This article is from page 39 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 39 JPG
BUNRATTY and the magical silver stag of Bunratty Castle are the focus of a new children’s novel, which has just been published. The Silver Stag of Bunr a tt y is the title of Eithne Massey’s new book, where adventure, conflict and danger await four children as they race to save the magical Silver Stag of Bunratty Castle from a gruesome death.
The book is set in Bunratty Castle in the 14th century and is partly based on fact, along with four fictional children.
Sir Richard de Clare, Lord of Bunratty, wants the head of the Silver Stag on his walls and is preparing to hunt down his prey. Dame Anna, the mysterious woman in the castle tower, warns that any harm to this stag will bring doom to Bunratty for generations to come.
The children must work together and fast, but they are soon out of their depth. As they become the hunted ones, the question is can they save the stag – and themselves – before it’s too late.
Based partly on truth, the adventure is full of mystery and magic and brings the incredible medieval fortress to life for a whole new generation.
Eithne, who is from Wicklow, chose Bunratty as the setting for this book, having spent time in the area. “When anybody thinks of castles in Ireland, they think of Bunratty. We thought it would be a good idea to do a story based on a medieval castle,” she told The Cla re People .
“I went down to the castle itself and got inspiration for the central image of the book, the stag,” she added.
“The surrounding countryside is featured. They [the children] have to take a trip up the Shannon and that landscape is included in the book. The castle is central to it,” she said.
“There was a fair bit of research to make sure I got the geographical facts right and the history,” she added.
The book is aimed at 10 to 12 year olds. “I would hope that children would pick it up and read it for pleasure. It is a mixture of history and fantasy. The stag itself is a magical creature,” she said.
This is Eithne’s fifth book and is her second novel for children. It is published by O’Brien Press.