The past two years have been traumatic. So when my book finally came out and the Liverpool Institute of Irish Studies (really Viola Segeroth and Clare Downham) announced they were hosting a book launch, it was a mixed bag of emotions. I couldn’t pass up the launch of my first book but at the same time the biggest wave of covid was hitting Europe and there was a possible union strike on the day planned. Two weeks before the day, the strike was moved to the end of the month and covid numbers were falling fast, so the announcements went out.
It was also good timing because I was asked to contribute to a team-taught module at the Institute of Irish Studies that same week and some family happened to be visiting from far (and not so far) away. Things were going well until the train ride from London to Liverpool with visiting family. There was apparently a Liverpool soccerball match on earlier that day and there was a group of large, drunk teenagers on the train. After several ‘ah come on now, ye know yerselfs’, they let us have our seats and decided to just stand in the aisle next to us and shout, sing and wolf whistle (cat-call). At Lime St, in the taxi queue, a woman got out of a cab and smashed her musical instrument. Was this whole trip a mistake?
We thought Patty’s Day* would be a good time for a book launch on medieval Irish history
*Patricus=Patrick=Patty, I will not be taking questions on this
In typical Irish fashion, I was three minutes late to every class meeting which apparently is not a thing at Liverpool. It wasn’t intentional, I was just lost as every meeting was in a different room. Other than that, the rest of the week went grand. We had brunch at The Alchemist, the waiter was a great performer. Saw Cherry Jezebel at Everyman Theatre. And meat pies at the wood-grained, old-boys’ Philharmonic Dining Rooms. Although I did get dragged to something about beatles, I was never big on entomology.
The launch itself was better than expected. 26 people came in-person and 30 attended by zoom. That morning I had received my only physical copy of my most recent journal article which I was not able to cite in the book due to timing (it was not accepted on the day the final edits of the book were due). So I was able to update one of my obscure footnotes in the book. The article will be online open access in early 2023 due to an embargo. After 30 or 40 minutes of me rambling, the attendees were able to ask some questions and then flee to the closest pub. Two Irish lads had heard about the launch while in Liverpool and came along. After many ‘go ons’ from one to the other, the other asks if the book is all ‘good’ stories. I assured them both that it is not and told them about a man named Richard who killed his Gaelic wife, Padóg, and was not charged with any crime or even fined. I also told them about Sefraid Ó Fearghail, taisech of Anghaile (my article on him is coming in History Ireland soon, will update when it’s out). They said they were going to buy copies of the book after that, so I hope ye enjoy it!
Next time, on Adventures in de Academie™, will our heroes be able to get passports or will they deported?