The Irish Within Us

Strange things happen in Ballybeg when three distant cousins come together as the summer solstice approaches.

In the spring of 2016, newly retired Kara leaves her home in Canada on a genealogical quest to rediscover her grandfather's ancestral village on the north coast of Ireland. She is quickly captivated by Ballybeg's rural beauty; the idiosyncratic locals; the Giant's Causeway and the traditional myths and legends.

David arrives in the village with his eyes fixed on a huge development deal, which would wipe out the area's charm - if only his streak of bad luck would stop. Imogen is a conservationist who keeps herself apart from the villagers because of an old family scandal, but new circumstances may draw her back. The three clash over a reputedly enchanted grove on the townland of Lisnasidhe that generations have left untouched out of respect for the fairy inhabitants.

In Ballybeg, everyone has their opinion and no trouble in sharing it. Even the land has her own perspective of history. Then there's the greedy speculators, the unsuspecting lovers, yarnbombers, and a quirky local storyteller who may hold all the answers. And Irish fairies? Well, that depends...

Author C. A. Logan's previous writing consists of articles, plays, short stories, and ministerial memoranda. The Irish Within Us is her first novel and inspired by her genealogical research in Antrim, Northern Ireland (an area she loves to explore).

Logan retired in 2022 from Canadian Heritage's Arts Branch. Her academic studies include journalism, history, and French cultural studies, and interests include genealogy, occultism, and theatre. She is also a card-carrying Sherlockian through New York's Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes and the Bootmakers of Toronto.

Although Logan lives in Ottawa, Ontario, she is equally at home in Toronto and in Glasgow, Scotland.