Michael Caulfield, a retired primary school teacher from Galway, offers a contrasting perspective on the recent fallout from the collapse of Ireland's property boom. In doing so he takes us right back to where it all started; reminding us not just how, but also why it all began.
Any Chance of a Start? charts the rise and fall of the four Folan brothers - Christy, Iggy, Mikey and the narrator, Tommy. The three eldest brothers leave their farm in Mayo in the late 1970s to work on the building sites in London. They are all hardworking, shrewd and ambitious, but Christy is also a born entrepreneur. Under his guidance, the brothers lay the foundations of their fortunes through the buying, developing and selling on of properties in London.
When the Celtic Tiger hits Ireland, with its accompanying building boom, Christy decides that it is time for them to return home. Tommy, the youngest, joins them in Dublin and their spectacular rise as property developers begins.
Tommy tells the tale, not only of the brothers’ financial coups, but also of their far less successful, and often hilarious, dealings with women: wives, girlfriends, chance acquaintances and one night stands.
We learn that Christy's business success contrasts sharply with a deeply troubled home life and unhappy marriage. Iggy is outwardly stingy and mean, with a cruel streak; but does all this merely underline a much deeper character flaw? Mikey, the philosopher of the family, is plagued with introspection and doubt. Even as he shares in the spoils arising out of the brothers' property dealings, he is still able to observe; "the only piece of land that is important to you is a six by two plot that you will be buried in."
Only Tommy appears to have achieved genuine contentment, but his world is almost shattered when he is left alone to try to salvage a crumbling business empire whose assets have literally gone up in smoke.
The story is very topical and relevant to the Ireland of today. It reminds us that the often maligned developers were not aliens who were landed into our midst, but hardworking, enterprising Irishmen, who dragged us into the 21st century, leaving us a legacy of modern homes and luxury hotels. That it all fell apart is part of the human condition: man proposes and God disposes.
In spite of all the tragedy, the book ends on a note of hope, and can be read as a hymn of praise to family bonds and brotherly love.
Michael Caulfield was born in Mayo but now lives in the beautiful village of Annagdown in County Galway with his wife and two sons. He got his first taste of the construction industry as a student in the 1980s in London.
Any Chance of a Start? is published with the assistance of The Author's Friend. It is available in all good bookshops and also from the Online Catalogue of The Author's Friend. Price €12.95 plus P&P.
For a free information booklet about how Assisted Publishing works for authors, writers, poets e-mail The Author's Friend at freeinfobook@theauthorsfriend.ie or visit their website.
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