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Photo from Vanishing
Ireland by Turtle Bunbury and
photographer James Fennell. The book was the
No. 1 selling Picture Book in Ireland over Christmas 2006
and retained the No. 3 position at Christmas 2007.
HOME PAGE
Turtle Bunbury is a best-selling author, travel writer, historian, speaker and scriptwriter based in Ireland. His next book, 'The Irish Pub', will be published by Thames & Hudson in September 2008. His most recent book, 'Vanishing Ireland', was shortlisted for the Eason's Irish Published Book of the Year Award 2007. His previous book, 'Living in Sri Lanka', helped earn him the Travel Extra Longhaul Journalist of the Year Award 2006. He is presently working on his sixth book, 'The Docklands', for the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. Turtle is Homes Editor of both The White Book and The Book of Interiors. He frequently reviews hotels and restaurants throughout the world for international magazines and for the Alastair Sawday's 'Special Places to Stay' series. Turtle lives at Lisnavagh House in County Carlow with his wife Ally and daughter Jemima. He shares an office with the writer Tom Sykes.
ON THE SHELF
An interview with Turtle appeared in the Jobs & Careers supplement ('How I Got Here') of the Irish Independent on Thursday April 24th 2008. An article on three Irish villages at a Crossroads (Borris, Co. Carlow, Clogh, Co. Kilkenny and Grangecon, Co. Wicklow) featured in The Irish Times Magazine on April 5th, along with a short piece about Ballroom Floor Polish. Meanwhile, Aer Lingus passengers have been reading up on the roots of five Irish-Americans (Walt Disney, Henry Ford, James Hoban, Grace Kelly and Billy the Kid) in Cara magazine. Turtle's verdict on Ireland's oldest pub is in the present edition of Visitor. Other articles by Turtle on the shelf at present include a look at Huntington Castle in County Carlow for Wealth, an appreciation of Tudor Lodge in Dublin for The White Book, a review of Temple House in County Sligo for Objekt and a review of a County Louth sea lodge in 25 Beautiful Homes. An extract from 'Vanishing Ireland' formed a major feature in both Country Life and the Irish Independent before Christmas.
'The Irish Pub' will be published in September 2008. Together with 'Vanishing Ireland' photographer James Fennell, Turtle toured all 32 counties in Ireland on a quest to capture, in words and images, the lesser spotted old style Irish pub. A comprehensive summary of the book can be found here.
A 'triumph' is how the Daily Mirror described 'Vanishing Ireland'. Now into its fourth print run, the best-selling book features interviews with sixty senior citizens from across Ireland and over 150 hypnotic portrait photographs by James Fennell. The result is an invaluable, humorous and often poignant chronicle of a rapidly disappearing world. A second volume and a documentary based on the book are in the pipeline for 2008. Vanishing Ireland is available from Amazon and all good bookshops nationwide. Vanishing Ireland reached No. 5 on Ireland's Hardback Non-Fiction Bestseller Charts and was the No. 1 selling Picture Book in Ireland for Christmas 2006. All 10,000 copies of the first print vanished in nine weeks. Published by Hodder Headline, the book gained considerable attention on 'Today with Pat Kenny', 'Nationwide', 'Ireland AM', 'Seoige & O'Shea', 'The Sean Moncreiff Show' and 'Soiscéal Pháraic'. The book was serialized in The Dubliner throughout 2007 and formed major feature stories in Country Life (UK), Cara, The Irish Times Magazine, The Irish Examiner Weekend and Social & Personal. It was roundly praised on local radio across Ireland as well as in the Sunday Independent, The Irish Mirror, The Farmers Journal, The Metro, Ireland's Antiques & Properties, The Irish Arts Review, The Book of Interiors, Magill, Irish Tatler and Image Interiors.
FOLEY - SCULPTOR OF THE EMPIRE
The eagerly awaited documentary 'John Henry Foley - Sculptor of the Empire' is now complete. Examining the life and works of the controversial Victorian sculptor, the documentary will be screened in the summer of 2008. Directed by Se Merry Doyle of Loopline Films, Turtle was closely involved as both historical researcher and co-scriptwriter. Foley's best known works include the Albert Memorial in London, Sir James Outram in Calcutta and various statues commemorating Daniel O'Connell, Lord Gough, Henry Grattan, Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith in Dublin. See 'Foley's Asia' for more. Turtle also featured on TG4's series about the Presidents of the Irish Republic, weighing in with some family background on the enchanting Erskine Childers.
