Books
I never in my wildest of dreams thought I would be capable of writing a book . so when I decided to give it a try, I told no one, so there was no pressure on me to succeed and no one asking me how was progress. After about a year my wife Liz asked me was I writing a book. I denied it and answered I was only sorting out history articles I had. I wanted to be 100% sure there was going to be a book before I said anything. So when the book was being edited for printing I finally admitted to all including myself that yes I was writing a book.
I Could never find enough history about Castleboro. If I came across a book on Country Houses I would go to the index and check for the words “Castleboro” and “Carew”. Usually it was the same piece of information, nothing I didn’t know before and sometimes incorrect. So I decided to gather up as much information as I could about this place and maybe write my own book. I gave myself a timeframe of six months. After approximately three years of a concentrated effort that consumed every minute l my spare time I had a book complete and ready for the launch. Apart from a few “typers” that escaped the editing I made one big mistake. I grossly underestimated the interest in this place and the book sold out rapidly over two weeks. It is available on loan in the Co. Wexford Libraries. I have been asked many times about reprinting and I am considering doing this for Christmas 2022 as February 2023 will be the 100th anniversary of the burning of the mansion.
Out Of Print
Castleboro - A Lost Legacy
The magnificent ruins of Castleboro house stand forlornly on the landscape surrounded by farmland, a mere shadow of its former glory.
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The Carew family who built it, and were the landlords for two hundred and fifty years are all but forgotten.
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This book gives a historical insight into the Castleboro estate from its foundation to its demise and from the arrival of the Carew family to their departure.
Where The Boro Waters Flow
This book is a combination of history and poetry, largely relating to the Boro River which flows from the Blackstairs Mountains to the River Slaney south of Enniscorthy. The poems were mostly written in the 1930's and 40s by poets who lived near the Boro and often referred to it in their work, capturing the topic of the day and reflecting on their lives.
From the humorous to the sincere, from the joyful to the tragic, these verses capture the poets' thoughts and preserve their stories from a bygone era.
Available
As I was researching the book on Castleboro I came across a number of poems which I can only describe as historical poems as they held history, folklore and stories of a bygone era. I often happened on a poem that I knew would be of interest to a particular person and would bring it to them. This was what prompted me to gather them up and have a look at what I had with a view to a publication. I asked Ken Hemmingway to keep an eye out for such poems and he duly obliged. I then had to add some history in order to explain some of the poems. I also noticed that the common denominator between poem and poet was the Boro River as almost all of one or the other had a connection This brought me out of the armchair and onto the Blackstairs Mountain where over the next few weeks I followed the river from its source to the Slaney, taking photos and enjoying everything about the nature , wildlife and buildings along the way.