100 years ago in Ireland…

Hi there

I’ve just released my new novel entitled Swearing Allegiance. Some people have asked me why I wrote a book about WWI, using an Irish family in the central roles. Why not British? they asked. Well now, as the Irish say, there were two reasons. The first is that I have Irish blood running through my veins. My grandfather, David, was an Irish Catholic, who loved to sing Irish rebel songs. He also loved to shout insults at protestant marchers in Glasgow during the Orange walk days. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not condoning him for his religious and political ideals. I was just a little girl and didn’t know what all the fuss was about. But I did love those Irish songs.

The second reason is because this month marks the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, also known as the Easter Rebellion. It was an armed insurrection in Ireland during…