Book Launch: Peter Murphy’s “Fenian 63”

Sunday 14th March at Kidogo Irish Aboriginal Festival
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Brief synopsis: 

Doyle, an Irishman, loves being a British soldier, but loves his country more. He’s arrested for treason and sentenced to 20 years in Dartmoor Prison, England. On the verge of suicide, he’s offered a lifeline by a detective from Scotland Yard, who needs an informer to spy on 62 Fenian prisoners being transported to Western Australia on the convict ship Hougoumont. Doyle agrees, but on one condition: the detective intervenes in the case of his brother, a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood facing the death penalty for his involvement in the 1865-67 Irish Uprising.  Set against the backdrop of mid nineteenth century Ireland, England and Australia, while interweaving historical and fictional characters, Fenian 63 takes the reader on an exhilarating journey into the shadowy world of Fenianism, convict transportation, colonialism, aboriginal culture, and savagery of men. 

The Author:

Peter Murphy was born in Dublin Ireland in the 1950s and emigrated to Australia in the 1970s. He lectured for several years in Eco and Cultural Tourism at South West College of TAFE, Bunbury, Western Australia, and worked several years as a Conservation and Heritage Officer with the National Trust (WA). He wrote articles and essays for the National Trust (Australia) periodical, as well as short stories, poems and articles for the Irish Scene magazine (Perth WA).

Peter retired from working life in 2006 and now lives on a nature reserve in the jarrah forest in the South West of Western Australia with his partner Sallie, and where he spends most of his time writing and educating visitors to be kind to Mother Nature. Novel 

Other literary contributions by the same author:

  • Fenian Fear (novel). Available at Fremantle Prison Souvenir Shop.
  • In Search of the Vigilant (short film). See youtube.
  • A Brief History of John Boyle O’Reilly (booklet). Available at Fremantle Prison Souvenir Shop.
  • Escape (multi media: music, poetry, film and drama) based on the life and times of Irish patriot and poet, John Boyle O’Reilly. 
  • The Trial of Dwert the Fox (children’s book).
  • Award winning poems: Mother of Arcadia and Roo and Me. 

For more info www.fenianfear.com or email: [email protected]