Author
On December 6th, I received an email from Ireland Writing Retreat that I had been selected as a finalist in the Wild Atlantic Writing Awards in the Flash Fiction category for my entry 'Reflections'. This was a nice little milestone to sneak in before the year's end, and I have certainly started 2023 on a... Continue Reading →
I admit I had a bit of a meltdown last night. I live in Tweed Heads, in the Norther Rivers region on the Far North Coast of New South Wales in Australia. Tweed Heads is right on the border with Queensland. The suburb of Coolangatta is on the Queensland side, and our two suburbs are... Continue Reading →
Previous: In her desperate bid to be Cathal's mother, Leona becomes increasingly distressed by his seeming unwillingness to respond to her, resulting in a shocking outburst of physical aggression which results in Cathal's arm being broken. When Cathal reaches the school age, Leona's mental health further deteriorates, and she withdraws from life, crippled with fear... Continue Reading →
More than ten years ago I began to formulate the concept of what would eventually become Sins of the Son. The idea was to follow the downward spiral of a person from regular member of society to cold-blooded murderer, and the subsequent psychological deterioration that would drive someone to commit such an act. The story... Continue Reading →
Wow, I can't believe I have come to the end of my marathon 31-day blogging effort! I have absolutely adored reliving my 2017 trip through this series of blog posts. I hope you have enjoyed coming along on the ride with me, and that you have learned all about Ireland through pictures! For my final... Continue Reading →
Day 30: The Plassey Shipwreck I visited the Plassey Shipwreck on my third and final full day on Inisheer. To get to the wreck I chose to hire a bike from the only bike hire shop on the island, run by a very friendly local. The cargo vessel Plassey was shipwrecked off Inis Oírr in the... Continue Reading →
Day 29: Grikes The terrain of the island of Inisheer is composed of limestone pavements with crisscrossing cracks known as "grikes", leaving isolated rocks called "clints". Quite unsteady under foot, so a good set of walking shoes is needed. Such a quiet, unspoilt spot, with occasional offshore seal spotting!
Day 28: The Lighthouse Inisheer Lighthouse was completed in 1857 after it was argued that the Inishmore lighthouse was too high and it did not cover the entrances to the North or South Sounds of the Islands. The lighthouse originally had a fixed optic lamp which was supplied by the Chance Brothers of Birmingham. In... Continue Reading →
Day 27: Stone Walls The stone walls really are of the most impressive and peculiar sights on Inis Óirr. The criss-cross walls define the farmers fields, and collectively add up to thousands of miles. I had walked up to O'Brien's Castle only to find the grounds closed off to visitors (being March it was still... Continue Reading →
Day 26: O'Brien's Castle The Castle oversees Inisheer from one of the highest points of the island, with views of the beach, pier, and ruins below. This castle is thought to have been built in 14th century making it one of the oldest ruins on the Aran Islands. It would pre-date the other ruins in... Continue Reading →
Kate Kelsen 