Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Ireland, Dublin born, then my family moved to 'the Garden of Ireland' known as Wicklow. I was packed off to boarding school north of the country to Dundalk Grammar School. I absolutely loved my years there. I have only happy memories of growing up, summers in a caravan by a big sand dune by the sea at Brittas Bay, apple pies and ice cream and riding my bike. My Dad was hard working, loved gardening, the countryside and the seaside. My Mum was at home caring for my two elder sisters and me. When we moved to Wicklow I was about nine years of age, my sisters had married and so I enjoyed the life of an only child. I spent all of my free time at a big country hotel where there was an equestrian centre. I used to cycle there every day (about five miles) and work with the horses, clean stables and tack and hope that I would be rewarded with a free ride in the afternoon.
When did you first start writing?
I started writing stories when I was about nine. I was the bain of my teacher because she would set the class to write a one or two-page 'composition' and mine always ended up six to ten pages of a story. My grammar and spelling was not the best in those days, so she had a lot of correcting to do!
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