Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Interview with Dr Orlagh Gairne soon after The Belgae Torc was written.

Interview with Dr Orlagh Gairne, Head of Archaeology at the National Museum of Ireland

You live in a beautiful Georgian house on the outskirts of Dublin.  Have you always lived there?
 
I moved into my house when I returned to Ireland from university.  I was very lucky to get a place there, as I was no longer a student.  In those days, the house was converted into student lets but my grandmother knew the landlord so that’s how I got a place to live.
The building was not looked after very well but I did the best I could with my flat.  It seemed such a shame to let the grand old building go into decline so my grandmother persuaded the .landlord to sell it to her and gradually over the next few years as the students moved out we restored the house back to its original condition.  My grandmother was marvelous; she had an eye for detail and left nothing untouched, even the decoration and furniture is as it should be.  I’m so lucky to have inherited it when she died, I simply adore living there.  
 
It must be like living in a time capsule.  Do you like that period in history?
 
I love the elegance of the Regency period, but even though the house is true to the time, it does have modern conveniences.  The plumbing for example, there are a few more bathrooms and the kitchen is completely modern.  It has of course been done sympathetically and even in those modern rooms we have maintained the feel of the period.  We managed to create that with clever decoration and lighting.  All of the other rooms are as they should be with decor and furniture to match. 
 
Have you always lived in the city?
 
When I was a child, I lived in Sandycove in Dun Laoghaire.  My grandmother brought me up; my parents were both academics who traveled a lot.  Their work took them all over the world, it was no life for a child.
 
Do you regret the fact that your parents were not there for you?
 
Not, not at all.  My childhood was idyllic; I spent most of my time outdoors exploring the shore along the bay.  It was where I discovered my first fossils when I was about ten years old. I loved living with my grandmother; she was always there for me.  She encouraged my ambitions, she was my inspiration.
 
Were you always interested in history?
 
Oh yes, for as long as I can remember.  My grandmother used to take me into Dublin on the DART or we’d catch a bus.  Her knowledge of architecture, churches and social history was amazing.  She was full of stories and she had the ability to make history come alive.  She kept me enthralled with tales of her childhood and was always reminding me of how things used to be.  She told me of when she was a young woman working in Bewley’s on Grafton street.  All the girls who worked there had to wear a uniform; a bit like a maid and it was where she met my grandfather.  She would take me into Bewley’s for a cup of coffee and a biscuit every time we went into Dublin.  One of my most vivid memories was when she took me to the National Museum for the first time; it was an amazing experience that I shall never forget.  Most kids of my age would drag their parents to Quinnworth’s or The Fun Factory, but for me it was always the museum.   
  
Working here at the museum must be your dream come true.
 
I am the luckiest woman alive; I simply adore being associated with the museum.  I think that from my very first visit I knew that one day I would become part of what we have here.  I get to work on all kinds of projects in Ireland, Britain and we have links with museums and historical groups all over Europe.  
 
Did you ever want to do anything else?
 
I went through teenage phases just like everyone else but I always knew what I wanted to do.  I worked hard at school to get the grades I needed to secure a place at university.
 
You studied in London, why not Dublin? 
 
I wanted to move away for a while, experience life on my own, broaden my horizons so to speak and I chose London for many reasons.  I have a few cousins who live in London and there is a large Irish community so I thought I would never be homesick.  I also wanted to see a city, which boasts a population equal to that of Ireland and it was certainly something of a culture shock.  London is truly amazing, it’s a city stuffed full of historical monuments and ancient buildings, it is diverse in its population and culture and it has the most amazing buzz. 
 
What have you been working on recently?
 
I have been organising an archaeological dig, which starts in County Meath next month but first Jerry, my boyfriend and I are off on holiday.  When we get back, I’m hoping to spend a few weeks working on the dig myself.  We have a number of student archaeologists working for us at the moment and it will be good to get stuck in with them.
 
Can you tell us more about this dig?
 
I’m afraid not, you see we have to keep these things confidential because unfortunately the moment we reveal where we are working it draws the attention of amateurs and metal detectorists.  I’m not saying that these people have no right to do what they do, often it’s their initial finds that develop into important archaeological sites.  We like to work in partnership with interested parties and I am dedicated to passing on what we learn by displaying the finds as soon as each dig is complete.
 
What about your long term future, do you see any major changes on the horizon?
 
 I don’t think so.  There are a few projects coming up within the organisation and of course, I am involved with promoting the Belgae Torc and all the other artifacts in our collection.  I will be giving more lectures in the theatre here at the museum and there is some discussion about taking those out into the colleges and universities around the country.  There seems to be a developing interest in history in general at the moment and that is a good thing.  My grandmother always used to say, ‘look after the past and the future will take care of itself.’
 
Thank you to Dr Orlagh Gairne for taking time out to talk to me, Katherine Kinsella working in partnership with the Peoples Independent Irish News.  May 2016 
 
  

The Torc Trilogy

 



When I decided to write the Belgae Torc, the first book in The Torc Trilogy, I knew that history was going to play a huge part in the plot so I wanted a strong central female character who would play an important role in bringing the past and the present together.  It was then that I started to put together a character profile. 

