Official Website of Author
The Back Cover:
The Moore’s were Protestants from Yorkshire who were ‘planted’ into County Mayo, Ireland, in the aftermath of the defeat of the Old Gaelic Chieftains, and the murderous rampage of Oliver Cromwell’s army. By the beginning of the eighteenth century the Moore’s had become Irish and Catholic. The harsh Penal Laws drove young George Moore to emigrate to Spain where he thrived and became a wealthy merchant. Relaxation of those Laws allowed him to return home, buy large tracts of land and build the magnificent Moore Hall on the shores of Lough Carra in his native County Mayo.
Michael Gerard weaves a compelling and entertaining narrative around the trials and tribulations of four generations of the Moore dynasty – a family who helped to shape the complex history of Ireland and were themselves shaped by that history. The four George Moore’s were unique individuals and all four left their mark on modern Ireland. Their siblings played an essential part in the Moore legacy and their contributions are highlighted as well.
The Irish Merchant of Alicante brings to life the landed gentry of Ireland, the peasant farmer tenants, the rebels, loyalists, politicians and cultural artists of that era – all of whom walked the delicate line between rising Catholic nationalism and the diminishing Protestant power of the minority elite. This story has all the ingredients to make it an epic historical novel.
News From The Author:
My Story
Dear Reader -- Welcome to the world of Michael Gerard. I am an Irishman by birth (who now resides in America), born in County Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland and like so many Irish throughout the ages, I was inclined to roam. Even for high school I bused to another town, then my college years were split between Galway and Cork, and as I embarked on my working life my first job was in Limerick. That job was followed by career changes and stints living in Cork and Dublin. I set my sights early on America but for obvious financial reasons that goal had to be achieved through strategic career moves that led me to live in England followed by several years in South Africa, before finally settling in America in 1985.
In my daily working life my family and I operate a processing machinery business based in South Carolina, our customers being scattered throughout the US but mostly in the South Eastern states. In my other life I am a writer and have published two novels to date.
'The Kimberley File' is a fast paced adventure novel based primarily in South Africa during the apartheid era of the 1980's. The plot centers around events that take place in the secretive world of illicit diamond trading. It was first published in 1997 when Indie Publishing was far more difficult than it is today. Many readers have commented on how similar my storyline is to the story portrayed in the film Blood Diamonds, which came out some years after 1997. All I have to say is that no Hollywood money came my way as yet. I have just republished this book in July 2021 via KDP Amazon, in both e-book and paperback formats.
'Ireland's Final Rebellion(1919-1921) and An American Dream' was published via KDP Amazon in March 2021. It is a two-part historic novel that was years in the writing and is very close to my heart. Part one is based on my father's direct active involvement in the 1919 Irish War of Independence, which led to the founding of The Irish Free State in 1921. Fortunately I was able to bring my great grandmother, a gifted Seanachie(Gaelic Storyteller), to life in this book and she recounts how Irish history unfolded and set in motion the events that led to The Final Rebellion. In part two I continue the family history - it is based on my own life journey that led me to America and my search for The American Dream.
I hope you enjoy these books and that you will check in with me periodically, as I work on my next books.
