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BIOGRAPHY
Author and historian Turtle Bunbury.
(Photo: Ally Bunbury)
Turtle Bunbury is a best-selling author, award-winning travel writer and historical consultant based in Ireland.
Turtle was born on 21st February 1972 and raised at Lisnavagh, Rathvilly, Co. Carlow, Ireland. He received his early education in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow, before moving to Castle Park School in Dublin. From 1980 to 1985, he was at Glenalmond College in the Scottish Highlands where he secured the necessary results at A-Level to read law at Trinity College Dublin. He opted to postpone college and go traveling.
At the age of eighteen, Turtle left Ireland for the U.S.A., working his way across the continent from New York to Los Angeles over three months. He subsequently spent six months in New Zealand and Australia, returning to Ireland via Malaysia to commence his legal studies in Dublin. The law did not suit him and in 1994 Turtle merrily transferred to history. He spent one year at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands before returning to Dublin to complete his degree at Trinity in 1996.
Armed with a degree in modern history from Trinity College Dublin, he moved to Hong Kong in 1996 and spent three years working as a freelance correspondent with the South China Morning Post and Business News Indochina.
Turtle Bunbury and James Fennell at the launch of
'The Irish Pub' in the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, in 2008.
Returning to Ireland on the eve of the new millennium, he spent two years working with the travel company, Trailblazer.com, an early victim of the Dot Bomb crash of 2002. He simultaneously developed his interest in Irish and world history, contributing articles to magazines and newspapers around the world.
Since 2004, Turtle has established himself as one of the most prolific and energetic writers in Ireland. As well as his seven published books, he has travelled extensively, most notably in the USA, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. His work on Sri Lanka earned him the award for Ireland’s Longhaul Travel Journalist of the Year in 2006.
Turtle's most recent book, 'Vanishing Ireland - Further Chronicles of a Disappearing World', was launched in Dublin City in October 2009. The book is a sequel to his best-selling book, 'Vanishing Ireland', shortlisted for the Eason's Irish Book of the Year Award 2007. Turtle is presently completing his eighth book, 'Sporting Legends of Ireland'. For a detailed look at Turtle's Books, click here.
Turtle Bunbury at Lisnavagh, by Suki Stuart.
As well as being a frequent contributor to Ireland's national newspapers, Turtle is an increasingly well known name on TV and radio. He was a historical consultant for some of the 2009 series of 'Who Do You Think You Are?', most notably the episode with former Miss World, Rosanna Davison. He was also the consultant and scriptwriter for the BIFF award-nominated 'John Henry Foley - Ghost of the Empire' which first aired on TG4 in November 2008. For a detailed look at Turtle's TV and radio profile, click here.
On May 20th 2006, Turtle married Miss Ally Moore of Bishopscourt, Clones, Co. Monaghan. Their eldest daughter Jemima Meike McClintock Bunbury was born in Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda, Co Louth, on 17th June 2007. Their second daughter Bay Hermoine McClintock Bunbury was born in Drogheda on 4th February 2009.
In September 2007, the Bunburys moved to Turtle's family home at Lisnavagh, Rathvilly, Co. Carlow, where they began building a new house on the farm. The Bunburys moved into Old Fort in July 2008.