I is for ....

1) Imagination. So important, both for the author, and for the reader. When I read, I go into another world, and my mind’s eye produces the pictures for me - so much so that I am usually disappointed in the films made from books- the pictures are rarely right! The world within my book,“Despite the Angels”, is imaginary, and I hope potential readers will take it as such, and enjoy the story. Some people have said to me “Oh, but I don’t believe in angels (or reincarnation)”. So what? I don’t believe in talking rabbits, but can enjoy Alice in Wonderland; or flat worlds, but love Terry Pratchett’s discworld series. Animal Farm became famous though no one thinks pigs can actually talk! This is all possible because we all have Imagination, and the ability to let go of the mundane, and let our minds roam free.

2) Irish College. I am Irish, and in Ireland it is still compulsory to learn the Irish language. In fact when I was in school, if you didn’t pass Irish you didn’t get your Leaving Certificate. (A Levels/High school graduation). So summer schools were popular, as a month of total immersion was supposed to make us fluent. I thoroughly enjoyed my month at “Trabolgan”, (then a boarding school which acted as an Irish College for girls in the summer, but now a holiday camp), but I never became fluent. The way Irish was taught, as though it was a dead language, was not designed to produce either Irish speakers, or people full of love of the language. In fact, I think the language has survived despite being compulsory, not because of it. I can say only a few useless phrases, and more importantly, never need to...

3) Ipecacuanha is a great remedy for cough which ends up as gagging or vomiting