Omagh man releases new book set in rural Tyrone in 1971

AN Omagh man who worked as a mental health nurse for more than 30 years in Derry has released his first novel, ‘The Tisperer’, based on the killing of a man in a Tyrone village – and his ensuing quest for revenge.

The book was written by Vinn McCullagh, who is originally from Brookmount Road, Omagh, under the pen name, Vincey Watt.

The work has taken more than 18 years to finish, and it is a fictional story about a young man named ‘Scran Donaghey’, who grows up in a rural part of Tyrone working on his family farm.

One day in 1971, a group of soldiers enter the farm, and, in tragic circumstances, his brother ends up being shot by one of them.

What follows next is the story of ‘Scran’ as he navigates his grief, and goes on a revenge-laden crusade against the people who he believes have wronged him.

Vinn said his time growing up during The Troubles – which is referred to as the ‘Dirty War’ in The Tisperer – was a major inspiration, stating that the stories in newspapers in the early ‘70s helped inspire him when writing events in the book.

“I was very young when The Troubles broke out,” he reflected. “And I can remember reading the newspaper every day from front-to-back before it was handed around the rest of the family. The stories I read back then have massively inspired The Tisperer.

“I have been a part of the Derry Writers group for a long time, and I worked as a mental health nurse for 30 years in Derry, and used to tell stories from the past to my patients.

“I was recounting a story to a patient one night, and he said that I should write a book, so I did.

“My work as a mental health professional, along with my own struggles with depression, which I have received treatment for, have really helped me when writing Scran’s story,” Vinn added. “I have talked to a lot of authors, and I believe that understanding anguish and experiencing sorrow is essential for writing an emotional book.

“It took me a long time to write The Tisperer, and I am very proud to finally have the completed work in my hands.

“It has been an amazing journey.”

The Tisperer has been published by London-based publishers, Austin McCauley, and is available to purchase on ‘Amazon.co.uk’, both in paper back form, and a digital version for Kindle.