Programme

Lunchtime Talk at the Hugh Lane Gallery

In tandem with Dublin City Council’s One Dublin One Book, which in 2023 is The Coroner’s Daughter by Andrew Hughes, join us for an illustrated ‘virtual tour’ with art lecturer Aoife Convery exploring nineteenth century and early 20th century Dublin as depicted by artists in the Hugh Lane Gallery collection.

This is an in-person event.

Join us in the atmospheric surroundings of the Hugh Lane Gallery, where Niall MacMonagle will be in conversation with author Andrew Hughes to discuss his journey from archivist to writer of historical fiction, and to explore the themes, settings, and characters of his novels The Coroner’s Daughter and The Convictions of John Delahunt. The night will include dramatic readings from The Coroner’s Daughter by actors Julie Crowe and Shane O’Regan as well as music from the 19^th Century performed by the Dublin String Quartet.

The event will be introduced by Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy and Minister Catherine Martin, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Andrew Hughes was born in Wexford and educated at Trinity College, Dublin. A qualified archivist, he worked for RTÉ before going freelance. It was while researching his social history of Fitzwilliam Square – Lives Less Ordinary: Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Square, 1798-1922 – that he came across the true story of John Delahunt, a Victorian murderer and Dublin Castle informer. His debut novel, The Convictions of John Delahunt, was shortlisted for the Bord Gáis Irish Crime Book of the Year. The Coroner’s Daughter, a tale of a young lady sleuth operating at the dawn of forensic science, was nominated for the CWA Historical Dagger. Andrew lives in Drumcondra, where he continues to work on archival and historical research projects, as well as Dublin-set crime fiction.

Formed in 2008, Dublin String Quartet is one of Ireland’s finest string Quartets. The members of the quartet are all graduates of Music Conservatoires who perform regularly with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of the National Concert Hall. They gained their Masters Degree in Chamber Music Performance with the world renowned Vanbrugh Quartet in DIT in 2011 and since then have been performing at weddings all over Ireland, recording soundtracks and performing at Festivals such as Glastonbury, Electric Picnic and Body & Soul. Individually and collectively, they have performed with artists such as Kodaline, The Coronas, Michael Bublé, Jamiroquai, Richard Clayderman, Julie Feeney, Il Divo, Jack L and Sinead O’Connor. Their musicians have also performed at events such as the MTV European Music Awards, Meteor Awards, and the Late Late Show performing with artists such as Kanye West, Smokey Robinson, Harry Connick Jnr, The Coronas, Jamiroquai, Colm Wilkinson, Declan O’Rourke, Richard Clayderman, Julie Feeney, Bell X1, Il Divo, Imelda May, Sinead O’Connor and Aslan.

Niall MacMonagle, writer, interviewer, critic, taught English for many years and has edited several anthologies including the Lifelines books, Slow Time, The Open Door Book of Poetry, TEXT A Transition Year English Reader, the Poetry Now anthologies for Leaving Certificate and Windharp Poems of Ireland since 1916. He writes a weekly art column for the Sunday Independent and in 2017 was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by UCD for services to Literature.

How do you go about writing historical fiction? How do you do the research and what are the pitfalls to avoid?

The School of English, Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with The Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute, and Dublin City Libraries, is delighted to bring you this online interview with Andrew Hughes, author of the 2023 One Dublin One Book Choice The Coroner’s Daughter.

Andrew will be in conversation with acclaimed novelist Deirdre Madden, who teaches Creative Writing in the TCD Oscar Wilde Centre.

All welcome at this free event. Please register in advance on Eventbrite.

Andrew Hughes and Nicola Cassidy will be joined by author and RTÉ journalist Sinéad Crowley to talk about writing vivid and authentic female protagonists in historical crime novels, as well as the inspiration and research required to capture the voices and perspectives of women in the past.

Andrew Hughes born in Co. Wexford, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. A qualified archivist, he worked for RTÉ before going freelance. His debut novel, The Convictions of John Delahunt, was shortlisted for the Bord Gáis Irish Crime Book of the Year. The Coroner’s Daughter was nominated for the CWA Historical Dagger.

Nicola Cassidy is an author, ghostwriter and screenwriter, from Co. Louth, Ireland. She has published four historical fiction novels and has a particular interest in 19th and early 20th century true stories. Her latest book, The Emerald Spy tells the true story of Jewish refugees who were given refuge in Co. Louth in 1939. She has a number of screen projects in development and was named a winner in the All Ireland Screenwriting Prize in 2021 and a finalist in BBC Writer’s Room Northern Ireland Writer’s Award in 2022.

Sinéad Crowley, is the Arts and Media Correspondent for RTÉ News. She is also a lecturer in journalism at Dublin City University and the bestselling author of four crime novels. Her latest novel is The Belladonna Maze.

Author Andrew Hughes will read from The Coroner’s Daughter and talk about the inspiration for the novel as well as his experience writing it.

Copies of the novel are available to borrow from your local library.

