The Book of Killowen

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I extend grateful acknowledgment to all who assisted with background material for this novel, including Eamonn P. Kelly, Keeper of Irish Antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland, who generously answered questions about archaeological fieldwork and artifacts, and the scourge of treasure hunting in Ireland; John Gillis, Senior Conservator at Trinity College Library, who was responsible for painstakingly rescuing the pages of the Faddan More Psalter; Julie Dietman and Matthew Heintzelman of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, who arranged access to, and answered many questions about the medieval manuscripts in their collection; Dermot O’Mara of Sunny Meadow Farm, Powers Cross, County Galway, for organic farming information; Dáithí Sproule, for advice and assistance with Irish language usage and translations; Molly Lynch O’Mara and all of her Mountshannon farmers’ market cohorts; and Ann and Charlie Heymann, for the loan of books about Irish scribal arts. To Jody and Sean Henry, who looked after me with such kindness after the unfortunate misstep at Dun Aengus; and to Mary and Sean O’Driscoll and Brian and Margaret McGrath, who provided me with sustenance and a place to lay my head on the follow-up research trip, thank you. Thanks to Shawn Kearney, both for her enthusiasm about becoming a character in this story, and for her generous donation to the important work of the American Refugee Committee. I’m grateful to my entire extended family for letting me slip off to a quiet space to finish writing this book in the midst of happy chaos. Thanks to my wonderful aunt and uncle, Betty and John Rogers, for jumping into our Irish travels with both feet and for their support through this and all previous endeavors; to Lisa McDaniel, for providing encouragement and distraction when needed in equal measure; to Karen Mueller, who walks along beside me on the daily path of creativity; and to my pal Bonnie Schueler, to whom I am indebted for her example of unbridled joie de vivre and so much more. Sincere thanks, once again, to the incomparable Sally Wofford-Girand (along with assistants Melissa Sarver and Kezia Toth) of Brickhouse Literary Agents; to Samantha Martin, Shannon Welch, Greg Mortimer, and Susan Moldow at Scribner; and to Susanne Kirk, the most patient and gracious of editors. I’m grateful to my sweetheart, Paddy, for cooking many a splendid dinner (too many to count, really) while I was out wandering imaginary bogs. So, to all of the above, and to any others I have inadvertently neglected to mention here, a toast: Your blood should be bottled. Go mhéimid beo ag an am seo arís.