At this point I had no name only an image of a woman that became clearer as I put my ideas down on paper.  I don’t like to describe my characters too graphically, I much prefer to give a hint of their appearance and leave it up to the reader to decide how they look. 

This character however was quite distinctive so I decided to portray her as having a head of thick red hair, emerald green eyes, of average height and in her early thirties. 

Her life revolved around the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin where she was employed as an active archaeologist and historian who lectured from time to time on her subject of the Iron Age.

I chose an Irish character because of my family connection with Ireland and having visited the museum some years ago, I was amazed at the Iron Age artifacts on display there. 
 
Influenced by a song
I still had no name, but my character continued to develop becoming stronger by the day.   It was while listening to a CD of an Irish band that the name came about.  The chorus of the song featured the words ‘All Again’ repeated over and over then as the rhythm and the splendid Irish accents influenced my imagination the name Orlagh Gairne was born.

Mostly my character names are created spontaneously.  I don’t often have to give much thought to them as they seem to appear at the right time.
 
Jack Harrington
Jack Harrington sounded like a good solid name for my American character.  Jack is a self made man with very good contacts.  Jack, you might say is the hero of the book.

I have tried to keep his character as normal as possible, he is not a man with superhuman powers, but he does have considerable resources at his disposal.  He surrounds himself with strong characters and is a well respected member of a team.  He would not be able to achieve what he does if it wasn’t for those working to support him.  He is very much aware of this, teamwork is very important to Jack.
 
Paul Seymour
Captain Paul Seymour is Jack’s oldest and most respected friend and together they have shared many adventures.   Paul enjoys a senior position in Jack’s organisation.  I wanted to portray Paul as a cautious character who would always consider the risks.  Paul, although a very brave man, is deeply affected by events especially if they involve loss of life.
 
Roz Stacey
Roz Stacey is another strong female character.  Her struggle to assert herself in a male dominated world has a negative effect on her and she finds it difficult to relate to those around her.  She is a solitary character who is very good at her job often much to the criticism of others.  She is misunderstood by her peers and as a result is treated as an outcast. 

Roz does not appear in The Gordian Knot, the second book in the trilogy because of her terrible experiences in the Belgae Torc.  She decides to take up a less active role in one of Jack’s companies in New York.  She does however return in the third book where she plays an incredibly important role.

Jerry Knowles
Jerry Knowles is the Grandson of Sir Geoffrey Knowles, the famous archaeologist who discovers the Belgae Torc in Somerset in the 1920’s.

Jerry is a mature student studying at Trinity in Dublin.  He meets Orlagh for the first time at the museum where she is giving a talk on Life in Ireland in the Iron Age.  Their relationship develops from there.

I wanted Jerry to be a ‘down to earth’ character whose scepticism keeps Orlagh’s more fanciful ideas in check.  Jerry prefers to find a logical answer to strange problems. 

Jerry is extremely intelligent and is completely different to Jack Harrington.  They have great respect for each other and Jack finds his input invaluable but Jerry always seems to remain on the periphery of Jack’s team.
 
There are many other characters in the Belgae Torc who should deserve a mention.  Janet May, Razor, Kylie, and Wings Wallace to name a few, but I will leave it up to you to make up your own minds about them.


More about The Torc Trilogy




The Torc Trilogy, my action adventure series that sees main character Orlagh Gairne on an assignment to secure a golden torc for the National Museum of Ireland.   What appears to be a simple assignment turns into something much more sinister.  Over the three books Orlagh is drawn into life threatening situations that could not only destroy her life but also the lives of millions of others across the globe.


The Gordian Knot continues the adventure, beginning in a war torn Germany during the 1940s


Cutting the Gordian Knot - The Final Solution, book 3

My books are available from Amazon




Against their Will my new crime novel

 So its been a busy launch week.

My books arrived and the first one out of the box is always reserved for my friend Dizzy.



Its always a thrill to see the finished books, this was the first time I've seen them apart from computer generated examples.

I have a list of readers, those who pre ordered copies so it was time to start signing.



I soon had a pile ready to go with matching book marks, some wrapped for posting.



I like to offer a personal delivery service as this is an opportunity to meet up with my readers and maybe drink coffee and talk about books.



 Against their Will is the latest crime novel featuring my character DI Isobel Woods.  It's a story about abduction and modern day slavery.


Available from Amazon as a paperback and also on Kindle.


Happy Reading!

Monday, 7 October 2024

Against their Will, a crime novel


My latest crime novel Against their Will is now available as a paperback from Amazon.  Kindle version to follow shortly.



A story of exploitation and modern day slavery that resonates right across Europe.


 https://amzn.eu/d/gbOOYkz


Happy Reading!



Tuesday, 1 October 2024

Against their Will

My new novel Against their Will is out at the end of October




A story of exploitation and slavery that reached right across Europe

 

More information coming soon.

Happy Reading!