THE BOMBING OF the cargo ship the Sadie in this story was inspired by real events; two coal ships, the Nellie M and the St. Bedan, were sunk in the Foyle estuary in 1981 and 1982 respectively. The circumstances of the real bombings were very different to those in this book and no one was injured in the real attacks. But the bombers did board the ships via a pilot boat.
You will find neither Whitewater nor Glendara on the map of Inishowen, but many of the other places mentioned in the story do exist. Inishowen is well worth a visit. It’s beautiful.
I’d like to thank the Arts Council of Ireland for their generous financial support during the writing of this novel.
Thank you to my agent, Kerry Glencorse of Susanna Lea Associates in London, and to Laura Mamelok of Susanna Lea Associates in New York. Thank you also to my new publishing family, Oceanview Publishing, who have welcomed me so warmly and pulled out all the stops to make this book as good as it can be and ready for a new American audience.
Finally, thank you to my family and to Geoff.