About the author:

 

 

My name is Michael Clemenger and my autobiography was published by O’ Brien Press in 2009 called Holy Terrors. This book was subsequently published by Ebury Press in the UK in 2012 and called Everybody Knew and sold well there and then in 2015 it was translated into French and called Dans L’enfer de L’orphelinat. It sold over 90,000 copies in total.

I have worked as a psychiatric nurse and as a lecturer and I am now retired enjoying playing golf, reading, writing and travelling with my wife.

 

I have written a number of poems and short stories and had some of them published in Writing.ie magazine. I also write plays, both full plays and one acts.

Choice Publishing Book Store

THE SECRET OF

THE CLAY

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Michael Clemenger

 

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ISBN: 978-1-917242-43-1

 

Price:  € 14.99 plus P&P (Irish Address)

 

 

 

For international shipping, please click below:

 

 

About the Book:

 

 

This book was written out of years of curiosity about the iconic image of Padraic Pearse’s surrender to the British forces commanding Officer Major General WHM Lowe in the 1916 Rising in Dublin Ireland. This image had a pair of concealed ankles of a woman whose name I did not know. Why she had been whitewashed out of the surrender picture I presumed was political.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a full-sized portrait of this iconic picture go on display in Seanad Eireann recently.

At last, I had a name for the concealed ankles – Elizabeth O Farrell. I decided to find out more about her. I could never have imagined the exciting journey of discovery I was about to encounter.

Elizabeth O Farrell was born in Dublin in 1883 and joined Cumann na Bhan in her early 20’s along with her closest friend Sheila Grenan. They both became involved in the politics of the 1913 workers strike, locally known as the lockout for better pay and conditions for workers.

In writing this historical fiction account of the role of Elizabeth O Farrell and Sheila Grenan I have tried to give a flavour of the life these women chose to live together as one, until the death of Elizabeth in June 1957. I dedicate this book ‘The secret of the clay’ to all the inseparable women that Elizabeth and Sheila were fortunate to know.