Theobald Bourke, the youngest son of Ireland's Pirate Queen, Granuaile (Grace O'Malley), was born on the high seas on his mother's galley. Not surprisingly, this event not only gave rise to his name, Tibbott-ne-Long (Tibbott-of-the-Ships).
In her fascinating new book, SHADOW LORD, author and historian Anne Chambers tells how Tibbott is saved at birth from Barbary Coast pirates and a life of slavery and seems destined to become just another minor chieftain in 16th century Ireland.
But national and international politics catapult him into prominence in a period of immense change and transition, as the battle lines are drawn between two incompatible protagonists - the antique Gaelic world of his birth and the exploitive, acquisitive world of Elizabethan England. Survival becomes the spur. Only one side can win, only the very few will survive.
SHADOW LORD is more than just a portrait of Tibbott Bourke. It is also a unique commentary and insight into one of the most profound periods of change in Irish history. The book presents much hitherto unpublished manuscript material to which the author was given exclusive access. SHADOW LORD also presents new information on the descendents of Tibbott Bourke and on the controversy that surrounds his title, Viscount Mayo, to the present day.
Best known for her biography of Grace O'Malley, author Anne Chambers says of the Pirate Queen's son, Tibbott Bourke:
Tibbott Bourke is no clean-cut hero. His story fits uneasily into our illusory perceptions of the past. A product of his time he is, above all else, a survivor. With a Machiavellian mind that out-manoeuvres his opponents, both Irish and English, with opportunism, cunning and daring, he sets out to salvage what he can from the political wreckage of his Gaelic world. Enduring imprisonment, torture, famine, dispossession and isolation, earning the suspicion, envy and hatred of both Irish and English, resorting to double-dealing, chicanery and even murder, Tibbott ducks and weaves his way through the military and political morass in an all-consuming passion to survive.
When the sound of battle fades at Kinsale and the Flight of the Earls have left Ireland leaderless, a new war begins over the ownership of the land of Ireland. Within this new legal minefield, Tibbott is one of the few native chieftains to stand his ground, as his instinct for survival meets its greatest challenge. That he passes the test with flying colours is proven by the fact that, against all the odds, he becomes one of the most powerful landowners in Ireland.
SHADOW LORD - Theobald Bourke / Tibbott-ne-long 1567-1629, is published by Ashfield Press and is available nationwide, price €15, or through the website www.ashfieldpress.com.
Praise for Shadow Lord
An "historical thriller". The Irish Times.
'Shadow Lord is a serious and meticulous work of historical scholarship'. Mail on Sunday.
For author interviews and further information, please contact: Judith Elmes, Ashfield Press Tel: + 353 (0) 1 2807375 (direct) / + 353 (0) 87-2396673 (mobile) Email: j.elmes@ashfieldpress.com Web: www.ashfieldpress.com.
