May 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Author Finds His Roots as a Genuine Irish Teller of Tales 

FORT LAUDERDALE, MAY 2005: 

Across the Saltwater Bridge, set in County Antrim, Ireland during the first half of the 19th century, relates the life and times of a working-class, Protestant family striving to succeed in a rapidly growing Belfast. James Hamill, a successful cabinetmaker, woodcarver, and artist and his family are respected merchant-class Presbyterians living in Belfast during the period this small market town grew to become the industrial center of Ireland.  The story opens with the aftermath of the Battle of Antrim during the United Irishmen uprising of 1798 and continues until the time of the disastrous potato famine. Although the story of the Hamills of Antrim is fiction, its genesis is a skeleton of fond memories, fleshed out by genealogical research and finally dressed in the clothing of history. 

About the author:

Art Hamill is of Irish descent. His paternal ancestors came to America from Antrim, Ireland, by way of PEI, Canada. His maternal ancestors are descendents of the O’Neills of Ulster. A long-standing interest in discovering his Irish heritage blossomed after he retired. Finding and cataloging his Hamill ancestors proved insufficient to satisfy his desire to really ‘know’ his ancestors. As a consequence, he began to develop historical context, surrounding his ancestors with places, events and circumstances. This merging of genealogy and history led to his desire to tell and share his Hamill story. He published A Place Called Tranquility in 2002. Across the Saltwater Bridge is the second in a planned series about his Hamills of Antrim.

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