I owe huge thanks to my daughter Fiona Conlon-McKenna for your belief, enthusiasm and help in researching this book.
And thanks also to my husband James for your unstinting support through all my years of writing, and to my amazing family, Mandy, Laura, Fiona and James, my sons-in-law Michael Hearty, Mike Fahy and James Hodgins, and my pets Holly, Sam, Ben and Max.
I would like to express my grateful thanks to the following people and organizations who so generously helped me with the research for this book:
Muriel McAuley, for sharing some of your Gifford/MacDonagh family memories with me, and also her daughter, Michelle Drysdale.
Meadhbh Murphy, Archivist at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, 23 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. Thanks for all your help, for giving me the tour and also for sharing information and stories of the 1916 College of Surgeons’ garrison.
Attracta Maher (née Brennan-Whitmore) and her daughter Ann, for talking to me about William Brennan-Whitmore, father and grandfather, who served as Commandant in the Earl Street garrison and for giving me a copy of his wonderful memoir Dublin Burning.
Nancy Gallagher-Scanlon, for your kindness and help with researching the Gifford family.
Ann Clare, for your years of dedication and research in compiling and writing your marvellous biography of the Giffords, Unlikely Rebels, and for kindly agreeing to talk to me.
Sandra Galligan, for telling me about your grandfather Paul Galligan’s trip to Dublin on Easter Monday 1916.
The National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin: heartfelt thanks to all the curators and librarians who so kindly assisted me during the research for this book and were endlessly patient.
Kilmainham Jail, Dublin: special thanks to its staff and the wonderful guides and curators.
The Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London: a wonderful place to visit and my special thanks go to Robert Winckworth for your assistance.
The Pearse Museum, Saint Enda’s, Rathfarnham, County Dublin.
The National College of Art and Design, Thomas Street, Dublin.
The Bureau of Military History, Dublin: thanks to Hugh Beckett and Noelle Grothier for your assistance.
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin: thanks to Harriet Wheelock.
The Church of Ireland, Representative Church Body Library, Churchtown, Dublin: thanks to Mary Furlong.
The National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin.
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London.
And a special mention for my local Libraries in Stillorgan and Deansgrange for all their help and assistance in sourcing books.
Thanks as always to Caroline Sheldon, my wonderful agent, for your loyalty, encouragement and belief in my work, and to Felicity Trew. Also thanks to Rosie Buckman, my foreign rights agent.
For my editor, Linda Evans: after years working together I will miss your good humour, friendship and encouragement. Thank you so much for everything.
Thanks to my new editors at Transworld, Harriet Bourton and Francesca Best, for your enthusiasm and for not being overwhelmed when faced with this big Irish book.
Huge thanks to my wonderful copy-editor Brenda Updegraff, production editor Vivien Thompson, Natasha Barsby and designer Sarah Whittaker. Thanks to everyone at Transworld UK for your support and hard work on yet another book.
And my special thanks to Eoin McHugh of Transworld Ireland for your support.
Thank you to all the team at Gill Hess in Dublin – Gill and Simon Hess, Declan Heaney and the wonderful Helen Gleed O’Connor – for all the years of looking after me and my books.
Thanks to Michael McLoughlin of Penguin Random House Ireland. It’s nice to work together again. Also thanks to publicity manager Patricia McVeigh for all your hard work.
Sarah Conroy, for your endless patience and help with my website.
Sarah Webb and Martina Devlin for your friendship, wisdom and encouragement.
Thanks to all my fellow writers for the endless book chats and to all my lovely friends.
And a big thank you to all the wonderful booksellers and bookshops that bring us writers and readers together.
For all my readers both at home in Ireland and overseas: thank you for being part of the journey and for reading my books.