Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Land of the Ever-Living Ones launched in Drogheda

Land of the Ever-Living Ones was successfully launched in Drogheda on Friday, November 29th. A great crowd turned up on the night. The book was launched by Róisín Fitzpatrick, Artist of the Light (left). The book's editor, Laura Murphy (centre), acted as master of ceremonies on the occasion. Music was performed by Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin and her son Macdara (right).

The printed book can be purchased from the author on his website at this link:
http://www.mythicalireland.com/landoftheeverlivingones/land-of-the-ever-living-ones.html

The book is also available in electronic format for Amazon Kindle. You can download it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Land-Ever-Living-Ones-Anthony-Murphy-ebook/dp/B00GPMOS0U
http://www.amazon.com/Land-Ever-Living-Ones-Anthony-Murphy-ebook/dp/B00GPMOS0U

You can hear an interview with author Anthony Murphy about his first work of fiction here:


Friday, October 4, 2013

Land of the Ever-Living Ones by Anthony Murphy

My next book, called 'Land of the Ever-Living Ones', will be my first work of fiction. It follows three works of non-fiction, so it is quite an adventure for me! Drawing on ancient spiritual wisdom, with a healthy dose of Irish mythology and cosmology thrown in, it represents a journey into hidden depths of the human heart and soul. Here is a synopsis:

Land of the Ever-Living Ones is an extraordinary dialogue between an old man and a young boy that reaches into cosmic and spiritual realms. In one fireside conversation, they explore the universe with discussion about many different things, including natural phenomena, the mysteries of life and the question of what happens to us when we die.

The old man (sean-draoi) has gained much knowledge and wisdom during his life, and readily imparts it to the eager young boy, who is full of questions.

The cover of my new book
Tír na mBeo (Land of the Ever-Living Ones) was an ancient Irish name for the otherworld, the home of deities, spirits and ancestors. It was believed to be a place where there is no sickness or old age and where happiness lasts forever.  In this wide-ranging conversation, the man takes the boy on a journey into his own ancestral past, and through lesson, metaphor, story and dream, creates for him a stunning insight into his spiritual existence, his quest for eternity and indeed his experiences of Tír na mBeo.

The journey is a magical and powerful one, evoking both ecstasy and melancholy, for lost ancestors, for the frailties of mankind, and for the sometimes harsh lessons of worldly life. However, it is an optimistic tale, one that stirs up great hope for the eventual destiny of the boy, and for all his kin.

Its central message is one of hope – a reminder that that light will always emerge out of the darkness, and that all our struggles on this earth are not in vain.

I am hoping to release the book both in printed format and as an eBook for Amazon Kindle. If you would like to make a small donation towards the costs of the printed version that would be greatly appreciated. You can donate via the button below.



Monday, November 12, 2012

The magical mystical vibe of Newgrange - Monument to Immortality


This is a short video I have just completed to celebrate the launch of my new book, 'Newgrange: Monument to Immortality'. It features words by George William Russell from 'A Dream of Angus Oge', written in 1897. This extraordinary writer and self-claimed psychic describes in wonderful, magical language an apparent vision of the winter solstice illumination of the Newgrange chamber, at a time when this phenomenon apparently could not happen due to the poor state of the roofbox.

Set to pictures from my new Newgrange book, and mystical music from Matthew Florianz, I hope you'll agree this video captures the magic and mysticism of Newgrange and the Tuatha Dé Danann, something we need to recapture now to help us repair our broken country.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Total lunar eclipse no-show at Baltray: video


A total lunar eclipse rising out of the Irish Sea in the same position as Winter Solstice sunrise proved a tempting target for photographers and astronomers on June 15th 2011. However, typical Irish cloudy weather spoiled the show and the event was obscured. This did not deter those present from getting some nice photographs though.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Some scenes from the High Man documentary


The High Man documentary is a half-hour film which was filmed over three days using borrowed equipment with no budget as a pilot for a possible bigger project. Music was composed by David Swan Montgomery, who was inspired by the story of the High Man, a giant warrior figure made up of roads in Ireland which has significant esoteric links with the ancient myths, monuments and placenames of the area in which it is located. The High Man was discovered by Richard Moore and Anthony Murphy and is documented in their popular book, 'Island of the Setting Sun - In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers'.
The film provides the briefest overview of the High Man and the underlying myths and monuments. It is our hope to make a much bigger film, perhaps for television or for DVD distribution, and we are currently seeking funds to make this happen.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Let beautiful words flow and let us be stirred greatly to strive for better things

I INVOKE THE SPIRIT OF AMERGIN . . .

