Buffalo Literature Conversations

By P.A. Kane

Buffalo-based novelist and poet Sinead Tyrone has a favorite quote, popularly attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Dream no small dreams; they have no magic to stir men’s souls.

Dreams are not a problem for Maggie McCleary and Bree Holloran, the main characters in Tyrone’s new novel, Nathaniel’s Place. Maggie has recently been downsized out of a teaching job, and Bree is getting over a bad divorce. When Maggie receives an unexpected inheritance from her absent father, both women find a chance to realize their dreams. 

Set in Northern Ireland, this is the inspiring story of two women trying to muster the courage to get out from under their past and live their dreams. Rich in Irish history, visually appealing and rife with obstacles to slow the best friends down, Nathaniel’s Place is a quest of overcoming fear and doubt in pursuit of living life to its fullest.

Sinead Tyrone is the author of five novels and two volumes of poetry. She likes reading, photography and playing guitar. We talked to her about her new novel, Nathaniel’s Place. 

PAK—There are many Irish emigration stories to America. One thing that pops right away about Nathaniel’s Place is that it’s the opposite. Why did you want to write about an American emigrating to Ireland?

ST—A lot of people dream of living in other countries, especially people who travel to foreign destinations. There are many people who would love to live in Ireland, myself included, but whether for the restrictions involved or personal choices that leave them tied to home, moving to Ireland is not an easy step. In Nathaniel’s Place people can fulfill their dream of living in Ireland without making that difficult transition.

PAK—Your novel traces the heritage of the McCarey family back to the 1830s in Northern Ireland. Is this a fictional or a real family? Or maybe just a typical Irish story that lives on both sides of the Atlantic?

ST—The characters in Nathaniel’s Place are completely fictitious, but very much representative of a real family. The experiences of Nathaniel in the preface are inspired by the life events, famine experiences, prejudices and mistreatment many Irish would have faced during that time. When we move to the present-day narrative of the story, it is very much representative of what life in Ireland and Northern Ireland in particular, where the main story takes place, would be like.

PAK—You cover a fair amount of Irish history and historic sites in Ireland in the novel. Do you consider yourself strictly an Irish writer? How much time did you spend in Ireland researching for the book?   

ST—I hesitate to label myself as strictly an Irish writer, because I don’t like to limit myself or my audience. One of my novels and much of my poetry are not Irish themed. However, I do write a great deal about Ireland because I’m so passionate about that country. Nathaniel’s Place drew on research and experiences from my trips to Ireland in 2012, 2016 and 2023, from sights that I had seen and history I had uncovered during those visits, as well as a good deal of research I conducted in between those trips.

PAK—The Bree character is a would-be interior decorator. Thus, the novel is very visual and detail-oriented, as seen in the descriptions of Allynwood castle, and the little restaurant with the low thatched roof and stained-glass windows. You have a nice light touch with it — creating imagery without burying the reader in it. Is design one of your passions, or is the visual aspect something you needed for this character and this novel?

ST—I’m a very visual-oriented writer in general, in both my poems and my novels. In Nathaniel’s Place, Bree’s character was inspired by my friend Beth Ostrowski, who has a wonderful talent for interior design. In fact, the idea for this book first arose in 2012, when Beth and I visited Ireland. We stayed one night at a castle that at that time was in need of a facelift. During the remainder of our trip we discussed writing a book where one of the characters would help renovate the castle. Most of the visual detail for the castle renovations was suggested by Beth, using the castle we stayed in as the foundation.

PAK—Maggie McCarey, the books’ main character, wants to make Nathaniel’s cottage into a little bookstore and goes to see the Gaffney historian, Liam, for advice on how to deal with townspeople and allay their fears that she’ll try to Americanize Gaffney. Liam states that, “Many people here live small lives. By small, I mean they don’t carry many dreams inside them.” In a historical sense I would argue this is the struggle of all oppressed people. Is that struggle still alive in Ireland today?

