this she has set in motion a path of destruction and given Medb the power to destroy her father's kingdom to a mad woman. The Sun Palace has been described as a excellent adventure of religious tension, tribal rivalry, and betrayal told in a distinctly Irish voice.
Book Bubbles from The Sun Palace
and a child is delivered
One of the joys of writing Irish historical fiction is researching a completely different culture and time period. The sixth century was full of superstition and even though Christianity was slowly taking hold, the Irish still held onto their beleifs. In Celtic Ireland, everything had meaning from the tiniest flower and tree, to the way a child came into the world. They relied on shamans and druids to guide their daily lives, taking comfort in the fact these men and women had great knowledge thus giving them some control over an uncontrollable world.
Secrets of Childhood
We are all formed, by a degree, by our past experiences from our youth but some of those experiences are ugly and cruel and far too heavy for any child to bear. Often, children have no one to tell this terrible secret that has tormented them their entire lives until they reach adulthood. By this time they have internalized their emotions, learned to bury the hurt perhaps pushed everyone away to avoid anyone finding out the secret they would rather not share. I've been told Arguis comes off as a little arrogant in the beginning of his story and perhaps this is why. The guilt he's felt his whole life surely has made him this way. With Geileis influence, he shows a more positive sensitive personality later in the story.
And a child shall lead them
What could be more endearing to a woman than a man with a baby? In this chapter Arguis has had a child with another woman, something his wife must get used to if she wants to stay married to him. Their marriage contract had specified that she be his first wife and have his first child, a contract she took very seriously as did most ancient Irish long ago. Since it was common for men to take several wives, it was extremely important to Geileis as a mother, that her children be first in line to inherit from their father but now she realizes this won't happen since he's already sired his first son. Arguis argued that the woman was pregnant before he and Geileis made their wedding contract but is that enough for Geileis and will there be any more challenges for the couple to overcome?
Hell hath no fury Like a Daughter
Here, we see a father who is surprised at the bravery and perhaps fool hardiness of his only daughter. Perhaps he sees a bit of himself in her. Perhaps he sees his wife. Brigit has done something very daring, something dangerous and very much out of her usual character. She's taken something of value from someone who hates her, her evil Aunt who would like nothing more than to see Brigit vanish from her world forever. In fact Queen Mebd would like to kill Brigit. However, Brigit is not frightened. In a rare moment of anger and bitterness, she seizes her aunt's crutch and throws it into the fire.
to appease the Gods
In 6th century Ireland, women did what they would do for centuries after. They sewed and did crafts, learned from their mothers and grand mothers, took pride in their work. Knowing some needle arts myself, I found it relaxing and something to ease the mind. Throughout centuries, infant mortality and premature death was a constant. Danger in the form of wild animals and uncontrolled weather also prevailed making life very harsh indeed. Anything to take ones mind off of the inevitable, the elements one could not control, the sadness and peril around every corner must have been a blessing and pride in a job well done even more so. Something men would know nothing about but perhaps that is the way to survive..
Predicting the Future
Sometimes when an author does research of a specific time period, he or she will find something magical and wish to weave it into the story. Often it feels, it enhances the story as well and almost writes the scene right before the author's eyes. Ogamcasting was one of those things. It was an accepted practice during Pagan Ireland, a way to read the future and figure out one's past, its meaning, and solutions. Similar to reading tarot cards. In The Sun Palace, Geileis fears her husband does not love her yet she's afraid to find out. She finally conquers her fear by enlisting the help of the chief druid. One of the first forms of writing and the first alphabet was the Celtic oracle of the trees, which is known as Ogam.
Loss
There are few friends we cherish above all others. We tell each other secrets, laugh at ourselves, share our most intimate thoughts. A total trust based relationship. Women's friends in particular are priceless. Some of these friendships we thought we would have forever but often these women we counted as soul mates or sisters were only meant to be with us for a short while. Often we don't pick the ones we will treasure but often they pick us. Few friendships will stand the test of time. People grow or move far away and sadly some will betray each other, ending the relationship rather badly. Whatever the reason for the change in the closeness between two people, it can be as devastating as a divorce.
"I need you like I need the sun and the air."
