Connacht Tribune
Haunting new novel inspired by abandoned Galway island
Lifestyle – Judy Murphy talks to US-born writer Lisa Carey whose latest book of dark magic was sparked by visit to Inishark
The abandoned island of Inishark that rises out of the Atlantic seven miles off the north Galway coast was the inspiration for The Stolen Child, the latest novel from US-born writer Lisa Carey.
It’s a haunting, beautiful book about a close-knit community where pagan superstitions and Catholic beliefs exist side by side, and where dark magic simmers just below the surface.
Worlds collide when an American woman comes to live on her mother’s birthplace of St Brigid’s Island. The woman does so at a time when the few families on this isolated place without electricity, running water, doctors, priests or even a properly functioning pier, are being encouraged by the Irish government to move to the mainland. But this stranger, named Brigid, wants the islanders to stay for her own reasons.
She carries magic in her hands, as does a young island woman, Emer. When the two meet, they realise they share a secret. The magic they possess – good and bad – will not be contained and its consequences are far-reaching.
The Stolen Child has been described by Lisa’s fellow-novelist Belinda McKeown as “a novel to devour”, while Irish Times reviewer Sarah Keating declared that it “casts a spell upon the reader in its opening prologue and does not let go until the final, devastating moments”.
It’s the fifth novel from Lisa, but her first to be published outside America – the UK, Irish and Commonwealth publishing rights were bought by UK publishers Weidenfeld & Nicolson. She’s delighted to see it on Irish bookshelves as well as in the US where it’s being published by Perennial, HarperCollins.
Lisa lived in Ireland from 1995 to 2000, and it’s where she wrote her first book, The Mermaids Singing, in a “quiet, beautiful place”.
That place was Inishbofin, divided from Inishark by a narrow, but treacherous stretch of sea.
Inishark’s remaining six families were moved to the mainland in Autumn 1960. Inishbofin, with its larger population and somewhat superior services, survived to see better days and, while not without its problems, has a thriving community.
Lisa’s grandparents were originally from Renvyle in North Connemara and she grew up in America hearing about the Renvyle peninsula, especially the stunning beaches such as Glassilaun and Lettergesh. Eventually, she visited in the early 1990s, staying with family and creating her own memories.
“I graduated from college and asked for a trip to Ireland. My grandparents had come back to go on the beach, and a couple of cousins too, but I went with a friend from college.”
Then Lisa discovered nearby Inishbofin and was captivated.
“It’s the sort of place people come to for a weekend and stay for an entire summer,” she says with a laugh.
Lisa’s connection was even greater – she spent five years there. During that time, she graduated from Vermont College with a Masters in Fine Art, which she added to her BA from Boston college.
“I’ve always had a writing bug,” says Lisa who was born outside Boston. “It started as a reading bug; reading was my favourite thing to do – novels especially.”
So much so, that she remembers asking her dad if she could get a job writing the blurbs for book covers.
“At school, writing was always easier than maths or science. Writing an essay, I was relaxed. But I kept it a secret until after college.”
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