FLAT LAKE - 25 & 26 AUGUST 2008
The brainchild of BAFTA-nominated director Kevin Allen and two-time Booker Prize nominee Pat McCabe, the Flat Lake Literary & Arts Festival 2008 will take place at Hilton Park, Clones, Co. Monaghan, on Saturday August 24th and Sunday August 25th. Seamus Heaney and Canadian Poet Laureate George McWhirter are leading the field, while among those being honoured with a ‘Flat Lake Interview’ will be legendary bluesman, Henry McCullough, as The Flat Lake follows the rich trail of Ulster music all the way back to the Belfast Maritime Sound of the sixties. Henry will also be putting together his own Flat Lake All-Star Band for a spectacular ‘one-off. Others on the bill include Paul Muldoon, Ciaran Carson, Frank Ormsby, Medbh McGuckan, Bernard Louchlin, Murray Lachlan Young, Maurice Leitch, Cecilia Ahern, Sean Tyrell. Little John Nee, Glen Hansard, Adrian Dunbar, Dermot Healey, John Maher, Sean O’Reilly, Eoin Mcnamee, Ailbhe Slevin, Christian O’Reilly, Joe O’Byrne, Tom Sykes, Nick Perry, John Minhan and Steve Pyke. In between all this, there will be bands of all shapes and sizes, not to mention The X -Tractor Talent Contest, where a panel of illustrious judges are set to view an array of acts from singing ‘n dancing to general buffoonery and old style recitals. The signature ‘Flat Lake Interviews’ in 2007 saw literary heavyweights Colm Toibin and Eugene McCabe go head to head in the Butty Barn. Film maverick Neil Jordan took the hot-seat alongside Stephen Rea and Timothy O'Grady. The nail biting Damien Hirst Auction thrilled spectators as bidding figures spiraled beyond belief; Dylan Moran tickled humours; Victoria Mary Clarke and Keith Allen shared their wisdom on yoga and Angels, whilst Shane McGowan and Sinead O’Connor strummed into the wee small hours, Dundalk’s own Jinx Lennon blew his unsuspecting audience away into the summer night and Pat McCabe’s ‘Radio Butty’ filled in the gaps as he broadcasted live from a biscuit tin receiver. Visit www.ticket-text.com to book tickets – but be quick, as the festival is limited to only 2,000 guests per day.
Turtle's previous book, 'Living in Sri Lanka' (Thames & Hudson, 2006), again with James Fennell, was widely acclaimed for its positive portrayal of post-tsunami Sri Lanka. The Financial Times declared it 'a sumptuous portrait of an unforgettable architectural landscape', devoting an entire page in pink to the book. The Australian applauded 'page after glorious page of airy villas with colonnades'. The Essential KBB declared it Book of the Month. In Style nominated it The Hot Read. Elle Decoration proclaimed it a Hot Summer Read. Over 8000 copies of the book have sold since.
OTHER BOOKS
Turtle's other recently published books include The Landed Gentry & Aristocracy of Co. Wicklow (IFN, 2005) and The Landed Gentry & Aristocracy of Co. Kildare (IFN, 2004). James Fennell's latest book on 'Irish Furniture' was launched by the Irish Georgian Society in May 2007.
MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Turtle's articles have been published in Vogue Living, Financial Times, New York Post, Country Life, Irish Times, Irish Examiner, South China Morning Post, Scotsman, Sunday Express, The Australian, The Independent, House & Garden, International Homes Magazine, Homes Worldwide, Sunday Independent, International Homes Magazine, Hong Kong Standard, Objekt, Serendib, Magill, The Dubliner, Cara, Identity, Wealth, Irish Tatler, Social & Personal, Prudence, Visitor, iMode and Abroad.
Main Site Sub-sections
History
- Irish History, Write around Ireland, House Histories,
Family Histories and Heros & Villains
Published Works
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Book Reviews.
Family History
- The history of the McClintocks, Bunburys, Drews, Colleys
and other families..
Interviews
- Meetings with Remarkable People..