Writing a love scene has little to do with anything physical and more to do with emotion. The two characters in this scene had been married for some time but had not consummated their marriage because both were separated soon after. Each had terrible things happen to them, unknown to the other. They each harbor tremendous guilt over their experiences, which they are sure were their fault. Arguis is afraid of hurting his wife when they make love, since he believes she is a virgin which shows his true compassionate nature. Geileis believes herself responsible for the death of Arguis' infant son by another woman. Everyone thought Arguis was dead. When Arguis returns, Geileis wrestles with trying to forgive herself and be his wife again. Their physical union is a blending of two tortured souls with too many secrets.
the history of falconry
One thing I love about writing historical fiction is that I always learn something new. I knew absolutely nothing about falconry or ancient marriage customs or how people lived in sixth century Ireland before I began the research of my debut novel, The Sun Palace. I find my research books in the oddest places too. Used book stores mostly. I once found a whole encyclopedia of American History at a church sale while my husband and I were driving through the country on the way to where, we did not know. History is both fascinating and exciting to me and I can never learn enough of it. Its like a whole different world out there, much more interesting than television ever will be in a million years.
Fathers and Daughters
There's something about the relationships between fathers and daughters, mothers and sons that cannot be explained. Its much like a small love affair. The love we feel for our children when they are born, can be one of the most overwhelming emotions we experience. When I wrote about Brigit and her father, I knew they cared for each other yet had spent so much time apart there were bound to be transgressions, thoughts of abandonment, regrets, and feelings of inadequacies. Dubthach, the father, is torn on two accounts. He feels responsible for his wife's death and thinks he can make it up to his daughter by preserving her memory. He's torn between the loss of his daughter' s affection and telling her the truth about her not so perfect mother. This is something, I've learned, is a hard lesson for a child to bear. A lesson they would rather not learn. The lesson that teaches that ones parents are indeed human.
Marriage in Ancient Ireland
Before the Norman and British invasions Ireland was governed by Brehon law. Though it appeared to be more relaxed by European standards, it was a complex legal system and took into account all sorts of things like theft, boundaries of land, murder, grazing rights, and even marriage, which was not the same for all people. Marriage was a legal contract and totally binding. It entailed a sort of prenuptial agreement concerning not only property, but the rights of children born into the marriage. All children had specific rights, even the children who would be labeled illegitimate by the Catholic church. How much heartache could have been avoided in Ireland between poor and helpless families, if we had kept even a smidgen of that Brehon law?
Eva Gore Booth the Other Sister
Biographies & Memoirs
This is a mini-biography of the amazing life of Eva Gore Booth. She lived in her sister's shadow and was not in many of the history books. Eva Gore Booth was born into a wealthy Anglo Irish family. She had everything a girl of her class could want but she gave it all up to fight for those less fortunate and what she believed in. This book is permanently free. It is available as an ebook from Amazon, nook, Scribd, Kobo, and several smaller publishers.
Book Bubbles from Eva Gore Booth the Other Sister
Audience with a King
Eva Gore Booth went to extreme lengths to make herself heard when she thought there was injustice being done. When it looked like her friend, Roger Casement might be found guilty of treason and executed, she sought an audience with the king. Sadly, the king claimed to be powerless to do anything. He did agree to see her however and to bring her case before his advisors. However Casement was already convicted in many people's minds. Years before, Casement had been knighted by the Queen for humanitarian efforts in publicizing atrocities in the Congo of Africa. I"ve just now realized these horrible crimes of a sexual and violent nature are still being committed today over a hundred years later but I like to think that perhaps it is not as widespread as it once was. It would break Eva's heart to know of the conditions people still live under in other parts of the world today although I like to think she would be proud at how far Ireland has come into a peaceful and healthy world.
The NIghtingales Murder
Humor & Entertainment
When three nurses unite to cover up a murder, they realize that friendship has its limitations and things are not always what they seam.
Rough-Cut Book Bubbles from The NIghtingales Murder
The Nightingales Murder
I thought it was funny that a friend of mine wanted to murder her ex husband. Not that he didn't deserve it from what she told me, but funny because nurses don't do such things. So not only did I let her commit the murder (in my fictional account of the facts) but, I wrote a story about it. None of the characters in my story are real but some are based on people I met in my career. My favorites. My loves. My anti-stressors. There are all sorts of people in the world but I've found that nurses are without a doubt a bunch of zany, unpredictable, crazy, and psychotic messed up human beings and I've loved everyone of them. I thought, 'why not murder?' Please tell me what you think so far and I welcome your honesty.
