MY IRISH LOVE AFFAIR

By Caroline Clemmons

The title might be slightly misleading. Ha. Actually, Hero and I love Ireland, but the only affair I had there is with Hero. Although, I admit I fell in love with Ireland even before I fell in love with Hero. 

When I was a child, I loved the movies in which Barry Fitzgerald appeared. His Irish accent fascinated me (and still does). Recently, Hero and I re-watched The Quiet Man for the umpteenth time. We’ve seen it so many times we know most of the dialogue. I never tire of it, even though Ireland has changed since the film was made in 1952.

Barry Fitzgerald

When Hero and I were on our first tour of Ireland, we ate lunch at the inn where Maureen O’Hara stayed when filming The Quiet Man. She is one of my favorite actresses, plus I always wanted to look like her when she was young. We loved that tour that only increased my love of Ireland. Hero says he had to drag me onto the plane home. I did hate to leave but I deny that my heels left scuff marks in the air terminal as he dragged me to the plane. Several years later, we took a second tour for a longer time. We had planned to go back and rent a cottage for a month. Alas, the best of plans go awry. Between Hero’s Parkinson’s and my “parting gifts” from Covid, we won’t be able to rent that cottage. We have wonderful, wonderful memories of all our travels, though.

Maureen O'Hara

Several of the heroines in books I’ve written are Irish. The first was Cenora Rose O’Neill in THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, which is a sensual historial western romance. I did so much research for that book, but I loved it. Other Irish heroines in sweet, clean historical western romances are Gormlaith (pronounced Gorm lee and is Gaelic for Barbara) McGowan in THE RANCHER AND THE SHEPHERDESS and Betsie Galloway in MONK’S BRIDE. The hero is Irish in O’NEILL'S TEXAS BRIDE.

Maeve Kelly is my latest Irish heroine in LEVI AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Unlike most Irish women her age, Maeve is well educated because her uncle—a retired university professor—taught her and others. As his star pupil, he told her  he would send her to attend the university in Heidelberg where he had taught. Unfortunately, her uncle's death derailed that dream.

Maeve Kelly

Her father died about this time, and her mother developed cancer. A devoted daughter, Maeve nursed her mother until the lovely woman passed. Maeve is not afraid of hard work. During this time, she took care of the garden and the household chores. and the sheep. A cousin helped with the sheep. When her mother passed, Maeve sold everything she could and traveled to New York City to stay with her sister, Aine Sullivan. Maeve and Aine were best friends and Aine encouraged Maeve to come to stay with them. However, Aine and her husband and two children live in a tenement in a two room flat. In spite of so many signs that say "No Irish Need Apply," Maeve knows she has to do something different to accomplish her dreams of a family.

Maeve is determined to marry a good man. Encouraged by a coworker, she answers an advertisement for a mail order bride. When she gets to Harrigan Springs, Texas, she refuses to marry the man who has sent for her—as well she should. He’s a scoundrel but he insists she either comes with him or repay him for her fare. She has no money.. Oh, but that leads her to her story...

If you haven’t read LEVI AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, I hope you’ll get a copy of this sweet, clean historical western romance and learn the rest of Maeve’s story. The link to purchase the book from Amazon is below. Of course, it’s free in Kindle Unlimited.

https://www.amazon.com/Order-Bride-Texas-Country-Brides-ebook/dp/B0BZDT6Q1J/

Stay safe and keep reading!

MEET MAEVE KELLY

 

By Caroline Clemmons

Maeve Kelly is the spunky, determined heroine of the sweet historical western romance, LEVI AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Actually. she didn’t set out to marry Levi, but that’s a later part of the tale. Let me tell you about her background.

Maeve and her older sister, Aine, grew up in County Kerry, Ireland. Their parents rented a cottage and plot of land where they raised sheep, kept a few hens, and worked their large vegetable garden. The girls were their parents’ only children, though they had many cousins nearby. Growing up, they had a happy life mostly unaware of how little they had.

Maeve Kelly

At that time, it was illegal for Irish children to attend school. Maeve and Aine and several of their cousins were fortunate enough to be tutored by their Great Uncle Seamus O’Leary, a retired professor who had taught at Heidelberg University in Germany. Maeve and Aine were the most talented students, especially Maeve, who craved gaining knowledge. Uncle Seamus promised Maeve he would send her to Heidelberg University when she was of age.

Cottage similar to Maeve's family home

In the meantime, Aine began stepping out with Connor Sullivan, a handsome and industrious young man. Then, Aine and Connor married and Connor continued working for his father. Maeve had always counted Aine as her best friend, and missed having her in the same home each day. At least Aine and Connor lived only a couple of miles away in the village.

Great Uncle Seamus died, and Maeve’s dream of a university education evaporated. His self-indulgent son inherited everything. Since Seamus had not provided for Maeve’s education in writing in his will, his son refused Maeve’s claim, though he knew of his father’s promise.

Soon Maeve’s own father died of a heart attack, and her mom fell ill from grief. Maeve nursed her mom and kept the sheep, hens, and garden going. Occasionally, an older male cousin helped her.

Soon after Aine and Connor's first anniversary, their daughter, Siohan, was born. Connor and his father's business in the small village was not sufficient to support two families. When Aine learned her second child was on the way, Connor made up his mind he and Aine would have more opportunity in America.

 Maeve missed her sister terribly. Aine wrote she missed Maeve, asking her to come as soon as she could. Maeve took care of her mom and the property and animals. After her mother’s death, Maeve sold everything left. That plus the bit her parents had saved gave barely enough to buy her steeredge passage to America.

Ad for steamship similar to the

one in which Maeve traveled 

 Maeve had great hope that in America she’d find a fine a good job. husband, and a grand life. What she found were signs that said No Irish Need Apply and We Don’t Rent To Irish. She lived with Aine and Connor in two rooms of a dilapidated tenement. She slept on the lumpy couch because there was only one bedroom. They only had the couch because someone needed to sell it to pay the rent. Aine helped Maeve get a job with her at a fabric mill, but the work was dangerous, the hours long, and the pay pitifully small.

New York tenement

When Aine announced she was expecting their third child, Maeve knew how, but she had to find somewhere else to live. But where? And how? Although she admired kind and hard-working Connor, she had met no unwed men who caught her eye. When their neighbor Doreen told them of her cousin happy results from answering an ad for a mail order bride, Maeve deliberated about doing the same. Something must change. She resolved to better her life, even if it meant traveling to Texas.

That’s how Maeve Kelly came to arrive in Harrigan Springs, Texas, and when her story really begins. To find out the rest, buy your copy (free in kindle unlimited) from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZDT6Q1J

Stay safe and keep reading!