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No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.
- H. G. Wells
Well, it’s done! As of today I have finished my first novel… But wait! In all truth, the real work starts now. This first draft – and that’s all it is – is roughly 48,000 words long. The [...]
No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.
- H. G. Wells
Well, it’s done! As of today I have finished my first novel… But wait! In all truth, the real work starts now. This first draft – and that’s all it is – is roughly 48,000 words long. The bare minimum is 60,000. Also, according to the size I will use (5.5″ x 8.5″) the book would only be 153 pages thick. I had envisioned around 300 pages to make it worth-while for the reader. It is time to add more substance.
My Favorite Short Story
Let me explain the process by referring to my favorite, yet unwritten, short story titled “The Duel”.
The German Version
First, there is what I call the German version, short, precise and to the point:
He saw him.
He shot him.
He left.
Not very satisfying, is it?
The English Non-Fiction Version
After reading a bunch of worthless books on the Irish Troubles, written by English journalists full of themselves, I have come up with the English non-fiction version:
It has been stipulated, the person, we will refer to as “A”, besides his detestable reflection, had demonstrated some abominable behavioral patterns prior to the confrontation with the subject we will refer to as “B”. One is reminded of the MKRF report – the findings of that report have also been adopted by the RTAK, an organization whose services have on occasion exploited by the British Defense Ministry, in 1999 – recognising spectacular similarities to the event in question. While bloodshed was not a preferred choice of reconciliation, it was nevertheless the most effective – as was substantiated by research activities at the UKIMA, the United Kingdom Institute for Military Absurdity in 2002. The elimination of “B” is widely considered a logical consequence of the conflict and it was accomplished in full accordance to the 1875 Treaty of Thurtherthon, Wales, which specifically outlaws coercive exercise during tea time.
If you are into this kind of style – without the humor, though – you may enjoy the following two excellent examples:
The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence by Tony Geraghty
Secret Hero: The Life and Mysterious Death of Captain Robert Nairac by John Parker
I consider reading – and consequently the writing – of either one of these books a terrible waste of time.
The American “Crime Noir” Version
Giordano Mozzarella took shelter from the falling rain at the corner of 5th and 6th Street. Once under his shelter he watched the New York rush hour traffic crawling by, waiting for his target to arrive. Mozzarella was not a handsome man. In fact, he had a face that only a mother could love. Unfortunate for Mozzarella, his mother didn’t love him. In an erratic decision earlier in her life she had refused to have more children who might turn out like him. He had tried hard to please her, but she still couldn’t find it in her heart to love him and he wondered why. Suddenly he recognized the man in a long trench coat walking towards his position next to “Yakov’s Butchery”. Mozzarella quickly took care of his running nose by pressing his finger on his left nostril, and forcefully pushing the gunk through the other into the falling rain. He checked his wrist watch, assuring it was past tea time. The Brits would have no reason to complain about his timing. Mozzarella was not a man of many words, maybe because he was mute, and when the man in the trench coat walked by him, he simply raised the 90 mm Glock and pulled the trigger. “Gotcha,” he thought. For several minutes he just stood there, watching the man die, then he checked his watch again and decided it was time to go home. Maybe this time his mother would be proud of him, now that he had killed the man from the Internal Revenue Service.
Needless to say that neither of these versions will be applied to my novel…
I had written in my very first entry on this blog that I had chosen an “easy” topic for my first novel, just to get a feel of the whole writing process. Well, the topic wasn’t easy at all and the quote “The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it” became reality. At this time I know much more about Bloody Sunday than ever before and continue to find more information.
Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.
- Plato
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
I had written in my very first entry on this blog that I had chosen an “easy” topic for my first novel, just to get a feel of the whole writing process. Well, the topic wasn’t easy at all and the quote “The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it” became reality. At this time I know much more about Bloody Sunday than ever before and continue to find more information.
I did, nevertheless, get a good feel of the writing process, even in several dimensions. First of all, I believe that my writing style has continually improved since chapter one – I am still not where I want to be, though. Through some extensive research on the writing process I have learned how important the use of a professional editing service is. I had sent my first chapter to one of these services and they worked on the first three pages without charge, just to give me a sample of their work. The result was amazing. They didn’t alter my style or the story line, but they improved the readability a great deal with only a few modifications.
I also learned that a novel should have in the neighborhood of 60,000 words (roughly 300 pages). Naturally, more than 60,000 words are allowed as well. My word count – now that I have finished chapter four – is roughly 38,000, which means that I am well on target.