I implore that we may regain the land of Erin,
We who have come over the lofty waves,
This land whose mountains are great and extensive,
Whose streams are clear and numerous,
Whose woods abound with various fruit,
Its rivers and waterfalls are large and beautiful,
Its lakes are broad and widely spread,
It abounds with fountains on elevated grounds!
Amergin, leader, poet and figurehead of the Milesians, who came to Ireland, according to myth, in the Bronze Age

TWO BOOKS

When I wrote ‘Island of the Setting Sun’ in 2006, I felt as if I had made an extraordinary trip through time, and that I had connected with a very ancient and profound wisdom. It stirred me so much that I felt as if I was weaving magic with every word that I wrote. On a spiritual and esoteric level, I had retreated into the dark chamber of Newgrange, I had seen a wonderful, brilliant light, I had reconnected with my ancestors, I had conversed with the gods, and I had emerged a changed man. I would like to share that magic with you in two new literary adventures.

I am telling you this in the hope that I can encourage someone to aid me in the publication of these works. I believe that both will have a particular resonance with people in these times of change and uncertainty. I believe that we all need to experience that solstice moment, that bright flash of divine and cosmic brilliance in the dark belly of the earth mound. We all need to re-emerge from the darkness, and reconnect with the deepest and most ancient things.

THE FLOOD AND THE FIRE

One book is provisionally titled, “The Flood and the Fire – the beginning and the end of the world in Irish myth and prophecy”. As the title suggests, this non-fiction work examines the history of humanity and its destiny from a uniquely Irish perspective. It begins by looking at Irish myths and folklore dealing with the supposed flood of Noah, the biblical deluge which was said to have almost obliterated mankind deep in prehistory. Is there evidence, in Ireland’s stories, placenames and written records, that could support the idea of an ancient inundation? As well as looking back, the book looks forward, specifically to the idea of Armageddon or a future apocalypse, and looks at Irish prophecy and legends dealing with the “end times”. Will we be destroyed by conflagration, as the Old Testament says? Is this supported by Irish myths and prophecy? Or will we be destroyed by a great flood which will devastate our ancient isle, as predicted by an Irish saint? And who is the mysterious monk, who chose the location of one of Ireland’s largest monasteries (Mellifont), who predicted the future popes, a prediction which says the current Pope, Benedict XVI, is the second-last Pope? What is the origin of the tale of a strange island in the Atlantic which is said to appear once every seven years? Why is there an abundance of stories in Irish folklore about drowned and sunken cities? And did an ancient Irish druid foresee a nuclear explosion in a terrifying vision? The Flood and the Fire will run to about 80,000 words.

LAND OF THE EVER LIVING ONES

The other book is a novel, called “Land of the Ever Living Ones”, which is a profound and deeply stirring dialogue between a reclusive elder who lives on top of a hill, and a young boy from a nearby village, set in Iron Age Ireland. After encountering the elder on a summer afternoon, the boy becomes captivated by his apparent wisdom. Together, they explore, in moving conversation, many themes which are at the root of humanity and all its beauties and all its tragedies. From their own unique perspectives, the elder and the youngster discuss much of what is eternally mysterious to the human race - where we came from, why we are here, and where we go following death. The dialogue takes the form of simple conversation between two very different, yet two very similar, personalities. One is a wise elder who has lived in solitude on a hilltop for twenty years, choosing a lonely life over the community existence which is cherished by ordinary folk in fragile times. The other is a 12-year-old boy, who lives in a village beneath the great hill. This extraordinary boy shows wisdom and knowledge way beyond his tender years, and the two form a great bond as they journey through some of the great events and happenings of Ireland's remote past - and thus they also discuss the fate of the world and man's place in it in a profound and deeply moving dialogue. Their adventure takes them from the time of the great flood - when everyone was said to have perished in Ireland except one man called Fintan (ironically having the same first name as the young boy, whose name is also Fintan) - through the great stone monuments and wonderful and often magical stories of ancient Ireland, through into the future, of which the elder has had vivid visions during his lonely pilgrimage on the hilltop. The old man teaches the boy about the sacredness of land and nature and animals, and bestows upon him knowledge of the sun, moon and stars, and helps to unravel some of the mystery surrounding death. He discusses the otherworld, the paradise beyond the comprehension of living people, the wonderful place where people go when their earthly life is fulfilled. Gradually it dawns on the boy that he has a very unique fate in the world, and the elder is no ordinary old man. This book will explore themes which I feel will resonate on a profound level with people in today’s troubled world. It will run to about 100,000 words or so.

