BWW Interviews: Writer and Photographer Sinead Tyrone

Sinéad Tyrone

Novelist, Poet and Photographer.

You have much love for Ireland. Do you really have 13,912 photos of Ireland?

Yes I do! I visited Ireland in 2012 and took a ton of photos, partly to capture the trip on film, and also because later, when you go to write about a place, film captures details you may have overlooked.

Will you put them in book form one day?

Not all of them! Someday, though, I would like to put out a book of the most special ones, if I can find a way to do so that isn't too cost prohibitive.

What are some of your favorite photos?

One favorite is a picture of copper vessels in a window at the Jameson's Distillery in Dublin, another a picture of a couple of copper or brass watering cans, again in a window, at Glenveigh Castle. I have a picture of rain cascading down the window at our apartment in Derry, and a sheep on the edge of a cliff at Slieve League. I have some great photos of Dunluce Castle, Donegal Castle, roadside scenes and the ocean, some great ocean pics.

When did you first discover your love for Ireland?

I've been passionate about Ireland most of my life.

Your first novel is "Walking Through The Mist". Please tell us what it's about?

Walking Through The Mist tells the story of Aidan O'Connell, a young Irish musician, and his Macready's Bridge band mates. Each of the band members has their own story line woven in among the main story. When a crisis hits Aidan's life his world falls apart, he has to learn how to rebuild his life, and each of his band mates has to come to terms with how his crisis affects them as well.

Why was this subject your first choice as a novel?

I started the novel in 2009, the year of our flight 3407 tragedy, and the year a very good friend passed away from illness. Crisis was very much on my mind at this time. I've always been intrigued by musicians' lives, so it was natural to write about them. And Ireland as a backdrop - well, that's just a given for me!

You stated you had to "step outside of my comfort zone a number of times" in order to put this book together. What was your "comfort zone" and how did you do it?

Before writing, I was not good at taking risks. I had to take many risks in order to finish and publish the book. I had to learn to be brave enough to ask people questions in research. I had to travel to another country. Making decisions on publishing was very scary, there are a number of options out there, and committing to any one path is hard, you hope you're making the right choice. I ended up signing with No Frills Buffalo, and am very happy working with them. When you put a dream, such as a novel, in final form and send it out to the world it is very scary, hoping people will like it, hoping it will be a success. There are many more comfort zones to step out of, book signings, marketing, running a website - in the end, each step comes down to identifying what has to be done, researching what is required, and remembering you have a dream and if you want that dream to come true you just have to face your fear and move forward.

You are a Poet as well. What Poetry do you love? Is it also Ireland based?

Aside from a large number of Buffalo area poets whose works I love, I love Luci Shaw's works (she's based in Washington State), and Paula Meehan, from Ireland. Also Alan Clarke from Ireland, he's an Emmy Award winning writer and actor, his poetry is stunning.

Please share a Poem with us:

Here's one of my Irish poems, about one of my favorite locations:

Dunluce Castle

- Sinéad Tyrone

Whispers echo off stone, call me back in time to when these walls, now crumbling, stood tall and strong against the ocean's wind, rose high against the coastline, sheltered their inhabitants from driving rain and raging foes.

Who lived in room after disintegrated room? What lovers' trysts were carried out at Mermaid's Cave? Ghosts cry across time, try to tell me their stories, shouts drowned by wind and the black crow's caws.

I run my hand over weather-worn stones, peer through empty windows, follow light and shadow and architectural lines all in hopes of learning the secrets your ancient walls carry, try to imagine clothes and furniture, utensils and weapons, walk away sad that your stunning outline is giving way to wind and rain and the ravages of time, carry part of you in my camera and the rest of you in my heart, my soul now a part of your story.

Any upcoming book signings you would like to talk about?

I am working on scheduling a couple of dates in Williamsville and East Aurora, but we don't have the exact dates nailed down yet. As soon as I have those dates I will post them on Facebook and also my website. I will be selling my novel and signing books at the Buffalo Irish Festival August 22 through 24 at Canalside and September 13th at Tea Leafs, 5416 Main St, Williamsville, NY beginning at Noon until 3pm, I'm very excited about those events.

Poet, Novelist and Photographer ... you keep busy. Any new art form you want to explore?

I just started writing travel articles for Travel Secrets magazine, in fact their July/August issue carries my article on Buffalo. I am working at poetry and photography ventures, and a sequel for my novel. I love textiles, lace and embroidery, and have a number of ideas I hope I have time for someday along those lines. And I keep fighting the urge to pick up a paint brush! Pretty sure I will be a horrible painter, but I will test those waters one of these days!

My website is updated every month, with different photos and travel information from my trip to Ireland, new general photos and poems, and every month I feature a new artist - the genre changes each month. We each need the support of others, and I try to spread the support around. I encourage anyone catching this interview to check out my website, not just once, but to come back to it every month for new material.

Please check out these sites to keep updated on Sinead Tyrone:

www.sineadtyrone.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Sin%C3%A9ad-Tyrone/e/B00H6XW31I

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19524879-walking-through-the-mist

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/Walking-Through-The-Mist%2FSin-ad-Tyrone/1117655972?rating=5

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