The first part of chapter four was the most difficult period during the writing process and it took the longest time as well. This part involves the events of Bloody Sunday in the view of the main character, Finnean Whelan. The remaining two thirds of chapter four took only three days to write, but I have only roughly four hours per writing day available (The rest is occupied by a 23 month old boy…). Unfortunately, I have to maintain a daytime job and can only dedicate one day per week for writing.
The rest of the story line is pretty much in my head, even including dialogs, and I am hopeful to have the first draft finished by the end of May 2009. From there on I will spend more time to flesh the story line out where necessary and revise my earlier writing. I have set end of June as a target for this step. The final review by the professional editing service will take ten to fifteen days and after that I need to revise/accept their changes. All in all I am targeting end of July 2009 as the release date of my novel, The Bleeding Hills.
Supplement 07/20/2009:
Well, it is already July 2009, and we are close to publishing, however, by far not as close as originally projected. Again, we are going through a learning process.
As of today, we have the first draft (56,000+ words as of today), and I am working on adding more. The first draft has undergone the consistency editing, and I was about to pass it on to the final editing. However, in the meantime I had found a really great web site (http://www.essayrater.com). It is a paid service, and it allows you to copy and paste your text, and have it checked for a myriad of parameters. We are not talking about a simple spell/grammar check, but a very intelligent test of my writing. The first runs of the program pointed to some “problem” areas, and I decided to work on these areas before we pass the text to the final editing service. I just think, that the final result will be much better.
As of today, we are targeting end of September as the publishing date.
Last week, just out of curiosity, I signed up at a writers’ Online forum and like everybody who is new to the forum I posted an entry in the “Welcome” section. I briefly explained my current writing project, The Bleeding Hills, and received numerous responses wishing me well. All responses included links to the respondents’ individual web sites, since they all are working to extend their “awareness platform” (I still fail to understand where writing about writing improves your chances for a book deal). One entry, while written in the best of intentions, rubbed me the wrong way.
Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.
- James M. Barrie
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
Last week, just out of curiosity, I signed up at a writers’ Online forum and like everybody who is new to the forum I posted an entry in the “Welcome” section. I briefly explained my current writing project, The Bleeding Hills, and received numerous responses wishing me well. All responses included links to the respondents’ individual web sites, since they all are working to extend their “awareness platform” (I still fail to understand where writing about writing improves your chances for a book deal). One entry, while written in the best of intentions, rubbed me the wrong way.
The person, who apparently won several first prizes in short story contests, wrote “Writing a novel is hard work.” I couldn’t help to – respectfully – object to this view, but was promptly corrected by another forum member. The same happened when I posted another entry in the “Tips & Advice” section, which seems to be the domain of two elderly accomplished authors – Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong about age; what I can’t stand are old ideas and those two “mentors” were full of them. Well, I received my bashing for intruding on their turf and decided I didn’t belong here. I just feel sorry for the thousands of lost souls who dream of having their novel published, but will never make it, because they get advice from people who went through the same process too many years ago. A great deal has changed in the publishing world, but today’s added resources for being published are not welcome on this particular forum.
Anyways, let me come back to “Writing a novel is hard work.” First of all, the socialist portion of my soul tells me there is much to say about hard work, and writing a novel doesn’t come to mind. I think of the many people in this world who work hard for a living, not out of choice, but the mere instinct for survival. Writing a novel is nothing else but a privilege. Writing a novel can be time consuming, but that should not be taken as hard work. James M. Barrie’s quote really gets it down the point. If you consider writing a novel as hard work, maybe you shouldn’t be writing. It is never hard work when you love what you’re doing.
I am still working chapter 4 of my novel and this chapter has been particularly difficult, since it involves the events of Bloody Sunday on January 30, 1972. Even though this is the most difficult chapter of all, I never considered writing it as hard work. The emotions during writing can be intense and I believe, I received some concerned looks the last time I sat at my table at Panera Bread – The consumption of three large cappuccinos somehow did not help to calm me down. Every time I stop writing and drive home – merely because a wife and kid are waiting for me – I feel … elevated (Sorry, there is no better word for that feeling). Writing a novel transports you into another dimension, another time, another place, while the world around you doesn’t matter anymore. That is why writing is exciting and far away from hard work.
I have often criticized the lack of good literature explaining the events of Bloody Sunday untainted and comprehensible. I have been faced with the same dilemma, now that I am in the middle of writing chapter four of my novel “The Bleeding Hills”, where Bloody Sunday takes center stage.
Oppression can only survive through silence.
- Carmen de Monteflores
Banner and Crosses carried by the families of the Bloody Sunday victims on the annual commemoration march.
