Talking of ‘The Troubles’ and Trauma

This interview with New York based podcast Irish Stew looks at the motivation for a novel set in Liverpool and Ireland in the 1970s. Click on the lick below to hear it in full. https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/JackByrneCheckIn/https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/JackByrneCheckIn/ Click on the link below to buy the book. https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/across-the-water-paperbackack

Amnesia or Erasure? The denial of justice

Depending on the dictionary you go to, there are variations in the defintion of amnesia, but it is usually seen an involuntary lapse in memory, due to illness or trauma. It can also be a self defence mechanism. We sometimes consciously try to forget episodes we are not proud of, or behaviour we regret. TheContinue reading “Amnesia or Erasure? The denial of justice”

We all have a Stake in this.

I support Everton, for good or bad as people from other clubs might say, cest la vie, or que será, será, but for Evertonians ‘it is what it is’ seems to fit better. That is the approach of many supporters who have followed the club from the faintly remembered heights of the 80s through the mediocre mid-tableContinue reading “We all have a Stake in this.”

Everything and Nothing

I took part in a Liverpool Literary Festival, Writing on the Wall event recently, its title was ‘Writing Across Borders’. The title was mine, I had the idea of inviting Paddy Osborne who wrote Baxter’s Boys set in Dublin with a leading Scouse character. So ‘Writing Across Borders’ was to explore my Liverpool Irish charactersContinue reading “Everything and Nothing”

‘Writing Across Borders’

‘Writing Across Borders’ ‘Most countries send out oil or iron, steel or gold, or some other crop, but Ireland has had only one export and that is its people.’ John F. Kennedy on his presidential visit to Ireland, June 1963 Reading JFK’s words resonates with how Derry/Londonderry, Dublin and Liverpool have one noteworthy trait. OverContinue reading “‘Writing Across Borders’”

Why you should listen to The Irish Stew podcast.

https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/blog/why-you-should-listen-to-jack-byrne/ On Christmas Eve 2020,  Jack Byrne reached out to see if we’d be interested in doing an episode on his upcoming book. We had only launched the podcast in October and were chuffed that anyone would actually ask to come on the Stew. Things have changed 40 episodes later, much to our delight. AuthorsContinue reading “Why you should listen to The Irish Stew podcast.”