James M Bourke

Stories from Irish History James M Bourke

Stories from Irish History is a collection of 13 stories based on selected episodes in Irish history, some of which are unremembered. They are historical fiction, a popular modern genre which has great appeal for many readers. Even though the stories are partly fictional, they are based on extensive historical research. We have to go back in time in order to discover ourselves and our culture. We do not have to live in the past but neither should we deny it. Our history is all around us, in the very air we breathe, not only in our history books but in the hills and valleys, in our lore and literature, in our art and architecture, in our songs and poetry. We know that the past is never past. We need to know who we are and who we used to be. We need to know about our cultural heritage, our pre-history, our lore, our local history and the story behind placenames. Ireland is a nation of story-tellers and historical fiction keeps that tradition alive not only in Ireland but also among the Irish diaspora in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.