I have often criticized the lack of good literature explaining the events of Bloody Sunday untainted and comprehensible. I have been faced with the same dilemma, now that I am in the middle of writing chapter four of my novel “The Bleeding Hills“, where Bloody Sunday takes center stage.
For the record, I am not looking down on those who were present at Bloody Sunday and wrote a book about it. An atrocity like this should be a part of a well recorded history, but I also believe that, in order to spark the interest of future generations, you need to start with the basics and these basics should, first of all, not be politically tainted; consequently they will lose credibility. In regards to comprehensiveness of recorded history, it does not help to confuse the newcomer to Irish history by frequently referring to Unionists, Republicans, Loyalists, MRF, SAS, MI5, MI6, Real IRA, Continuity IRA, RUC, Provisional IRA, INLA, NICRA, Saville, Widgery, MP, PM, etc., etc., without providing a comprehensible reference. The majority of books and web sites I found on the subject were written by experts for experts, having only their own indulgence in mind. What a waste of resources and what a waste to make it so difficult for our children to understand history!
As I wrote, I have been faced with the same dilemma of describing the background of Bloody Sunday in a way that it would seamlessly fit into my story line without boring or overwhelming the reader. In my novel, the main character, Finn Whelan, is an eye-witness of the events and I needed to explain the history that led to Bloody Sunday.
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
Here is my draft version:
The British occupation of the Irish island began as early as the late twelfth century and the history of English rule is filled with attempts to annihilate the Irish identity, which bear striking characteristics of Hitler’s henchmen trying to eliminate the Jewish population in Germany, however, not quite as methodical.
History is also filled with constant acts of Irish resistance and no ruling king or parliament was ever able to solve the problem. It is said that the nineteenth century Prime Minister William Eward Gladstone tried to deal with the Irish question, but never found the answer, as the Irish continued to change the question.
December 1921 saw the signing of the ‘Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland’, which established a free Irish state with jurisdiction over twenty-six of the thirty-two counties. It also created the separate province of Northern Ireland which remained under British control. It consists of the six northeastern counties of the predominantly Protestant Ulster region.
The deal, as negotiated by the founder of the IRA, Michael Collins, did not find the approval of the entire Irish population and, even though the Republic of Ireland was officially established, the fight for an Irish reunification began. The importance of the IRA, though, endured a slow, but continuous decline until the late 1960s, which saw increased confrontations between the Civil Rights movement in Northern Ireland and British officials, especially the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the official police force in Northern Ireland.
The Civil Rights movement’s demand was, just to name one single issue, for equal voting rights. The current system allowed only house owners to vote in local elections and they were predominantly Protestants supporting British rule in Northern Ireland. The Protestant majority defended their superiority by engaging their own militias against Catholics, supported by the predominantly Protestant RUC. By the summer of 1969 these disputes reached the dimensions of an outright Civil War and in August of 1969 the British government deployed troops to Northern Ireland, with the intention to restore public order. The mission was called “Operation Banner” and was envisioned to last only a few months. As a matter of fact, Operation Banner lasted thirty-eight years; it ended at midnight on July 31, 2007 and it represents the longest deployment in the history of the British Army. More than 3500 people died and 763 soldiers were killed.
Initially, the Catholic population welcomed the presence of the army in the hope they would act as a neutral force and protect them against the RUC and loyalists. But their hopes were shattered in July 1970 during a British operation called “Falls Curfew”, which resulted in three days of rioting and battles between the British Army and Irish Republican paramilitaries. Five people were killed and three hundred were arrested. The British Army became a player in the conflict, not a referee.
This is the in-a-nutshell-history that led to the events of Bloody Sunday on January 30, 1972. There should be many more references included, but, as I wrote, I needed to be short and efficient in my novel.
According to the CAIN Web Service (see http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/sum.htm):
‘Bloody Sunday’ refers to the events that took place in Derry on the afternoon of Sunday 30 January 1972. A Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) march had been organised to protest against the continuation of Internment without trial in Northern Ireland. Between ten and twenty thousand men, women and children took part in the march in a ‘carnival atmosphere’. The march was prevented from entering the city centre by members of the British Army. The main body of the march then moved to ‘Free Derry Corner’ to attend a rally but some young men began throwing stones at soldiers in William Street. Soldiers of the Parachute Regiment, an elite regiment of the British Army, moved into the Bogside in an arrest operation. During the next 30 minutes these soldiers shot dead 13 men (and shot and injured a further 13 people) mainly by single shots to the head and trunk.
