Ireland's Pirate Trail

Bloodthirsty buccaneers and buried treasure, fierce sea battles and cold-blooded murders, Barbary ducats and silver pieces of eight.

Des Ekin embarks on a roadtrip around the entire coast of Ireland, in search of our piratical heritage, uncovering an amazing history of swashbuckling bandits, both Irish-born and imported.

Ireland's Pirate Trail tells stories of freebooters and pirates from every corner of our coast over a thousand years, including famous pirates like Anne Bonny and William Lamport, who set off to ply their trade in the Caribbean. Ekin also debunks many myths about our most well-known sea warrior, Granuaile, the 'Pirate Queen' of Mayo. Thoroughly researched and beautifully told. Filled with exciting untold stories.

Auteur

Des Ekin was a journalist and is the author of four books. Born in County Down, Northern Ireland, he began his career as a reporter. After spending several years covering the Ulster Troubles, he rose to become Deputy Editor of the Belfast Sunday News before moving to his current home in Dublin. He worked as a journalist, columnist, Assistant Editor and finally Political Correspondent for The Sunday World until 2012. His book The Stolen Village (2006) was shortlisted for the Argosy Irish Nonfiction Book of the Year and for Book of the Decade in the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards 2010. He is married with a son and two daughters.

Contenu

Preface 11
Part I
East by Sou'-East 17

1. Pirate Pilgrimage the First 18
   Dalkey, Tramore, New Ross, Dublin
   On the Trail of McKinley's Gold 21
2. Pirate Pilgrimage the Second 42
   County Meath
   'I'll Make You Officers ... in Hell.' 44
3. Pirate Pilgrimage the Third 54
   Wexford Town
   William Lamport, the Wex-Mex 'Zorro' 56
4. Pirate Pilgrimage the Fourth 66
   Saltees, Dublin City, Rush
   The Three Privateers and the Rebel Yell from Rush 69
   Part II
   South by Sou'-West 91
5. Pirate Pilgrimage the Fifth 92
   Waterford, Roaring Water Bay
   'He Led Them in a Carol, Then Clapped Them in Irons'95
6. Pirate Pilgrimage the Sixth 105
   Kinsale, Carolina, Caribbean
   Anne Bonny, Scourge of the Caribbean 108
7. Pirate Pilgrimage the Seventh 123
   Cork City, Brazil, Boston
   The Strange American Odyssey of Peter Roach 129
8. Pirate Pilgrimage the Eighth 143
   Berehaven, Leamcon, Baltimore, Valentia Island
   The Hellhounds of Dog's Leap and the
   Pirate Armadas of West Cork 145
9. Pirate Pilgrimage the Ninth 166
   Castleisland
   The Framing of William Marsh169
   Part III
   West by Nor'-West 189
10. Pirate Pilgrimage the Tenth 190
    Clare Island
    Grania Mania 194
11. Pirate Pilgrimage the Eleventh 221
    Broad Haven
    The Admiral, the Pirate, the Chieftain and his Daughters 225
12. Pirate Pilgrimage the Twelfth 233
    Killybegs
    'Twenty Good Men Could Cut Their Throats' 237
13. Pirate Pilgrimage the Thirteenth 251
    Dunfanaghy, Achill Island
    The World's Most Wanted Man 254
    Part IV
    North by Nor'-East 271
14. Pirate Pilgrimage the Fourteenth 272
    Portrush
    Black Tom, the Scummer of the Sea 275
15. Pirate Pilgrimage the Fifteenth 283
    Carrickfergus
    'I Drew My Sword for the Rights of Men' 285
16. Pirate Pilgrimage the Sixteenth 294
    Belfast, Holywood, Bangor, Donaghadee
    Pirates and Belfast Lough 296
17. Pirate Pilgrimage the Seventeenth 308
    Rathlin, Inishowen, Howth, Strangford, Dublin
    The Viking Pirates, the Irish Slavemaster and
    the Captive Princess 313
18. Pirate Pilgrimage the Eighteenth 330
    Ringsend
    The Puzzle of the Ouzel 334

Acknowledgements 349
Source Notes 351