Liverpool (Paperback)

Life in Connaught was hard. It was no more than a subsistence existence but at least they had a roof over their heads; of a sort. As if the vagaries of unpredictable crops and blights were not enough, the threat of an eviction now loomed. Edward now had little choice, the family had to leave their homeland and seek a better existence elsewhere. America was their destination, but they were never to get further than Liverpool.

Central characters are Edward, head of the family, Bridget, his wife, and Austin, their eldest son. Younger siblings of Austin are Bridy, John, Cecilia, and Ann. ‘Liverpool’ is the story of how a destitute family of Irish peasants left Ireland, what happened when they arrived in their port of transit, and their experiences in trying to build a new home in a culturally, politically, religiously, and commercially dynamic city riding the cusp of Britain’s industrial revolution.

Although the story has been inspired by the experiences of the author’s ancestors in the 1840s and 1850s, it remains a work of fiction. Nonetheless, the streets and buildings are real, as are some of the characters, events, and the social and economic challenges faced by the family. Their experiences would have been typical for many Irish families migrating from Ireland during the period covering the famine years.