Mark O’Neill Book talk: Out Of Ireland – Frontline, London – June 30

Posted: June 29th, 2023 | No Comments »

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 19:00 – Frontline Club, Paddington

Mark O’Neill’s latest book, Out Of Ireland, describes his search, through more than 40 years of international postings, to find and explore his own Irish roots. The journey takes him from England to Scotland, three years in Belfast during the Troubles and, since 1978, in China, Hong Kong and Japan. He found the small town in Manchuria where his grandfather served as a missionary for 45 years: the Columban Sister doctor who cured Hong Kong of tuberculosis: and the replica of the Titanic being built in Sichuan. The last chapter describes the migration the other way – Chinese settling in Ireland, including Dublin Mayor Hazel Chu and a shipyard worker from Shenyang who learns Gaelic and moves to Ireland to practice his new language.

Mark was born in London, England and educated at Marlborough College and New College, Oxford. He worked in Washington D.C., Manchester and Belfast before moving to Asia in 1978. He has lived here ever since. After a long journalistic career, in 2006 he turned to writing books and has completed 12 so far in English. Seven have been translated into traditional Chinese and three into simplified Chinese. He speaks French, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese and lives in Hong Kong with his wife.

Mark joins Lynne O’Donnell (columnist at Foreign Policy and an Australian journalist and author) at 7pm on June 30 to talk about his journey.

More details and Tickets here

---