MICHAEL SHEANE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Michael Steven Sheane is now in his seventies, and was educated mainly at Orange’s Academy, Belfast, and attended Trinity College, Dublin. Orange’s Academy was a small private school of mixed Catholics and Protestants in the centre of the city. A lot of his time was spent living in Ballygally on the Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland. In the past he has contributed widely to press, radio and television in Ulster. He spent six years at BRMB Radio, Birmingham where he was Ireland political correspondent. Michael is presently researching books and articles on selected areas of Scotland that in the past have been connected with the North of Ireland. He is now publishing this, his latest book, The Picts: The Painted People, set in the Highlands of Scotland.
THE CELTIC SUPERNATURAL
The Celts believed that the supernatural pervaded their lives and surroundings. Magic and the observance of rituals dominated their lives, and consequently their magician caste – the Druids – held a position in society above even kings. The Druids’ role was critical, providing a link between the Celtic people and the supernatural world.
Yet the Druids kept no written record. Their rituals and observances were passed on orally. Roman and early church historians considered them too barbarous or heathenish to merit detailed examination.
We turn therefore to the archaeological record, where, from an abundance of Celtic sites, from Ireland to La Tène, our knowledge of their belief system continues to grow.
Grace O'Malley: Pirate Sea Queen of Ireland
Grace O’Malley, better known in Ireland as Granuaile, was a pirate queen infesting the coast of Eirinn and further afield in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Powerful on both land and sea, she commanded a large fleet of ships as well as leading her own army into battle. This fascinating book from Michael Sheane explores the reality behind the myths and legends that have been told about O’Malley – a story that is no less amazing once fact becomes separated from fiction. From her earliest days learning the ways of the sea to her death in the same year as England’s Queen Elizabeth, this book shines a spotlight on the incredible life of Gráinne Mhaol, as she is still known as in Irish Folklore to this day.