Famous author's book about Banagher family is launched in Crank House

THE Banagher Brontë Group welcomed famous author Martina Devlin to Crank House on Saturday afternoon for the launch of her acclaimed book “Charlotte”.
James Scully warmly welcomed Martina and the audience to the launch of “this wonderful book.”
He gave some background information about what Banagher Brontë Group is. “We are an organisation founded in December 2023 with the aim of highlighting the connection between Banagher and the famous Brontë literary family from Haworth in Yorkshire, England.
“This connection began in 1845 when an Irish curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls, who had grown up in Banagher, became the new curate helping Patrick Brontë, incumbent curate of Haworth and none other than father of the famous writers, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë and Charlotte Brontë. This same curate, less than ten years later, in 1854, became the husband of Charlotte Brontë and he brought her to Banagher on their honeymoon.”
James said the Group has enjoyed a great year and has been very active. “We visited Haworth. We took part in the St Patrick's Day Parade in Banagher. We have a growing collection of tapestries and marionettes. We have a number of plans for the future. And now we are delighted to welcome the acclaimed novelist and Irish Independent journalist Martina Devlin to our town for the launch of her highly-praised novel 'Charlotte'. I first met Martina in the summer of 2021 and I was delighted when she said Mary Anna Bell Nicholls, who lived in Cuba Court House here in Banagher and became the second wife of Arthur Bell Nicholls, was going to feature prominently in her novel 'Charlotte'.”
The audience was then treated to a fascinating and detailed interview process between Maebh O'Regan of Banagher Brontë Group and Martina Devlin, during which Martina revealed her incredibly extensive knowledge of the Brontës.
Maebh began the interview by saying she had hugely enjoyed the novel. She asked why was Martina so interested in the Brontës?
Martina said her deep interest goes back to her childhood when she read 'Jane Eyre' and loved it. “Many things struck me when I read the novel, many lines leapt out at me, including the powerful line spoken by Jane, 'I am no bird and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.' I loved that fierce, independent spirit. It was very attractive. In a way my novel 'Charlotte' is an act of homage to 'Jane Eyre'. 'Charlotte' also grew out of the fact that I wanted to draw people's attention to the huge Irish connection, the huge Irish influence in the Brontë story. Take for example the gothic elements in Jane Eyre or in Wuthering Heights, I think there is something very Irish which has inspired those elements. Also, Charlotte's father Patrick, who was from County Down, was well known for being an excellent storyteller. I think the Brontë sisters may have imbibed some of that genius for storytelling from their father.”
Maebh said Martina's novel is told from the viewpoint of Mary Anna Bell Nicholls. Why was this?
“The more research I did,” replied Martina, “the more pivotal Mary Anna seemed. She met Charlotte and Arthur when they arrived in Dublin on their honeymoon. She spent some of their honeymoon in Cuba Court with them. Mary Anna was young, 22, and I thought it must have been quite dazzling for her to meet one of the most famous female novelists in the world. It would be like a young woman meeting Tom Cruise in Banagher now!
“The novel covers quite a long time frame. There was the nine months of Charlotte and Arthur's marriage. The years that followed fascinated me and I wanted to tell the story of that.”
Martina pointed out that most of the letters in the novel are fictional. She stressed that the novel is not a biography, but historical fiction.
The audience was also told that Arthur brought many personal items from Haworth to Banagher after Charlotte's death, including Charlotte's wedding dress. This dress was kept in Hill House Banagher for many years (Hill House is now Charlotte's Way B&B). The dress was destroyed after Arthur died in 1906, but a copy was subsequently made.
Nigel West from Thornton Yorkshire addressed the gathering as well, outlining his connection with the Brontë and Bell Nicholls story.
Nigel said his family connections with “the beautiful town of Banagher” are various. "If my grandfather Walter West had not fallen off his motorbike outside the house of my grandmother Lucy Kearns, at 64, Main Street, Banagher, I might not be here talking to you now. Lucy nursed Walter back to health and they were married at St Paul’s Church in 1921.
“My father inherited Hill House here in Banagher from his Aunt Elsie.” Members of Nigel's family lived in Hill House until 1959. “My family's connection with Hill House dates back to the time of Arthur Bell Nicholls.
“When I became involved with the Brontë Birthplace in Thornton, Yorkshire, just over a year ago, this prompted me to link up with Nicola and James and the Banagher Brontë Group. And what a joy it has been! Over the last 12 months I have been on a voyage of discovery, finding newspapers from my Great-Aunts Elsie and Florrie and their time at Hill House. I have also built up a picture of the belongings that were brought to Hill House by Arthur Bell Nicholls and have been able to confirm that some of these had been in Hill House from 1861 till 1960.
“Two weeks ago, my wife Sarah & I visited Ann Dinsdale at The Brontë Parsonage, Haworth, Yorkshire. You can only imagine our delight to see items which were in Hill House until 1960, which now reside safely at the Parsonage. These include a tiny notebook belonging to Charlotte detailing her and Anne’s visit to Scarborough just prior to Anne’s passing. Other items include, a first edition of 'Villette' in three volumes, annotated in the margins by Charlotte, a copy of 'Jane Eyre' with Charlotte’s inscription and a notebook of Arthur’s.
“So, with all these events unfolding, I am sure you will begin to understand how special it has been for me to read Martina’s beautiful work bringing to life events here in Banagher at Hill House. Whilst reading the book I could visualise being in Nicola’s beautiful house. What a wonderful and engrossing read it is.”
James concluded the launch by pointing out that Banagher Brontë Group has also created Christmas cards, which are available in Crank House.