The soldiers responsible for the deaths and injuries insisted that they had come under sustained gun and bomb attack by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and only fired at people in possession of weapons. Those involved in the march, and those who witnessed the events, provided evidence that ran contrary to the evidence given by the soldiers. According to these civilian testimonies none of those killed or injured had any guns or bombs.
On March 11, the Online version of the German Newspaper “Spiegel” (the German equivalent of Time magazine) published an interview with the former IRA commander Tommy McKearney. Asked about the recent violence in Northern Ireland he said (The article is in German and I am trying to translate to the best of my abilities): “I believe, that lately a handful of people with a deadly competence joined the IRA splinter groups. In this case we are not talking about newcomers, but about experienced fighters, who had remained inactive for many years.”
Truth is more of a stranger than fiction.
- Mark Twain
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
Yes, the storyline of my book “The Bleeding Hills” is being repeated by reality. Well, just a little bit…
At the beginning of this month (March 2009) I had just finished the third chapter of my novel and let me quote an unedited excerpt:
“The leader of the conspiray is a former member of the Provisional IRA, who, until recently, had never been identified. In recent years the subject initiated contacts with another Irish terrorist organization, the so-called Real IRA.”
On March 11, the Online version of the German Newspaper “Spiegel” (the German equivalent of Time magazine) published an interview with the former IRA commander Tommy McKearney. Asked about the recent violence in Northern Ireland he said (The article is in German and I am trying to translate to the best of my abilities): “I believe, that lately a handful of people with a deadly competence joined the IRA splinter groups. In this case we are not talking about newcomers, but about experienced fighters, who had remained inactive for many years.”
In my novel I write about Finn Whelan, a former fighter for the Provisional-IRA, who was inactive for the past twenty years and who, according to MI5 reports, recently has provided the Real IRA with monetary and logistics support.
It seems that the idea behind my storyline is compliant with the reality in Northern Ireland.
British undercover operations in Northern Ireland have resulted in the unnecessary loss of lives and it is incomprehensible that British officials are not capable to learn from experience. Then again, they share this flaw with all dissident organizations opposed to the peace settlement, such as the Real IRA, Continuity IRA, and Oglaigh na hEireann.
If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.
- George Bernard Shaw
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
Yet again the idea behind my book “The Bleeding Hills” has been strikingly confirmed by the the latest attack on British soldiers on March 7th (See my blog entry March 7, 2009 – Terror Returns to Northern Ireland). In my blog entry – and my book – I refer specifically to the operations of the so-called Real IRA and, ironically, the RIRA has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Today’s Online version of The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk) reports that “in a statement, the Real IRA made no apology for shooting the delivery men (Two civilians, who delivered pizza to the barracks, were wounded), accusing them of “collaborating” with the British army by delivering food to the base.”
However, one comment in the first report of the attacks caught my attention, since my book also addresses British undercover operations in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland’s chief constable, Sir Hugh Orde, had confirmed that undercover British army troops were on paramilitary surveillance duties in Northern Ireland. In my mind I had started another blog entry, complaining that British officials are inexplicably unable to learn from past mistakes, but I have been pre-empted (if I may say so) by somebody more competent to talk about such affairs.
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams commented on Sir Orde’s statement today during an interview by BBC Radio 4, saying “The chief constable made a huge mistake bringing in undercover British army units. You don’t understand the history if you don’t appreciate that the involvement of these units in the past – totally unaccountable – has led to the same type of suffering as that that has unfortunately been endured at this time by the families of the two British soldiers who were killed.”
The history of British undercover operations, as Gerry Adams had remarked, did in many instances result in the killing of British soldiers and even, in some bizarre cases, the killing of civilians by British forces in order to discredit the IRA.
For instance, the MRF, the Mobile Reconnaissance Force, was responsible for undercover military surveillance in Northern Ireland until about 1972 when its operation was compromised. The MRF ran the Four Square laundry in Belfast, which accommodated a simple, but highly sophisticated undercover operation. It acted as a regular laundry and it used large green vans for delivery and pickups. The delivery staff would chat with locals, while two SAS soldiers, hidden inside the van, would photograph the houses, their occupants and vehicles of known Republicans. The laundry they collected was scientifically probed for traces of blood, gunpowder, and explosives. It took IRA intelligence months to uncover the operation. They detected two IRA double agents that the MRF had turned. They were interrogated and eventually spilled everything they knew about the undercover operation. On October 2nd, 1972 at 11:15 am volunteers of a special intelligence unit of the IRA ambushed one of the green Morris vans as it drove through Juniper Park. Two soldiers inside the van were killed, as was the driver, Sapper Stuart, who was on loan from his parent regiment to the SAS.
