Athenry

by Cahal Dunne

"An epic story! A delightful read with a poetic flow.' Malachy McCourt New York Times Bestselling Author An historical romantic novel, that for 175 years has begged to be written. Dunne's Athenry puts a human face on the Irish Famine, in an odyssey of sacrifice, survival, and love. Between 1788 and 1886, approximately 164,000 convicts - 80% men and 20% women - were transported to the Penal Colonies in Australia from England and Ireland. Fewer than 5% of them made it home. “An epic story! A delightful read with a poetic flow...” Malachy McCourt Actor, Politician, New York Times Bestselling Author “An historical novel which for 175 years has begged to be written. Dunne puts a human face on what is known as the Irish Famine, in an odyssey of sacrifice, survival, and love.” Adrian Flannelly Dean of Irish Radio USA ... New York Newsday “I loved it! It’s one of those stories that was emotional and exciting. Often times I shed a tear or two. There was so much anticipation and lots of action. Liam O'Dono-ghue was some man. WHAT A MAN!!!” Diane Byrnes KDW Radio, Pittsburgh, PA “What a great story of redemption. Liam O'Donoghue, our hero, is a man whom I'd be proud to have on my team any day. This book is so good, it screams for a sequel.” Rocky Bleier Former Pittsburgh Steeler Vietnam Veteran, Author “1840s Ireland is a place of absolute cruelty and horror, but somehow love still exists within it. Dunne's Athenry captures this masterfully.” Phil Coulter Irish Music Legend and Author “Congratulations! You have hit the ball right out of the park. It is Ireland's history, culture, and lore, from the time of the Famine in an easy readable form, and is a must for everyone. I loved it.” Seamus Mulligan President Emeritus Irish Cultural Center, Canton, MA. Irish Radio Host WROL, Quincy MA Cahal Dunne is a singer, songwriter, pianist, storyteller and author. He comes from Cork City. He earned his Bachelors of Music from University College Cork. He represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest with his own song, Happy Man, in Israel. He now lives with his wife and family in Pittsburgh, and performs throughout America. This is his second book.

Genres: Historical Fiction

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2020

Reviews

[Patience Distaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was proud of my Irish heritage before I read this book, now I’m even more so. I thought I knew about the Potato Famine, but realize now that I knew very little. I had never heard of Potato Orphans. While telling a moving love story, the author cleverly interweaves the laws and events which led to the Great Hunger, using lively dialogue between believable characters, friends and foes alike. I read Athenry in a day and didn’t want it to end. Discussion questions and a pronunciation guide included in this well-researched book will appeal to book clubs. I see genuine potential for Athenry, a true odyssey, to be cast as a TV miniseries, and I hope the author is planning a sequel.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liam O'Donoghue is a young Irish man, living near Galway in the 1840s. Life is hard for the Irish under British rule, but the O'Donoghues are a close, loving family. Love, community, and music make their lives rich. When Liam falls in love with Maire Donnelly and she agrees to marry him, his happiness is complete. Soon they are expecting a baby.

But, famine time has come, and the ruling British allow Irish families to starve, and kick them off their land if they can't pay their rent. Liam joins the Whiteboys, a group of young Irishmen who try to defend their fellow Irish and keep them fed. Eventually, Liam is arrested in a grain robbery gone wrong, and deported to Australia.

Liam's adventures are only beginning. During his long exile, he will learn to read, train horses on a sprawling Australian ranch, spend some time working on a whaling ship, befriend an Aborigine and learn to both speak the Aborigine language and play the digederoo. Finally, he will seek his fortune in the gold fields. But his main goal is always to return to his wife and child.

Liam's story is a ripping yarn. Don't expect fancy literary language in this book, just a tale of both adventure and love that will tug at your heart.

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[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing read! I enjoyed this book as much as I did because the author did such a beautiful job weaving the actual history of Ireland and its people into the story of the novel. While I knew of the Great Hunger before reading this, I had no idea about some of the other happenings at the time that compounded the disaster, namely heartless English landlords who nearly worked their Irish tenants to death and then denied them any of the crops they had farmed, leaving them to starve. This is a beautiful story of human resilience and strength in the face of injustice and callousness. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a good story and wants to learn more about the history of Ireland!

[Alice Getchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Athenry, by Cahal Dunne, is an excellent read!

Listed as an odyssey of sacrifice, survival and love... ATHENRY is so much more.
Not only does Cahal give an insight into what it was like for the Irish people during the famine and subjugation by the British, he does so in a quick moving romantic/historical tale. I particularly liked the inclusion of the journey to (and in) Australia. I found the bibliograhy, pronunciations and meaning of Gaelic words to be quite helpful. At the end of the book, Cahal lists numerous topics which could be further explored in book discussions.

I hear that Netflix might be making it into a movie.

[Maire Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

When I started the book I thought it was going to be a soppy story. That was an understatement. I got totally caught up in the story. From Ireland to England Australia and America. The detail and history from each country was so well described that I felt I was living it through Liam until he finally kept his promise to his beloved Maire. Great choice of name there Cahal. Well done really enjoyed it. Great read.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story of Irish history, the Great Hunger, and the cruel domination & genocide perpetrated on the Irish people by the British. This excellent historical fiction takes you from Ireland to Australia via the convict ships, to horse farms, on whaling boats, and gold digging in Bathurst AU. Beautiful descriptions of both countries & their people & the strength, determination & love of the human spirit.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should have been an enjoyable story. This title should have been a 5-star title, except the story lacked depth and the character development was severely lacking. The story moved drudgingly slow in some parts, yet was too fast in others. This story really needed more detail. It almost seemed like this book was rushed to print. it is still worth reading, though.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about the British domination of Ireland during the potato famine and their treatment of the Irish people. The author wove the plot to explain those problems yet still provided a love story that warms the heart. The book was well researched by the author and screams for a sequel!

[Eileen Batson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. The main character, Liam Donoghue, and his family eked out a living on a small patch of land owned by their British landlord. Through the experiences of the Donoghue family the brutal consequences of the Irish Potato Famine come to life. The family was facing starvation. With other members of the resistance Liam and his brother rob a grain warehouse. Liam is caught and sentenced to death. He is spared the gallows and is sent on a convict ship to Australia. While so far away from his family, including his beloved wife and son, Liam faces many hardships, adventures, and triumphs.

The extent of Dunne’s research is impressive. The book includes interesting facts about Irish Penal Laws, the Potato Famine, convict ships to Australia, the Aborigines, whaling, and the Australian gold rush.

I highly recommend this book.

Eileen Batson

[Caitlyn McSwigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really thankful my nana let me borrow her copy of this book. I have a much better understanding of how the famine and english occupancy devastated the Irish people (a true tale of perseverance!) I also appreciated the pronunciations provided.

[Jeanette M Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story steeped in history.

[Patricia A. Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read

I just loved this book. The amount of research that went into it is amazing. Anyone who likes Irish and/or Australian history will love it. Great job, Cahal.

[Judy Palmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The long way home

I always like reading Irish historical romances. This was a nice story and it takes you to Australia and to America then back to Ireland.

[AnneMarie Swanlek · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent historical novel about the Irish Famine and survival.

[William Labrecque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

Once I got going with it , it became hard to put down.
Canal is a great story teller. Highly recommended.

[Maureen Conway Balko · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story

This was such a wonderful story. Well written. I couldn’t wait to get home each day and sit down to read.

[Kelly Maley rezak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be a movie. That’s it. That’s the review.