I acknowledge a great personal debt to Seamus for his work over more than a decade with the Irish language magazine, Cuisle na NGael. Frankly, Newry Journal would never have been launched were it not for inspiration from this source.

But it is his brother John’s second book, Flight of the Earls that I wish to laud here. It is currently available on the Gill & MacMillan label in paperback for one penny short of £10. I saw the advertisement in the local press and quickly trawled Newry’s bookshops for it, without success! As luck would have it, I had reason yesterday to be in Belfast and called at the best bookshop there The University Bookshop. I quickly snapped up the last copy they had on their shelves. The book can also be ordered from Amazon - click here.

I have read just one sixth of it, some fifty pages. I find this period of Irish history of particular interest, as you have come to suspect from reading this site! This is as good an account as I have ever come across. Certainly the principals come to life in Dr McCavitt’s racy prose. Each new page teaches me numerous new facts I knew nothing of. I reserve a proper review until I complete this giant work.

John was class teacher to two of my boys in the Abbey Grammar. He is also a motive force behind the Dromore Diocesan Historical Society. He is also a really nice guy – which might not be very relevant – but it cuts it with me.

I wish him every success with his authoritative and disciplined history. I blush with embarrassment when I think of my puny efforts in comparison! But, I suppose, it’s ‘horses for courses’! My 2-3 paragraphs are often as much as people can stomach at a sitting! 

That’s my excuse anyway and I’m sticking to it!