In the 1970s, Charles Foran met the McNallys, a Catholic family living in Belfast. Many years and many trips later, Foran came to see their home as a window onto the often violent and volatile world of Northern Ireland.
First published to great acclaim in 1995, The Last House of Ulster continues to resonate with readers today. This is the story of Mairtin, arrested at twenty as a member of the IRA, of his sister Patricia who, dazed and exhausted, approaches a soldier and demands that he lower his gun, and of gentle Sean, who grows up knowing that he must leave Belfast. Most of all, this is the story of James and Maureen McNally, who struggle to hold on to their own hopes and dreams while raising their family in a war-torn country.
Awards
- The Governor-General’s Award for Non-Fiction (finalist)
- Winner, QSPELL Prize for non-fiction in 1995
- Chosen as Best book of the year by: Maclean’s, The Toronto Star, Quill & Quire, and NOW Magazine.
Charles Foran 