ST—Throughout the world you can find people who live “small lives,” who carry dreams inside them but fear of failure or the hard work involved in earning enough to provide food and shelter for themselves and their loved ones prevents them from reaching for those dreams. In Ireland and Northern Ireland it is still true that there are limited opportunities to fulfill dreams, especially in smaller towns like the one Gaffney is modeled after.

PAK—Your novel, Space Between The Notes is about a heavy metal band. Given that U2 is at least the No. 6 best music act coming from the Emerald Island, who are the top five among: Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy, The Pogues, Flogging Molly and The Cranberries?

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• 2.
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• 6. U2

ST—I would actually list Van Morrison first, as I’m a huge fan of his and got to see him perform live in Ireland, and I would list U2 second as they are so globally recognized. Then I would list Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, The Pogues and Flogging Molly. I would also add a sixth, Pat McManus, who found international fame first with Mama’s Boys, then Celtus, and now with his own Pat McManus Band. He has a large following and is a real powerhouse musician.

PAK—Indirectly, Nathaniel’s Place is a story of family — the toil and hardship of an Irish family that, in its present form, is disconnected, dysfunctional and almost extinct. Despite setbacks, Maggie is steadfast about opening the bookstore. Is there an overriding grit in Irish families to honor the past and their forbearers?  

ST—Keep in mind that Maggie was born and raised in America, so part of the dysfunction and disconnect comes from her American roots. But yes, the Irish are very proud, determined people. Ireland has only regained its independence a hundred years ago, and Northern Ireland is still not independent. Irish ancestors had to overcome famine, invasions, prejudism, ill treatment and the challenge of surviving a sometimes harsh landscape. Family and ancestral pride still run deep in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with some tracing their lineage to the high kings and royalty of Ireland.

PAK—I was drawn to the poems in your book Fragility. I appreciated the direct language that isn’t shrouded in metaphor and the thread of how everyday things are beautiful and fleeting if we can slow down for a moment to see them. This is a bit of a departure from your Irish theme. What inspired these poems?

ST—All while I have written novels I have also written poetry. My poems cover a very wide range of topics. When I started pulling together the poems for Fragility I chose poems that fit that theme, I didn’t start out with the theme and then set out to write poems around it. The idea of fragileness is a constant theme in nature, in relationships, in faith and in reaching for dreams. I had many poems that fit that concept and the collection was easy to pull together.

PAK—You and I follow each other on social media, and I saw you post that a short story was “rolling around in your mind,” and you were “waiting for the main character to tell you the story.” A few days later, I saw you posted it was done. Was it that loose for Nathaniel’s Place? Sort of like — a girlfriend story set in Northern Ireland — and go. How do you decide what to write about, and how do you execute it? And is it the same as with your poems?  

ST—With both my novels and my poems I write what stirs my heart, what I feel passionately about. For my novels, I start with a general idea and almost always know how the novel will end before I start writing. I am moved by characters that find themselves in particular circumstances in life and how those circumstances impact them and are resolved. Poems, being so much shorter, rise out of a deep feeling in my heart about whatever the subject matter is, how I can relate that feeling to readers in a way that will move them. In most cases poems come to me rather whole, and are written in a short space of time. As for the short story, this is the first time I’ve written a short story. The setting and main character came to me, and it was fairly easy to write as I was dealing with one particular event. I focused on one main character, added a few secondary characters relevant to the story, and then related how that one event impacted the main character.

PAK—What are you working on now, and when will we see it?

ST—Right now I’m focused on marketing and drawing attention to Nathaniel’s Place; it’s a strong story and deserves recognition. I have a large number of poems written so in the near future will start pulling together a new poetry collection. I have readers who want a sequel to The Space Between Notes, and others who are already asking for a sequel to Nathaniel’s Place. I also have a new short story in mind, and rough preliminary notes for a couple of other novels. We’ll see where the Muse next drives the pen!