There are also recurring allegations that British Intelligence, especially the 14 Intelligence Company, cooperated with the UVF, the Ulster Volunteer Force, an illegal paramilitary organization, to organize attacks and bombings in order to blame and discredit the IRA. The 14 Intelligence Company, also known as The Det, was established in 1973 as a response to the uncovering of the MRF. The 14 Company conducted undercover surveillance operations against suspected members of Irish Republican groups and, again, there are widespread allegations that they assisted in bombings and the shooting of innocent civilians.
One of the worst incidents is the killing of the Miami Showband on 31 July 1975. The Miami Showband, one of Ireland’s most popular cabaret bands of the 1970s, comprising both Catholic and Protestant members, were travelling home to Dublin after a gig in Northern Ireland. They were stopped at a roadblock after being flagged down by men in British Army uniforms, which was a common occurrence during the troubles. One of the soldiers, who was also a UVF member, attempted to plant and hide a bomb in the minibus. The plan was that the bomb would explode some time on the way to Dublin. The assumption would have been that the members of the band were supporters of the Republican movement and had been carrying a bomb in their van, apparently with the plan to commit an act of violence. However, the bomb exploded prematurely and killed two soldiers immediately. After the explosion, the remaining UVF members opened fire on the band members and three of the musicians were killed. There are persisting rumors that Captain Robert Nairac, a British army officer and member of the 14 Intelligence Company, had organized the attack in cooperation with the UVF. It is also said, that Nairac was present at the killings.
These are only two examples of British undercover operations that resulted in the unnecessary loss of lives and it is, yet again, incomprehensible that British officials are not capable to learn from experience. Then again, they share this flaw with all dissident organizations opposed to the peace settlement, such as the Real IRA, Continuity IRA, and Oglaigh na hEireann.
Yesterday, March 7, 2009, two British soldiers were killed and four others, among them two pizza delivery men, were wounded in what is the first major terrorist attack in the province for over a decade. The shootings occurred at the Massereene army base in Antrim, 16 miles north of Belfast, at 9.40pm. One of the injured is critical, two are serious and one is serious but stable, police said today, as a major manhunt for the gunmen continued. The two soldiers who were killed were both aged in their early twenties and were due to fly to Afghanistan on active service in the coming days.
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.
- Isaac Asimov
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
Isn’t it ironic – The storyline of my novel-in-the-making “The Bleeding Hills” invokes the possibility of a plot to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland, an idea that could have been viewed as somewhat preposterous. As a matter of fact, since the Good Friday agreement of 1998, there has been a period of relative calm, not as violent as the previous 30 years.
Yesterday, March 7, 2009, two British soldiers were killed and four others, among them two pizza delivery men, were wounded in what is the first major terrorist attack in the province for over a decade. The shootings occurred at the Massereene army base in Antrim, 16 miles north of Belfast, at 9.40pm. One of the injured is critical, two are serious and one is serious but stable, police said today, as a major manhunt for the gunmen continued. The two soldiers who were killed were both aged in their early twenties and were due to fly to Afghanistan on active service in the coming days.
Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but security sources said the incident was undoubtedly the work of dissident organizations opposed to the peace settlement. There are three dominant factions – the Real IRA, the Continuity IRA and Oglaigh na hEireann (Volunteers of Ireland). The latter group is now seen as the most dangerous in Northern Ireland, comprised of experienced former Provisional IRA activists although its strongholds are far from the scene of Saturday night’s double murder. The Real IRA has a presence in Belfast, just 16 miles from Antrim where the fatal shootings took place.
In my novel I refer to the so-called Real IRA as the force behind the assassination plot. The Real Irish Republican Army was founded in October 1997 by former members of the Provisional IRA, who were dissatisfied with the direction of the Irish peace process, especially the position of Sinn Fein, the – allegedly – political arm of the IRA.
In fact, the RIRA openly seeks to disrupt the peace process in Northern Ireland. They rejected the Mitchell Principles, six ground rules that were accepted by the Irish and British governments and political parties in Northern Ireland. They also dismissed the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, comparing it to the 1921 Government of Ireland Act, which resulted in the partition of Ireland.
The RIRA’s ultimate objective is a united Ireland and in their view the only viable means to reach this goal is violence against British occupation of Northern Ireland, which included the deadliest strike of the troubles, the Omagh bombing on August 15th, 1998. Twenty-nine people were killed in the blast and 220 others injured. In my view, the RIRA lacks the sophistication to ever reach their own objective; the killing of innocent people is not suited to gain support from the Irish people.
