Viking at Drumshee
It’s Conn who captures Ivar, the Viking boy, and brings him home to
Drumshee. But it’s Conn’s sister Emer who realises just how useful Ivar
could be.
Conn is the youngest warrior in Prince Brian Boru’s army back in 10th
century Ireland. They have been living wild in the hills, fighting the invading
Vikings, but now the prince has no more money to feed his men.
Meanwhile, in
their settlement at Limerick, the Vikings have a huge hoard of treasure looted
the abbeys of Ireland – but they guard it closely.
And that’s when Emer has her idea…
‘Emer landed on her feet on the quay and without a backward glance at
Ivar, she set off running down the street, between the lit-p houses towards
the huge house with the roof like an up-turned house. The feasting-hall, Ivar
had called it.’
Cora Harrison writes:
I first thought of the idea for this book after reading that a stone cross at
Kilfenora, only four miles from here, had a Viking inscription on it.
I was quite surprised at that as I had always thought that the Vikings came
no further west than the city of Limerick.
Then I read a book about Brian Boru, the great 10th/11th
century Irish king and it said that before he came to his kingship Brian Boru
spent many months hiding out in this region, near to Drumshee. When I read that
I thought: why not in the underground room in Drumshee? And then the two things
began to trigger the story in my mind and I sat down and wrote the opening
words.
‘"Watch his left side! I’ll guard his back."
That was the first time that Conn heard that terrible note of fear in his
father’s voice.’
Click here to read the first chapter of the book