Irish Young Adults(?) Book Series early 90s?

Irish Halo

This has been bugging me for ages and I can't find anything on Google about it (although the details I have are a bit sketchy).

When I was younger (early 90s about the same time as The Shamrogues I think) there was a series of books (I assume 4) that I used to read but they have disappeared from my house but am sure I didn't make them up

They were rooted in ancient Irish mythology with Fomor, Fir Bolg, Balor, Tuatha De Dannan etc being used as starting points for the stories.

The details I remember were:

1. The main characters were a modern Irish family (a girl and boy or maybe 2 boys and a girl) who travelled back in time to when the Fir Bolg or Fomori ruled Ireland.
2. They all had red hair which was extremely unusual then so they had to hide this fact.
3. The series revolved around elemental magic with wizards who got their power from wind, water, earth or fire, and I think each book was called something related to each element, hence why I think there were 4. I also remember the water one being young and held in a cage suspended in a flowing river.
4. They travelled around with a rag tag bunch of misfits including one who could shape shift from a pig to a man pig thing.
5. The bad guys base of operations was Tory Island, I think they were lizard people and their leader was Balor.

I think I only read the first 3 which ended with the bad guys travelling to modern Ireland and trying to kidnap them as I think the twist was that one of the family was a Fire wizard and their king was trying to possess all 4 wizards.

I hope I didn't make this all up (actually if I did I'm off to write some books) so please someone put me out of my misery.

Denerick

Irish Halo wrote: »

I hope I didn't make this all up (actually if I did I'm off to write some books) so please someone put me out of my misery.

Best line I've ever read in the literature forum

Blush_01

They were by Cormac MacRaois. I adored them. The kids names were Daire and Niamh (after MacRaois's eldest children) and a cousin, Rónan, was introduced after MacRaois's third child was born. I know I sound a bit like a psycho stalker with the info on his family, but he was a guest at the Clonmel Writer's Weekend when I was ten, and I nearly wet myself when I got to hear him talk about the books, I was that excited.

Battle Below Giltspur was the first, followed by Dance of the Midnight Fire and Lightening Over Giltspur. The children first realise something magical is happening when their scarecrow comes alive. If I remember correctly it was set predominantly in Wicklow, near the Sugarloaf mountains. There was an excerpt in our reader in Primary school, of the scarecrow coming to life bit. It reminded me of Worzel Gummidge!

He also wrote It's Pin Bin Dim Dominilli, about a boy who wakes up to find a mysterious little man in his room. Pin causes untold problems for him. I got that for Christmas one year, and I thought it was the best book ever.

Monkey61

I would have said that was Michael Scott's Fire Lord, Wind Lord etc.

Just found one of them in the book shop I work in the other day that has been out of print for years. I read them all when I was younger and never copped that it is the same Michael Scott who is now hugely famous outside of Ireland for The Alchemyst, The Magician etc.

Irish Halo

Monkey61 wrote: »

I would have said that was Michael Scott's Fire Lord, Wind Lord etc.

We have a winner.

Blush_01 those books sound like I have read them but the name didn't ring a bell with the ones I was looking for sorry.

Monkey61 one google of the book names and they are the covers I remember, now to try and track 'em down (or are they going to be expensive )

Monkey61

Well we definitely had one of them, long out of print it seems, on the shelf in Waterstones on Piccadilly (noticed your location says London) a couple of days ago, can't remember which one now (possibly Firelord), but I could pop it aside for you if it is still there. Presume it's about £4.99.

Irish Halo

Thanks for the offer but I'm smashed. Glad that I at least know which books they were and I'm not insane, won't be making any money writing them though.

Einhard

I remember those books! Man, I want to buy them now. Re-live my childhood...well, without the wet willies, toilet swirlies, wedgies, muggings for lunch money...oh no, so many repressed memories flooding back, thanks a lot OP!!!