As much as I sympathize with the thought of a reunited Ireland (After all, I come from a country that has seen reunification), I personally do not approve of such cowardly actions as they took place yesterday. The reunification in Germany was an accomplishment by the people for the people and I believe, Sinn Fein is working to find a similar solution. In the same sense let me quote former German chancellor Willy Brandt (This is a quote I remember, but couldn’t find in any recorded reference and I’m trying to translate it to the best of my abilities), who said: “What belongs together will be together in the end.” Brandt had more faith in this statement than the majority of the German population and in the end he was right.
I first heard the song The Boys of Barr Na Sraide in Ireland on the small isle of Inishbofin off the coast of Galway. My wife’s grandmother was born here and she immigrated to the United States in the early 1920s. We had visitied cousins of my wife’s, Paddy Joe and Regina King. Their son, Peadar (the Irish version of Peter), had shown me a CD by Colm O’Donnell, Farewell to Evening Dances, which he was very fond of and I share that feeling now.
Let us go singing as far as we go; the road will be less tedious.
- Virgil
I first heard the song The Boys of Barr Na Sraide in Ireland on the small isle of Inishbofin off the coast of Galway. My wife’s grandmother was born here and she immigrated to the United States in the early 1920s. We had visitied cousins of my wife’s, Paddy Joe and Regina King. Their son, Peadar (the Irish version of Peter), had shown me a CD by Colm O’Donnell, Farewell to Evening Dances, which he was very fond of and I share that feeling now.
According to Joe Byrne (Mid & North West Radio, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, Ireland) the CD, Farewell to Evening Dances, is ”a wonderful collection of traditional song, flute and tin whistle music from a naturally gifted musician” and I couldn’t have said it any better.
Barr Na Sraide - Top Street
One song in particular, The Boys of Barr Na Sraide, caught my attention. The song, according to Irish singer Tim Dennehy’s web site, “captures beautifully the essence of Cahersiveen nestled as it is between the mountain and sea”. Cahersiveen is an Irish town located at the Ring of Kerry. The song is based on a poem by Sigerson Clifford, who was born in Cahersiveen, and it tells the story of the boys of Barr Na Sraide – Top Street – who hunted for the wren. The poem recalls the life of his boyhood friends starting from when they were young children through to the Black and Tan period, and up to the civil war. The poem speaks of the Irish tradition of “hunting for the wran”, (wren), a small bird, on St. Stephen’s Day, December 26. Later set to music, the song has been recorded by numerous traditional and folk singers.
The title of Colm O’Donnell’s CD Farewell to Evening Dances is taken from the song The Hill of Knacknashee, another sentimental and lyrical ballad on the CD. I shamelessly copied the idea and took a line out of The Boys of Barr Na Sraide, the line that goes “And when the hills were bleeding and rifles were aflame…”, to use it as the title for my book “The Bleeding Hills“.
Through my research I found several, slightly different variations of Sigorson Clifford’s lyrics, but, regardless of what version you may find, they are nothing short of beautiful.
The Boys of Barr Na Sraide
O the town it climbs the mountain and looks upon the sea
And sleeping time or waking time ’tis there I long to be
To walk again that kindly street, the place I grew a man
With the boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wran.
With cudgels stout we roamed about to hunt for the dreoilín.
We searched for birds in every furze from Letter to Dooneen.
We sang for joy beneath the sky; life held no print or plan
And we boys in Barr na Sráide went hunting for the wran.
And when the hills were bleeding and the rifles were aflame
To the rebel homes of Kerry those Saxon strangers came
But the men who dared the Auxies and who fought the Black and Tans
Were the boys in Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wran.
So here’s a toast to them tonight, those lads who laughed with me
By the groves of Carhan River or the slopes of Beenatee
John Dawley and Batt Andy and the Sheehans Con and Dan
And the boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wran.
But now they toil on foreign soil where they have gone their way
Deep in the heart of London town or over in Broadway
And I am left to sing their deeds and to praise them while I can
Those boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wran
And when the wheel of life runs down and when peace comes over me
O lay me down in that old town between the hills and sea
I’ll take my sleep in those green fields the place my life began
Where the boys of Barr na Sráide went hunting for the wran.
Ar Sheilg an Dreoilín
An Irish translation of ‘The Boys of Barr na Sráide’ by Garry McMahon
Ó táimse i bhfad ó Éirinn is óm’ bhaile i gCiarraí
Ach is ró-bhuan é mo chuimhne ar an áit de ló is d’oích’,
An botháinín ‘nar saolaíodh mé i gCathair chaoin Saidhbhín
Buachaillí ó Bharr na Sráide ar sheilg an Dreoilín.
