Rachael English: The musical memories behind Whatever Happened to Birdy Troy?

Growing up in newly-multicultural Shannon, and coming of age amid profound cultural change, the author has channelled her memories and loves into a tale of four young West of Ireland who start a band and take on 1980s Dublin.

Rachael English: author's love of music informs her new book, Whatever Happened to Birdy Troy?

When I was seven, we moved to Shannon, Ireland’s newest town. Our house was in the middle of a pebble-dashed terrace, just metres from the community hall.

In the mid-1970s, Shannon was a place in flux, with people arriving every week.