1999

At the end of the twentieth century, Barry Halloran remains marked by the violence he witnessed and the causes to which his family devoted itself. Ireland is changing rapidly through economic expansion and social transformation, while Northern Ireland’s ceasefires and negotiations create the possibility that political compromise may achieve what generations of armed struggle could not.

The final novel follows the difficult movement from conflict towards the Good Friday Agreement, disarmament and reconciliation. Barry and those around him must decide whether peace requires betrayal, forgiveness or a new understanding of loyalty, bringing the Halloran family’s century-long engagement with Irish nationalism to a conclusion shaped by memory rather than triumph.