Dark Queen of Donegal Paperback – March 17, 2022

Dark Queen of Donegal is an exciting trip back to Ireland in the sixteenth century. It follows a strong and determined woman, Ineen Dubh, as she fights for her son's future. In a time of rebellion and cultural turmoil, Ineen defies the constraints of her era, challenging both inter-clan rivalries and the might of Queen Elizabeth I. Her relentless quest to see her son, Red Hugh O'Donnell, ascend to the throne paints a powerful portrait of a mother's unwavering love.Authors Mary Pat Ferron Canes and JR Foley weave a deeply researched tapestry of historical fiction, immersing readers in a world of Irish clans, battles, and the fight for independence. Their attention to detail and rich narrative style make the sixteenth-century Donegal landscape come alive, allowing readers to connect with Ineen and her journey on a personal level.This book not only delves into the political and military struggles of the time but also explores the complexities of human emotions, giving depth to characters such as Ineen, who is both ruthless and inspiring in her pursuit of her son's destiny. The story keeps you gripped, and it's a testament to the authors' storytelling expertise.Dark Queen of Donegal is an engaging and well-flavored historical novel that provides insights into the culture and language of sixteenth-century Ireland. It's a tale of tragedy and heartache and the resilience of a people who fought for their independence. Whether you have Irish ancestry or simply love a thrilling adventure, this book is a must-read. It's a compelling blend of history and fiction that stays true to the facts while delivering a hard-to-put-down narrative.

This book brings you back to the medieval times in an adventurous way. I was immersed in the language and found this to be a fast-paced and delightful read. The elements of fighting, peasants, and prophecy made the story exciting. The beginning of the story enthralled me with the set up of the battles of the false queen. I found that the setting the story takes place was an entertaining pick, especially because we got to witness Ineen's interests in her son fulfilling the prophecy. This book provides an image of strong female characters in the 1500s, along with a well developed cast of characters that felt very carefully crafted. I recommend this book to those who love adventure from the perspective of a strong female protagonist.

Dark Queen of Donegal by Mary Pat Ferron Canes and JR Foley is an Irish historical fiction story set in the 16th century. The tale is about The Queen, Ineen Dubh, and her goal of having her son named king. It is hard to determine if she is a villain or the heroine so you will need to determine that for yourself. There are interesting and disturbing things that occur in this book since there is a war between countries and clans. I think historical fiction readers will love this fast-paced book and how the characters are built to depict the true behaviors during that time.

While Galileo was propounding Copernicus and the defeat of the Ottomans at Lepanto was still of recent memory, most Americans know that England was experiencing its own renaissance. Shakespeare, the Book of Common Prayer and the Faerie Queen were not classics; they were the works of contemporaries.And while many Americans also know how the Dark Age Irish saved civilization not much is known about an Irish Renaissance. There’s good reason for this. At that time Ireland was experiencing an English effort to conquer it and commit cultural genocide. While much of Europe looked towards a new dawn of light, Ireland struggled merely to survive.A gripping account of the personalities and principal acts of these early Irish wars has now been told in the Dark Queen of Donegal. The reader is introduced to the dashing Red Hugh, the devout but blood soaked Queen Ineen, the senile King Hugh, the wily Hugh O’Neill and a portrayal of Elizabeth I as vain and cruel; anything but that of English propaganda.It’s a story that needed to be told and one that needs to be known more widely. Just as recent historians have recast America’s westward expansion to tell the view of First Peoples, or have drastically revised the account of Victorian England as the pinnacle of world culture, so too these authors have provided a needed Irish perspective on the English Renaissance.And while Ireland would not have its own cultural renaissance till the twentieth century, it surely would not have had one if Ineen and Red Hugh had not withstood the English invasions.All lovers of historical fiction, all lovers of more nuanced and veridical history, should read the Dark Queen of Donegal. Hopefully, this work can help towards telling a less Anglophile version of history; at least we can hopefully begin to hear Irish history from the native, rather than the imperial, perspective.

This historical fiction is set in16th century Ireland where we meet Ineen Dubh. Is she a heroine or villain? I’ll let the Reader decide. Ineen is determined to see her son Red Hugh O’Donnell named king. She will let nothing stop her-neither inter-clan rivalries, nor the hated British. I read the Kindle version which made it easy to quickly look-up historical terms not familiar to the modern reader. Readers of the printed version are advised to review the glossary. Future editions of this book would benefit from the inclusion of a map showing the locations of important castles and battles.

Dark Queen of Donegal was a fascinating read. The story by itself was captivating, and kept you reading just one more chapter to see what would happen next. But more than just a good story, the book delivers insight into Irish life and culture and gives an understanding of the impact of the reign of Elizabeth I of England, the death of Mary, Queen of Scots, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and other momentous events of history during the setting of the story. The author clearly had done a prodigious amount of research in the preparation of the book.