History
This talk will cover the background history, how the novel came about, the importance of the nearby Gormanston Camp, and its switch from an RAF base to a centre for the Black and Tans, and how the burning of Balbriggan 100 years ago, with loss of civilian life, caused questions to be raised in parliament at Westminster. As part of the talk he will read the climactic scene from Pawns in which Balbriggan is set ablaze. Brian Gallagher is a full time writer whose plays and short stories have been produced in Ireland, Britain & Canada. His novels for adults Invincible, Flight, Payback and Pursuit have won widespread acclaim and in more recent times he has produced an array of historical fiction books for older children including Across the Divide, Taking Sides, Storm Clouds, Friend or Foe, Arrivals and Resistance. He is currently working on a new novel Making a Stand due for publication in Spring 2021.