Michael McLaverty (1904 to 1992) was born in County Monaghan and then moved as a child to Belfast where he spent the bulk of his life. He was a teacher and a principal in addition to writing two novels and a number of short stories about life in Northern Ireland. During Irish Short Story Month Year Two in March 2012, I posted on a classic story by McLaverty "The Poteen Maker" about a school teacher who makes home brewed whiskey. This was in part an act of rebellion against the government.
"The Road to the Shore" is a wonderful story about the once a year road trip that a group of nuns make to the shore. The personalities of the nuns and their relationship to the mother superior are beautifully developed. You can tell the simple pleasure of this trip means so much to the women. McLaverty makes us feel the beauty of the drive through the wondrous Irish countryside. I do not want to spoil the plot action of this story other than to say I loved the close of story and the gentle wisdom of the reverend mother.
Do you have a favorite Irish short story? Please let us know in a comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment