An Armagh woman has drawn on memories of growing up during the Troubles to create her debut novel, a story exploring fear, addiction, family life and hope.
Kate McGrail, formerly Kate McLoughlin, spent five years writing Beyond the Wall. The self-published book is set in Northern Ireland in 1973 and is now available to buy in Armagh, online and through Amazon.
A family living behind the barricades
The novel follows the Rooney family as they try to hold on to hope while living behind the barricades of Creevy Park. Their lives unfold against a background of bomb scares, army patrols and secrets kept within the community.
Its central character, Molly Rooney, lives with the threat of bomb scares and patrols while carrying secrets she cannot share. The book’s synopsis presents Molly as haunted by anxiety and drawn towards the danger she is trying to escape.
Another storyline focuses on Danny Rooney and addiction. Through his experiences, the novel examines how some people turned to self-medication and substance abuse as a way of managing anxiety during traumatic times.
Although the subject matter is serious, McGrail presents Beyond the Wall as a humorous human story designed to connect with readers regardless of their background or beliefs.
Memories of school searches and bomb scares
McGrail’s own childhood experiences in Armagh provided the foundation for the book. She remembers walking to school past the Army Barracks, where her schoolbag was searched.
She also recalls bomb scares at school that forced teachers to evacuate pupils. Those incidents, together with the wider disruption of the period, influenced her understanding of the routines, relationships and pressures of everyday life during the Troubles.
McGrail left Armagh for London when she was 18 and returned around the time of the ceasefire in 1996. Her connection to that era helped shape a novel that considers both the immediate dangers of the Troubles and the effects that continued afterwards.
She observed the period’s longer-term impact in the way people interacted with one another and treated themselves, while also witnessing recovery. As a grandmother, she is conscious that younger generations have no direct memory of the period and instead depend on the accounts and lessons passed down by those who experienced it.
Where Armagh readers can buy the novel
Writing a novel had long been a dream for McGrail, who saw it as a bucket-list ambition. A scholarship with the John Hewitt Writing School in Armagh helped establish the foundations for the book.
Early interest from readers in Australia, Belgium and Italy encouraged her to self-publish rather than wait for approval from a traditional publisher. She hopes the experience will encourage other aspiring writers to turn their ideas into books.
Local readers can buy Beyond the Wall from Macari’s Newsagent, Rocks’ Newsagents and the Post Office on Barrack Street. The novel is also available through Amazon.