Blush_01

Ha, I'd never heard of Michael Scott's books - I must go and find them now and see what they're like by comparison. MacRaois's books came out in the late 80s and early 90s, just before Scott's... interesting!

maquiladora

Those were great books, loved that series. Loved a couple of his other titles too, House of the dead, October moon, Gemini game...

fillefatale

I got these all in the second hand book shop in the late 90s and absolutely devoured them, I loved them, its got me wondering now where they've all got to, have a suspicion mam might have offloaded them

Coriolanus

Had a load of Michael Scott books. Shame he never finished the series, Firelord was the last published afaik and it didn't finish the tale. Presumably Waterlord was next in line.

Small hijack:

Anyone remember a book set in Celtic Ireland about a young boy who was the son of a local king being sent to live with a vassal lord in a crannog? Might have been a vassals son sent to live with the king but

I seem to remember the end being about the king arriving to save the day with his soldiers, but sadly, the vassals daughter, who the boy had fallen in love with died. I remember it was a crannog because that was key to the plot. The enemy were able to surprise attack the fort because a hard winter froze the lake.

I loved that book. Read and re-read it.

fillefatale

Nevore wrote: »

Anyone remember a book set in Celtic Ireland about a young boy who was the son of a local king being sent to live with a vassal lord in a crannog? Might have been a vassals son sent to live with the king but

I seem to remember the end being about the king arriving to save the day with his soldiers, but sadly, the vassals daughter, who the boy had fallen in love with died. I remember it was a crannog because that was key to the plot. The enemy were able to surprise attack the fort because a hard winter froze the lake.

I loved that book. Read and re-read it.

Hmmm, it wasn't The Chieftan's Daughter was it?

I don't know, it seemed like in the 90s there was a lot more irish literature for young adults out there.

c - 13

Does anyone know where I can find a summary/blurb for the Michael Scott Fire Lord etc. books online - they sound like something I read in primary school and i'm trying to find out if they're the same books.

The Mad Hatter

fillefatale wrote: »

I don't know, it seemed like in the 90s there was a lot more irish literature for young adults out there.

It was all the O'Brien Press. Do they still publish?

Nevore wrote: »

Had a load of Michael Scott books. Shame he never finished the series, Firelord was the last published afaik and it didn't finish the tale. Presumably Waterlord was next in line.

I'm pretty sure it finished at Firelord, actually. I think I remember being surprised that the series ended.

All this is making me want to dig out those books and give them another run. Gemini Game too, and his vampire books. I really liked his writing when I was a teenager, had almost completely forgotten about it.

mcgovern

I remember reading a good few of Michael Scott's books when I was younger, pretty sure I seen a few recently in my mam's house.

Coriolanus

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

It was all the O'Brien Press. Do they still publish?



I'm pretty sure it finished at Firelord, actually. I think I remember being surprised that the series ended.

All this is making me want to dig out those books and give them another run. Gemini Game too, and his vampire books. I really liked his writing when I was a teenager, had almost completely forgotten about it.

Gemini Game was the cyber-punk one right?

I don't remember feeling any closure at Firelord. In fact, I remember my child self harassing the ladies in Nas na Riogh bookshop in Naas about when the next one was out! Maybe, maybe not.

@Fille Cheers! I want to track it down now.

The Mad Hatter

Nevore wrote: »

Gemini Game was the cyber-punk one right?

Yup - brother and sister videogame designers set in a pretty well-imagined future Ireland.

I don't remember feeling any closure at Firelord. In fact, I remember my child self harassing the ladies in Nas na Riogh bookshop in Naas about when the next one was out! Maybe, maybe not.

You may be right - it's years since I read them.

Coriolanus

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

Yup - brother and sister videogame designers set in a pretty well-imagined future Ireland.

Yeah, I remember that one as well. I hadn't remembered it was set in Ireland though!

You may be right - it's years since I read them.

50/50 I'm wrong.

As well as the Vampire one's, didn't he do a run of books about an Irish-American red haired girl

who got bit by a werewolf, or was a werewolf maybe...

Found his biblio on wiki. Think it was October Moon that I'm remembering. Seems some of the books I read were classified as adult at the time, rather than YA.

Voyage of Maildiúin was another great one! The Irish Odysseus so to speak.

Gosh, this thread is bringing a lot back. Thanks all!

The Mad Hatter

Nevore wrote: »

As well as the Vampire one's, didn't he do a run of books about an Irish-American red haired girl

who got bit by a werewolf, or was a werewolf maybe...

