No stone left unturned

A VISIT to Pearse Street Library to undertake some research has resulted in a Northside author penning his first novel.

‘The Stoney Road’, written by Baldoyle man Brian McCabe, is a fictional story set in Dublin during the turbulent period of 1900 to 1922 encompassing the Lockout, 1916 Rising, War of Independence and Civil War.

These unfolding dramas are seen through the eyes of two families – Berford and McNeill – as they go through their own stories of love and loss.

When Mary Berford dies soon after giving birth to her first child, the two families begin a painful struggle where heartache adds to the wounds of war. Mary’s son is born into a city that will soon be convulsed by the tempestuous tides of history.

Brian, a former magazine editor and now retired, researched the book for three years and spent the following five years writing it, while also holding down the day job.

The monumental effort has been well worth it though as the book has been well received since RTE broadcaster Colm Hayes launched it at the Law Society building, formerly the Blue Coat School.

Eugene McEldowney, from Howth, journalist and best selling novelist, said in his foreword to

‘The Stoney Road’:

‘The novel is a tour de force in which McCabe accomplishes a remarkable feat in writing. He has produced strong characters who grip the reader’s imagination and he has welded these to a riveting plot which makes the story gallop along at a cracking pace from the very first sentence. The Stoney Road is compassionate and humane and combines those rare talents of skilled storytelling and fine writing which is a pleasure to read.’

Brian said the idea for the story came about when he spotted a 1901 Census in the library that had been put onto a microfiche.

“I came across a story about a local family and I thought it would be brilliant to write about them fictionally,

? he told Northside People.

“While a huge amount of research went into ensuring that every historical fact is correct, my whole drive was to write a good story.

“My aim was to have the reader admiring the quality of the story rather than just the historical detail.

?

Brian, who started out as a painter and became a journalist and historian, has had a number of short stories and features published. He was also a former editor of the Aer Rianta magazine.

Not an author to rest on his quill, Brian has already finished the first draft of his second book, entitled

‘The Peripheral Man’.

“It’s about a man who is always on the edge of things but never at the centre of things,

? he said.

“I’ve also written a play, which hasn’t been staged, but I might write is as a novel.

?

Brian said he was delighted that the former Blue Coat School was chosen as the venue for the book’s launch because it not only features in the novel but also provides the setting for the story’s finale. The school is located in Stoneybatter, the inner city Dublin area that lent its name to the title of the novel.

“Almost the entire novel is set in Stoneybatter,

? added Brian, who’s blend of research and writing skills make for a riveting read.

*’The Stoney Road’, which costs

?¬9.89 (Paperback) and

?¬7.45 (Kindle) is on sale in Book Haven shops in Clare Hall, Donaghmede, Sutton Cross and from Amazon.com