Henry McDonald (writer)
Henry McDonald | |
---|---|
Born | Henry Patrick McDonald 6 July 1965 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Died | 19 February 2023 Belfast, Northern Ireland | (aged 57)
Occupation |
|
Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
Subject | The Troubles |
Years active | 1989–2023 |
Spouse |
Claire Breen
(m. 1996, divorced) |
Partner |
|
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Jack Holland (cousin) |
Henry Patrick McDonald (6 July 1965 – 19 February 2023) was a Northern Irish journalist and author. He was a correspondent for
Early life
Henry Patrick McDonald was born in a Catholic enclave of central
In his youth, McDonald involved in the
Career
After taking a journalism course at Dublin City University, McDonald began his professional writing career in 1989 at the Belfast newspaper The Irish News.[2] He wrote extensively about the Troubles and related issues, with a particular focus on paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, like the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). He wrote a book on the INLA, INLA – Deadly Divisions, which he co-authored with his cousin, Jack Holland. The book was first published in 1994.[2]
McDonald also wrote on
In 1997, McDonald became the Ireland correspondent for The Observer, and assumed the role for The Guardian in 2007. He was based out of the paper's London office from 2018 to 2020.[2] He then returned to Belfast, where he wrote for The Sunday Times, and worked as the political editor of The News Letter, headquartered in Belfast.[2]
Novels
McDonald's first novel, The Swinging Detective, was published in 2017,[6] and his second, Two Souls, was published by Merrion Press in 2019.[7] A third novel, called Thy Will Be Done, was forthcoming at the time of his death.[2]
Personal life and death
McDonald was a supporter of Irish League football club Cliftonville and English Premier League club Everton. He married Claire Breen in 1996, and they had three children before divorcing.[2] He also spent 12 years in a relationship with author June Caldwell,[8] living some of that time in Dublin where he taught journalism and feature writing at the Dublin Business School and the Irish Writers Centre.[9] At the time of his death, he was in a relationship with Charlotte Blease.[2]
In 2018, McDonald was diagnosed with cancer and an unspecified heart condition.[2] He died at a hospital in Belfast on 19 February 2023, at the age of 57.[10]
Works
Non-fiction
- McDonald, Henry; ISBN 189814205X.
- McDonald, Henry (2017). Martin McGuinness: A Life Remembered. Belfast: Blackstaff Press. ISBN 9781780731681.
- Cusack, Jim; McDonald, Henry (2008). UVF: The Endgame. Dublin: ISBN 9781842233269.
- McDonald, Henry (1 September 2005). Colours: Ireland – From Bombs to Boom. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1845960254.
Fiction
- McDonald, Henry (2 November 2017). The Swinging Detective. London: Gibson Square Books. ISBN 9781783341160.
- McDonald, Henry (20 August 2019). Two Souls: A Novel. Newbridge, County Kildare: ISBN 9781785372575.
References
- ^ "Henry McDonald". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
Henry McDonald was the Ireland correspondent for the Guardian and Observer
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Bowcott, Owen (22 February 2023). "Henry McDonald obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ISBN 9781526107411. Archivedfrom the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ McDonald, Henry & Cusack, Jim UDA: inside the heart of loyalist terror
- ^ McDonald, Henry. Martin McGuinness: A Life Remembered. ASIN 178073168X.
- Easons. 7 September 2017. Archived from the originalon 22 June 2018.
- ^ "Two Souls | Irish Academic Press". Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
- ^ "Room Little Darker, by June Caldwell". Head of Zeus. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "How I Write - Henry McDonald". 10 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Carolan, Mary (19 February 2023). "Journalist and author Henry McDonald dies in Belfast". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 February 2023.