An Armagh Childhood

The stunningly honest story of a boy's childhood and adolescence in a small town and its boarding college. "Michael Quinn, the little devil of a child, has produced something of a masterpiece. I enjoyed this book tremendously and was staggered at how he maintained the pace, the unfolding of the story, the child’s mind. His spare way of writing is masterful - first person, present tense, not a word wasted, with little shocks thrown in to keep the reader alert. I loved his riveting candour, his sense of humour and his impressive descriptive power - the atmosphere of a small town in Northern Ireland in the 1940s is so well created – I recognise it for I lived in Dromore and Omagh in those years. His handling of the Catholic-Protestant reality is cleverly worked – only a tiny bit, but just right. And then all the wonderful childhood episodes that are so authentic, with the endlessly oppressive presence of the Irish Catholic Church. We laugh bitterly about it now, but the Calvinist attitudes drained a lot of the sweetness out of life. I was moved to tears by this book, sometimes by heartbreak and sometimes by the humour. I hope the author is up to Michael Quinn Part Two!" - Dr Dan McCarthy, Limerick. "This writing can stand up to the best work I've read in this genre. At times it fizzes along with all the excitement, fear and curiosity that can be so hard to capture when writing about childhood. I have purchased a set of books for my 'A' level creative writing module." - Mel McMahon, teacher, writer, Abbey Press publisher. "There are moments of sheer inspiration in this. Michael Quinn has a strong sense of the tactility of the world around him - sounds, sights, smells. There is also a remarkable candour to the piece, and the underlying portrait is very sympathetic." - Tess Hurson, poet and critic.