Historical novels set in Ireland not only take readers back in time, they transport those who enjoy this genre to a fascinating, almost magical setting – the Emerald Isle. Because of its rich history, Ireland makes an ideal setting for historical fiction authors.
Getting ideas for historical novels set in Ireland
Authors of historical novels set in Ireland often research specific locations or time periods to get ideas for their stories. For instance, Renee Yancy got an idea for her novel, A Secret Hope, after reading about Saint Patrick baptizing some princesses during the 5th century. From there, she began researching about that time period and decided what area of Ireland in which to set the book.
Incorporating historical facts into novels
A challenge faced by authors is to conduct careful research to ensure the accuracy of historical persons, events, locations, and items included within their stories. For well-known subjects, such as Saint Patrick, authors can find a lot of material. More obscure persons and items may take more digging to find useful information to use.
The beauty of writing historical novels set in Ireland is that the country has centuries of documented persons and events to choose from. Authors use interesting tidbits when writing about ancient Ireland. Such facts make historical novels set in Ireland fascinating.
Using historical events as plot points
Another trick authors of historical fiction use is creating plot points from ideas they gain through their research. Another Renee Yancy book, The Fury of Dragons, uses an historic document – a letter to the soldiers of Coroticus – within the plot of her story. This document is an actual letter written by Saint Patrick himself to chastise barbaric acts done to a group of new converts. Yancy created a fictional character, Eleri, and placed her among those new converts. You can read The Fury of Dragons to discover more about the historical events that inspired this book as well as what becomes of the fictional heroine.
The next time you’re searching for stories inspired by true events or persons from the past, consider reading some historical novels set in Ireland.