As the Institute of English Studies at the University of Warsaw celebrates its 100th anniversary, book club members and reading groups will join Professor Barry Keane and author Andrew Hughes as they discuss The Coroner’s Daughter, the 2023 One Dublin One Book choice.

5pm Irish Time. 6pm Warsaw Time.

A talk by James Scannell from the Old Dublin Society about the police intelligence reports from various newspapers around the time period of The Coroner’s Daughter (1800s) highlighting how offenders were treated.

This One Dublin One Book performance by traditional singer Pádraig Ó Nualláin will include songs and the stories behind the songs accompanied by a visual presentation, from the 18^th to 20^th century of serial murderers, executions, hauntings and grave robbing.

Pádraig Ó Nualláin is a traditional singer from Dublin with a keen interest is social history. He is a graduate of Ceoltóir, HND in traditional music at Ballyfermot College of Higher education. His previous work includes song and visual presentation detailing the stories behind the songs. His performances include Dublin songs 18th to 20th century. He has performed at the Jonathan Swift festival, Arthurs, The Pipers Club, Christchurch Cathedral music room and in various libraries around Dublin amongst other venues. He also regularly attends and sings at “An Góilín” traditional singers club in the Teachers club and “The Night Before Larry Got Stretched” traditional singers club at The Cobblestone.

Drawing room intrigue, revelry and romance, hidden rooms and buried secrets

In the wonderful surrounds of the Goethe-Institut, a splendidly refurbished Georgian house in Merrion Square, Andrew Hughes will be joined by author Sam Blake to discuss the atmosphere, sense of place, and plot inspiration provided by grand old houses in historical fiction.

Sam Blake is the No 1 bestselling author of the Cat Connolly procedural series and bestselling psychological thrillers Keep Your Eyes on Me, The Dark Room, Remember My Name and The Mystery of Four. She’s been shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year three times and 2023 sees the release of her much anticipated YA debut Something Terrible Happened Last Night. Sam is the founder of the Murder One International Crime Writing Festival and the award winning writing resources website Writing.ie. 

Andrew Hughes is a qualified archivist who worked for RTÉ before going freelance. It was while researching his social history of Fitzwilliam Square – Lives Less Ordinary: Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Square, 1798-1922 – that he came across the true story of John Delahunt, a Victorian murderer and Dublin Castle informer, which inspired his debut novel. The Convictions of John Delahunt was shortlisted for the Bord Gáis Irish Crime Book of the Year. The Coroner’s Daughter, a tale of a young lady sleuth operating at the dawn of forensic science, is the One Dublin One Book choice for 2023.

*Please note this venue is not wheelchair accessible.

Murder and skulduggery from regency Dublin to pre-war London.

Andrew Hughes and Henrietta McKervey will be joined in conversation by Declan Burke to discuss creating immersive settings and authentic characters from bygone eras and different cities, exploring issues of research and the challenges for authors in the distinct genre of historical crime.

Henrietta McKervey has published four novels. The most recent, A Talented Man, is a psychological suspense set in 1938 about a disillusioned author and master forger who discovers an unknown sequel to Dracula. Her previous novel Violet Hill, the story of the only female private investigator in post-World War I London, is being adapted for TV by Causeway Films. She has a Hennessy First Fiction Award and won the inaugural UCD Maeve Binchy Travel Award. She is a regular contributor to the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, Sunday Business Post and the Brendan O’Connor Show on RTÉ Radio 1.

Andrew Hughes born in Co. Wexford, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. A qualified archivist, he worked for RTÉ before going freelance. His debut novel, The Convictions of John Delahunt, was shortlisted for the Bord Gáis Irish Crime Book of the Year. The Coroner’s Daughter was nominated for the CWA Historical Dagger.

Declan Burke is an award-winning author and editor. His novel Absolute Zero Cool won the Goldsboro Award in 2012.  Books to Die For (2013), co-edited with John Connolly, won the Anthony Award for Best Non-Fiction Crime. The Lammisters, a comic novel, is published by No Alibis Press.

This tour will explore the fascinating, richly-layered area of Dublin North Georgian Core, the setting for Andrew Hughes novel The Coroner’s Daughter.

Formerly the 18th century home to Dublin’s wealthy, powerful Georgian elite, including peers, bishops and MPs, as well as the pioneering Rotunda Hospital and Pleasure Gardens, the area saw decline in the 19th and 20th centuries, but not without playing a starring role in much of the capital’s revolutionary, literary and theatrical history. 

Stops include outside the Memorial Gardens, the Writers Museum, Charlemont House, Gate Theatre, Blessington Basin, Saint George’s Church, and more.  

The tour is around 1 hour 45 minutes approximately, covers roughly 2.6 km walking distance and is led by Arran Henderson, of Dublin Decoded Tours.

The tour will begin and end with short readings from The Coroner’s Daughter by Andrew Hughes.

Booking is essential as places are limited.

A talk by James Scannell from the Old Dublin Society about the police intelligence reports from various newspapers around the 1880’s.