Found his biblio on wiki. Think it was October Moon that I'm remembering.

Ohh yeah, I remember that! And its sequel, Wolf Moon. He did a vampire novel for slightly older readers, too called Vampyre. I don't know if it was as popular as his other books, but I remember liking it a lot.

The Mad Hatter

Nevore wrote: »

50/50 I'm wrong.

You're right, it seems. Link. Waterlord is a crappy name for a book anyhow

Coriolanus

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

You're right, it seems. Link. Waterlord is a crappy name for a book anyhow

Sealord maybe. :P

Just spotted it again, but I can see now where I first fell in love with Jim Fitzpatricks work. They collaborated on some illustrated books.

Irish Halo

Now I have the names I have been able to do some proper googling

Firelord was the last he wrote but was not the end of the series, the publishers went bust and he still had Sealord and Overlord to write. Apparently he is looking in to it. From the horses mouth

The De Danann Tales. I am always incredibly pleased when someone remembers the De Danann Tales; I wrote them so long ago and they are amongst my favorite works. And yes, writers do have favorites.

They are currently out of print and please, do not spend huge amounts of money on them. If I can get the rights back from the publishers, I will see about reworking them, adding in all the material which was removed so they could fit a particular number of pages. Of course, I would then be able to do the final two books in the series, Sealord and Overlord.

Let me finish Flamel (and the new series I'm developing - which we'll announce real soon), and then I'll revisit the De Danann Tales.

Amazotheamazing

Nevore wrote: »

Found his biblio on wiki. Think it was October Moon that I'm remembering. Seems some of the books I read were classified as adult at the time, rather than YA.

Read that as a kid, great book, haven't read it in years but can still remember most of it.

Coriolanus

I wonder if there's an address that he can be written to at. I'd love to let him know how much I loved them and how good it would be to see them finished.

BizzyLizzie

Ah I loved these books! I remember being devestated when he didn't finish them :pac:

Enkidu

Blush_01 wrote: »

Battle Below Giltspur was the first, followed by Dance of the Midnight Fire and Lightening Over Giltspur. The children first realise something magical is happening when their scarecrow comes alive. If I remember correctly it was set predominantly in Wicklow, near the Sugarloaf mountains. There was an excerpt in our reader in Primary school, of the scarecrow coming to life bit. It reminded me of Worzel Gummidge!

You are my new god! I've spent years trying to find out the name of these books. I'd been typing "scarecrow book morrigan" and anything I remembered into google. Now I know!

Irish Halo

Nevore wrote: »

I wonder if there's an address that he can be written to at. I'd love to let him know how much I loved them and how good it would be to see them finished.

He has:
Website - http://www.dillonscott.com/contact.htm
Twitter - @flamelauthor
Forum - http://flamelssecret.9.forumer.com/ (which he seems to post on)

Coriolanus

Irish Halo wrote: »

He has:
Website - http://www.dillonscott.com/contact.htm
Twitter - @flamelauthor
Forum - http://flamelssecret.9.forumer.com/ (which he seems to post on)

Good news! Thanks for the links.

The Sparrow

Blush_01 wrote: »

Battle Below Giltspur was the first, followed by Dance of the Midnight Fire and Lightening Over Giltspur. The children first realise something magical is happening when their scarecrow comes alive. If I remember correctly it was set predominantly in Wicklow, near the Sugarloaf mountains. There was an excerpt in our reader in Primary school, of the scarecrow coming to life bit. It reminded me of Worzel Gummidge!

I absolutely adored those books. In fact, it wass largely them that gave me a lo about for reading. I remember being 7 or 8 and just devouring them.

One scene in particular stands out in Battle over Giltspur when Niamh and Cormac are walking home from school on a country lane and they are nearly ran over by a phantom car that is been driven by magic. That scared the bejesus out of me!

Brilliant, brilliant books.

cwrenn

Read the OP and it was doing my head in..."Damn it, I KNOW those books"...and was convinced it wasn't the De Dannan ones...was so happy when someone came up with Michael Scott, I still have my copies in my Mam's house, one of the few books from my childhood that I've kept..just adding my voice to those who need some closure from them...:-)oh, and Gemini Game also rocks!