ABOUT ME

I am a 37-year-old newspaper editor living in Ireland. I have been writing all my life, or pretty much all of it. Ever since I could hold a pencil I was writing. As a kid I was a day dreamer, with my head in the clouds and among the stars, but always with a pen and paper or a typewriter somewhere near at hand. I started writing professionally for newspapers when I was in my teens, and have worked in publishing and journalism now full-time for 18 years. I am the author of a beautiful book about ancient Ireland, along with my good friend Richard Moore, called ‘Island of the Setting Sun – In Search of Ireland’s ancient Astronomers’. This book has been widely acclaimed, and went to second edition after the first edition sold out in a year. I believe I am more than qualified to write more beautiful books, and would dearly love to share some extraordinary literary creations with willing readers. Have a look at what some people have said about Island of the Setting Sun:

Island of the Setting Sun
....is a gentle eye-opener of a rare kind!
What an amazing adventure it is to read this precious book! – Amazon reviewer

A monument – Drogheda Independent

A beautifully written and illustrated publication – Geraldine & Matthew Stout, authors of Newgrange.

A fascinating insight into Ireland’s ancient burial sites – Irish Independent

CONTACT

I am looking for willing partners in bringing these books to the market, whether it be through print, or digitally, or (preferably) both. I have three chapters of each book completed and can supply a synopsis and a chapter plan for both. I have a number of websites, the most successful of which, www.mythicalireland.com, continues to attract 1,500 visitors EVERY DAY and would be an ideal marketing and promotional vehicle for both books. Plus I have extensive media contacts who could help me with reviews and articles about these books. If you’re interested in helping me to publish these exciting new works, I can be contacted by email at mythicalireland@eircom.net or by phone on 00353 (0)89 4392417. I look forward to hearing from you and to the beginning of a great adventure.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A message of hope from the Newgrange chamber on Winter Solstice


Although I have been to Newgrange hundreds of times and despite having written a book about it, I have never had the pleasure of being inside the chamber of Newgrange for Winter Solstice sunrise - until today.
This morning (Sunday December 19th 2010), shortly before 9am, I was one of a lucky group gathered at the 5,200-year-old stone monument awaiting the sun's light. And although somewhat dispersed by cloud cover, we did get to see sunlight in the chamber, and then when the clouds cleared we got lovely intense sunlight in the passage just outside the chamber.

It was a very enjoyable experience and an uplifting and calming one too. The presence of snow in the valley only served to enhance the experience for those of us who were there. Our guide, Leontia, was excellent, informative and friendly. We enjoyed her commentary on the phenomenon and also those moments of calm and quiet which she suggested would help us enjoy the moment all the more.

One of the most poignant aspects of the event for me was the idea that light can shine into the darkest places and although Ireland is going through dark times Newgrange is a symbol of hope for the future.

It has survived for over 5,000 years, reinforcing the idea that the Irish people have been around for a long, long time, and we will be around for a long time into the future as well. Best wishes of the Solstice and Christmas season to all of you and may the light of Newgrange inspire you to hope for a better year in 2011. A special mention for film-maker Grant Wakefield - thanks.

See more photos from the solstice and snow-covered Newgrange and Boyne Valley scenes at www.mythicalireland.com