An t-aiteann bhuí, gach tor is claí, chuardaíomar iad go cruinn
Faoi scamaill dhubha gan brón ná cumha ar lorg an éinín.
Bhí gliondar inár gcroíthe do scairteamar gan sriain
Buachaillí ó Bharr na Sráide ar sheilg an Dreoilín.
Cé throid in aghaidh na Sasanaigh is ghnóthaigh clú is cáil
In aimsir na nDubhchrónach nuair a ghlaodh ar Fhianna Fáil?
B’iad na buachaillí a sheas an fód is chuir ruaig ar Sheán Buí
Buachaillí ó Bharr na Sráide ar sheilg an Dreoilín.
Is ólaimís a sláinte, na laochra a bhí lem’ thaobh,
A raibh spórt is greann ar bhruach na habhann ins na coillte i measc na gcraobh,
Batt Aindí is An Dálach, sinn ar chliathán Bhinn a’ Tí
Buachaillí ó Bharr na Sráide ar sheilg an Dreoilín.
Is táid anois thar sáile i bhfad, i bhfad i gcéin,
I Londain nó i Meiriceá agus mé anseo liom fhéin
Ach canfhadsa a moltaí go ceolmhar is go binn
Buachaillí ó Bharr na Sráide ar sheilg an Dreoilín.
Nuair a ghlaofaidh Dia na nGlór orm chun mo chodladh deireadh buan,
Ar imeall gheal na farraige sea gheobhaidh mé mo shuan,
Is luífimíd go sítheach ann ‘sna gorta glasa mín’,
Buachaillí ó Bharr na Sráide ar sheilg an Dreoilín.
My research on the subject of Bloody Sunday began almost exactly to the day one year ago. At the time I had no definite vision of my work’s format, whether it would be a non-fiction account of historical facts or if I should package the events into a novel.
The outcome of any serious research can only be to make two questions grow where only one grew before.
- Thorstein Veblen
My research on the subject of Bloody Sunday began almost exactly to the day one year ago. At the time I had no definite vision of my work’s format, whether it would be a non-fiction account of historical facts or if I should package the events into a novel. The question was, how would I separate myself from the numerous other books available on the subject? Just a quick search on Amazon.com will show you what I mean; there are a myriad of books on the Irish War and adding yet another non-fiction work would be like adding sand to the Sahara. Another circumstance that made my choice for a novel was the sober look at a simple number: The Amazon ranking. Amazon sells millions of different books and a ranking below 100,000 is not too shabby, however, most books on the Irish Troubles rank way beyond that, which accounts for a very few book sales per month throughout the entire United States.
The low ranking has, in my very personal opinion, several reasons. First of all, most books on the Irish War are either incredibly boring (they are usually written for people who already have intimate knowledge of the Irish Troubles) or are so politically tainted that you need to doubt their credibility. The other reason may be plain lack of interest in an event, such as Bloody Sunday, that took place more than 30 years ago. Well, I am almost sure there is some good literature out there, but none of them sticks out far enough to separate themselves from the masses.
Consequently, after a few weeks of intense research, I had made my decision to write a novel and embed some Irish history into the storyline, just enough to not be boring, but tickle the readers’ curiosity. Maybe they will feel inspired to go to their local library, bookstore, or even Online, eager to learn more about a topic that deserves more attention than it currently receives.
Besides writing I also create my own covers and I had decided it would be best to use a photo related to Bloody Sunday. The previous research had provided me with a small number of contacts and as it turns out my first contact was also where I got the photo I liked best. That contact was Mary Andrews, Pictures Syndication Manager of the Guardian and Observer. It was very uplifting to receive a response per e-mail that started with a “Hiya, Wilfried.” She offered me a number of photos, most of them relating to the recent Bloody Sunday inquiry (or to use proper English: enquiry), which would have been an interesting choice, but I felt they were not quite right considering the storyline of my novel. One photo, though, caught my attention from the beginning; it is described as Boys Playing In The Bogside Catholic Neighbourhood Of Derry, A Republican Stronghold In Northern Ireland, Antonio Olmos, 01 July 2002.
The events of Bloody Sunday took place in the Bogside neighborhood. The black & white photo shows, besides the boys playing, a large sign in the background “Free All Political Prisoners“. What I liked about the picture is the contrast between the playing children and the political message placed in a neighborhood where thirteen civil rights protesters, six of whom were just seventeen years old, were killed by members of the 1st Battalion of British Parachute Regiment. I obtained the copyright later that year, which also included a very pleasant phone conversation with Mary as she took my credit card number.
