Tom’s book hits home in the great NI debate

THINK of Tom Faulkner and you think first of two people. One, Tom Faulkner the schoolteacher and the other, Tom Faulkner the politician’s son.

Now there is a third persona - Tom Faulkner, the novelist.

Living with his wife, Hannah, in Stameen, Drogheda, Tom spent most of his life in Dunleer, close enough to the Border to be ever aware of its presence, and long enough the son of a politician who helped shape the new Ireland, to be absorbed by thoughts of which might be brought into play to resolve the conflict up there.

When Tom started work on his first novel, The Machiavellian Legacy, which is due for publication this Thursday, he projected into the future. But although he started work on this book almost three years ago, its theme is so relevant to today’s convoluted negotiations between the British and Irish Governments that it has an impact and immediacy that makes it compelling reading. There are three different strands running through The Machiavellian Legacy

‘I have tried to be as accurate as possible,’ says Tom but he admits, ‘I have a genuine fear that the scenario outlined in the book could actually happen.

‘ The whole history of imperialist powers pulling out of any country shows that when they decide to withdraw, they do so rapidly,’ he says.

‘It is not the policy of such powers to delay action and to leave their troops caught between the crossfire of extremist groups jockeying for power.’ Aware of this historical fact, which he draws upon in his book, Tom says that this is yet another reason why the two communities in the North must prepare now for eventual withdrawal if we are not all to become victims of a much greater conflict.

Tom Faulkner is the principal of Dunleer Primary School with a Degree in History from UCD and a M.Ecl from Maynooth and he is son of Padraig Faulkner, former Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and of Defence.

Weaving the three different strands through the novel, Tom tells how the British inform the Irish Government of their plan to withdraw, just one month before they intend going public, believing that it would prove impossible to keep such a plan secret any longer than that.

The Irish Government finds itself with no option but to accept the plan, which they believe to be fraught with danger for the future stability of the whole island.

Fearful of a bloody civil war spilling over onto their doorstep, they decide that the only hope of future peace lies with the talks taking place in secret between the constitutional political parties and the Minister for Justice decides to use all the resources available to him to prevent any actions on the part of the men of violence to disrupt such talks.