Blog - Page 3 of 24 - Martha M. Geaney

Good Vibes

Good vibes are what I’m looking for in this beginning of spring. For instance, when I’m in Castlebar, County Mayo, I head to Café Rua for my morning good vibes. The café, on Spencer Street, is one of my favorite places to visit. You will find me there at about 10:00 a.m., savoring a large mug of filtered coffee and pouring cream. Hopefully, I’ll see you there some time soon.

Below is a wonderful picture I snapped of the Cafe’s front window a few years ago. The picture tells the story of an Irish spring season filled with the first daffodils, queen potatoes, mustard for the potatoes, and marmalade.

Cafe Rua’s Recipes on their Blog

By the way, if you want some great recipes for Irish delicacies, check out the cafe’s web site. You will find recipes, like this one for marmalade: https://www.caferua.com/marmalade/.

Star O’Brien visits Café Rua

And, here’s a quote from the second book in the Star O’Brien County Mayo series from the scene where Paul invites Star to have supper at the café. One of my aspirational goals is to have a book reading at the café the next time I visit family in County Mayo.

Flower pots filled with fragile, white Angelicas adorned Café Rua’s windows. Inside on the ground floor, delicacies and pastries from homemade brown scones to wild Irish salmon kept the wait staff busy…”I’ve had the goat cheese salad with beet greens…” Paul said.
“I’ve never had beet greens. But I’m willing to try. Provided I can have some brown bread to go along with it,” I replied.
Paul laughed. “Oh, to be sure. There’s homemade bread here…”
Death at Ashford Castle: A Star O’Brien County Mayo Mystery

Spring Wishes for You

Wishing you good vibes, good food, and good company this spring season.

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Irish Roots – Pulling Away From Home

For me, my Irish roots and pulling away from home have always been both a source of joy and sadness. When I’ve gone on work trips or vacations, there has been a certain sweet sadness as I sat in the back of an airport limo and looked back at my home, knowing that I was leaving my loved ones behind. But then, I’d turn forward in the anticipation of the journey ahead, safe in my conviction that I’d return to my cozy base camp (home) and would be reunited with my loved ones again.

I am a child of parents who immigrated to the United States from Ireland. My parents didn’t know each other in Ireland. My mom is from County Mayo and my dad was from County Cork. After the second world war, when there weren’t many job opportunities in Ireland, my parents pulled away from home and journeyed to New York. It was a time in history when Irish families already here in the States helped other family members come across the Atlantic Ocean.

When my dad left Carrignavar, County Cork he travelled to Ellis Island in NYC by boat. Then, he went to live with one of his cousins (who had sponsored him) in NYC until he was able to work and get his own apartment. He was about 25 years old at the time. Carrignavar, by the way, means “man of the rock”.

My dad was definitely a man of the rock: always kind, always gentle, always caring of his family. Family, the home base, meant a lot to him. If you’ve read the first book in my Star O’Brien series, Death on Clare Island, you may have noticed that I dedicated that first book to him. His mother, my grandmother (and namesake) died in childbirth when my dad was two years old. The year was 1926. What has always struck me a deeply sad was that my grandfather wasn’t able to care for his children. So, he kept one, the oldest boy, and the other three children (including my father) were separated and taken in by various family members.

You might say my dad was a bit of an orphan until he met my mother. Together they made a home base here in the US – a base that we have never had to worry about being pulled away from. My parents were proud of their American citizenship. I’ve always been proud of my Irish roots and ancestry. Together the love of being American with an Irish heritage is something I celebrate each day without fear.

Unfortunately, this week the scenes of Ukrainian women and children leaving their homes with nothing but a knapsack and a family pet are heartbreaking. It is difficult not to cry when I see a man bending down to say goodbye to his child before the man turns to return to defend his family’s base camp, his home in the Ukraine. Will these families ever be reunited? Will they ever feel the joy and anticipation of begin together again in their home base. I hope so with all my heart.

All You Need is Love

Image of a string of hearts with book covers from the Star O'Brien County Mayo Mystery Series

Death at Turlough Museum #1

Death at the Turlough Museum reached a milestone. I owe a major thank you to the faithful fans and followers of the Star O’Brien County Mayo mystery series. Book three in the series launched on January 25 in paperback and eformat. I never in a million years expected the paperback version of Death at the Turlough Museum to rank as a #1 Best Seller in one of Amazon’s categories. But it did!

However, as Newton discovered, what goes up must come down. Alas, my claim to the #1 rank was short lived – in about a week’s time, another book took the #1 spot. Nevertheless, I am ecstatic about Death at the Turlough Museum‘s successful launch. I worked hard all year to write my best book. And, I am grateful to the loving and wonderful readers who waited patiently for the book’s release.

What next? I’m already working on the 4th book in the Star O’Brien County Mayo series. More to come…In the meanwhile, you can find Death at the Turlough Museum and the first two books in the series at: Amazon, Kobo, B&N Nook.

Star O’Brien County Mayo Mystery Returns

Star O’Brien’s County Mayo mystery series is back. This third Star O’Brien, cozy murder mystery finds the amateur sleuth in historic Turlough village. But, the body of a local pub owner has been found draped in an exhibit at the Turlough Museum. And Star’s Aunt Georgina is under the suspicion.

Book 3 in the Star O’Brien County Mayo Mystery Series

Never one to trust the police, Star is sure they have it wrong again. They’ve identified Georgina—the man’s former confidante—as the prime suspect. Then, when she disappears, they consider her a fugitive from justice. Star prefers working alone, but stymied and challenged at every turn, she may have to reluctantly accept assistance from Lorcan McHale and Lady Marcella McHale. And, to complicate matters, the elusive Evelyn Cosgrove makes a mysterious request for Star to meet her at a remote location on a specific day, at a specific time. Is Evelyn toying with Star? Or, does Evelyn have real information about Star’s missing mother? In a race to find the truth, can Star find justice for Georgina? Can Star pinpoint the real murderer?