I would also like to thank Adrian Kerr of the Derry Journal for his efforts. The Derry Journal owns some few photos related to Bloody Sunday, but they were taken either before or after the events. You can find a number of photos of the victims on their web site (http://www.derryjournal.com/), but as Adrian told me, victim photos belong to the individual families.
Another possible source of authentic photographs was Eamon Melaugh, a photographer, who owns an extensive collection of photos made during and after Bloody Sunday. He also maintains a very impressive web site on the subject, but I have to say he was a vast disappointment. I wrote several inquiries per e-mail, which he chose not to answer.
Well, after all, I am very satisfied with my current choice.
Supplement 07/20/2009:
The Bleeding Hills by Wilfried F. Voss
Maybe I should have done this much earlier, but, now that we are getting closer to actual publishing, I looked into the terms & conditions allowing me to use the cover photo. The terms did not allow me to modify the photo, which limited the design choices for the nice cover. As a result, the cover looked too bland, and we decided to change it. Another reason is, that the royalties I paid are based on a sales volume of up to 100 copies, and I am sure it will sell better than that. We downloaded a nice picture at BigStockPhoto.com, meaning there are no royalties involved.
Well, as I wrote before, this entire process was supposed to give me a look & feel of publishing a novel, and I can say, I have learned a lot.
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry
The story line behind my novel “The Bleeding Hills” would not be complete without a look into the two inquiries of Bloody Sunday, the Widgery Report of 1972 and the official Bloody Sunday Inquiry initiated in 1998.
…. that a Tribunal be established for inquiring into a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely the events on Sunday 30 January 1972 which led to loss of life in connection with the procession in Londonderry on that day, taking account of any new information relevant to events on that day.”
Mr Tony Blair MP, The Prime Minister
Statement to the House of Commons
29 January 1998
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
The story line behind my novel “The Bleeding Hills” would not be complete without a look into the two inquiries of Bloody Sunday, the Widgery Report of 1972 and the official Bloody Sunday Inquiry initiated in 1998.
The Widgery Tribual was held in the immediate aftermath of the events of Bloody Sunday; it was conducted by Lord Chief Justice Widgery. The Widgery Report which was produced 11 weeks after the day, but it was widely criticized as a whitewash.
The conclusion was:
• That shots had been fired at the soldiers before they started the firing that led to the casualties;
• That, for the most part, the soldiers acted as they did because they thought their standing orders justified it;
• And that although there was no proof that any of the deceased had been shot while handling a firearm or bomb, there was a strong suspicion that some had been firing weapons or handling bombs in the course of the afternoon.
Click here to read the full Widgery Report.
In his 29 January 1998 statement, the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said the following:
“The time scale within which Lord Widgery produced his report meant that he was not able to consider all the evidence that might have been available. For example, he did not receive any evidence from the wounded who were still in hospital, and he did not consider individually substantial numbers of eye-witness accounts provided to his inquiry in the early part of March 1972. Since the report was published, much new material has come to light about the events of that day. That material includes new eye-witness accounts, new interpretation of ballistic material and new medical evidence.
:
I have been strongly advised, and I believe, that there are indeed grounds for such a further inquiry. We believe that the weight of material now available is such that the events require re-examination. We believe that the only course that will lead to public confidence in the results of any further investigation is to set up a full-scale judicial inquiry into Bloody Sunday.”
Click here to read the full statement.
Even though the judges retired on November 23, 2004, there has been no measurable result to this day. Statements regarding a possible publication of the Inquiry’s Report have been modified from year to year. The current statement on the Wikipedia web site is that the publication “was expected at the end of 2007, or possibly early 2008.” – Note: This blog entry was written on March 22, 2009.
Supplement – March 23, 2010
Here we go again. A year after my last entry on the topic of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry there is still no report on the events of Bloody Sunday. See the following references:
Bloody Sunday families angry at Saville delay
There is growing anger amongst the Bloody Sunday families that they may not see the report into the killings until after the general election. On Monday, Secretary of State Shaun Woodward said the document would remain with Lord Saville if Parliament is dissolved before it has been checked. Government advisers are reviewing it to ensure it does not endanger anyone or breach national security. Read more…
SEE ALSO
March 19, 2010 - Bloody Sunday report plan changed
February 23, 2010 - Sunday families want report date
September 23, 2009 - New delay to Bloody Sunday report