Neil Hegarty
In 1998, leaving university, Neil worked as an editor for a dot com travel company. Then, turning 30, he started sketching out a novel. And though the idea for his debut came some 10 years ago,…
Caroline Preston
As a solicitor, a partner and head of department at A &L Goodbody, Caroline’s writing was confined to letters and reports. And when she came across some interesting family history, researched it, and wanted to write…
Sara Alexander
Sara started acting at 9 years old. In work ever since, in the theatre film and TV, (apart from breaks to travel,) she’s appeared in Harry Potter, Dr Who and Franco Zeffirelli’s Sparrow. Writing came to…
Ciaran McMenamin
Always good at creative writing, Ciaran parted company with school before taking his A’levels. After a while he left Enniskillen for Glasgow to attend drama school. Then, moving to London, he began to act, and has…
Lisa Harding
Loving languages, Lisa aimed to join the European parliament, but at university she got wrapped up in Trinity Players. After a year spent travelling she studied acting, then spent four years in Ireland, appearing in The…
Peter Dunne
The son of writer Lee Dunne, Peter started writing in his teens. And, after penning some terrible novels, he got a publishing deal at 25. “I was thrilled, but it fell apart very quickly, because I…
Conor Bowman
Conor decided to be a writer at 14, when his English teacher, Des Egan, said, ‘Books don’t always have to be written by other people.’ “That really impacted on me,” says Conor. He wrote poems and…
George Costigan
A former failed accountant, record salesman and wood-cutter, George then became an actor. After drama school, he joined the Liverpool Everyman, where he met writers Alan Bleasdale, Willie Russell and Chris Bond. “By the end of…
Ger Reidy
Son of a farmer, Ger wasn’t a reader because on a farm there was always something to be done. “I came to literature as a teenager through the lyrics of Bob Dylan and Tom Waites.” After…
Alan McMonagle
As a child Alan penned epic adventure and science fiction stories, but he stopped writing for many years. After school, he took a diploma, then he drifted through his twenties. “I spent time in London and…
Ally Bunbury
Ally was brought up in a beautiful but basic rambling house in Monaghan, with three sisters and 56 varieties of animals including ponies, a pig, and a goat. Between school and college she spent a year…
Andrew Tierney
An architectural historian, Andrew has taught in various places, including UCD – where he specialised in The Irish Country House, and Liverpool, where he taught Irish Studies. He works for the Buildings of Ireland charitable trust,…