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(Hugo)

Siobhan Dowd was born in 1960 to Irish parents. She was brought up in London, but spent much of her youth visiting the family homes in County Waterford, then Wicklow town. She attended a Catholic grammar school in south London, and went on to receive a BA in Classics from Oxford University and an MA with distinction in Gender and Ethnic Studies from Greenwich University.

In 1984, she joined the writer's organisation International PEN, becoming Program Director of PEN American Center's Freedom-to-Write Committee in New York City. Her work there included founding and leading the Rushdie Defense Committee USA and travelling to Indonesia and Guatemala to investigate local human rights conditions for writers. During her seven-year stay in New York, Siobhan was named one of the 'top 100 Irish-Americans' by Irish-America Magazine and Aer Lingus for her global anti-censorship work.

On her return to the UK, Siobhan co-founded English PEN's readers and writers program. The program takes authors into schools in socially deprived areas, as well as prisons, young offender institutions and community projects.

During 2004, Siobhan served as Deputy Commissioner for Children's Rights in Oxfordshire, working with local government to ensure that statutory services affecting children's lives conform with UN protocols.

Siobhan edited two anthologies in the Threatened Literature Series for the Freedom to Write Committee of the PEN American Center: This Prison Where I live: The PEN anthology of imprisoned writers (Cassell, 1996) and, jointly with Ian Hancock and Rajko Djuric, The Roads of the Roma: a PEN Anthology of Gypsy writers (University of Hertfordshire Press, 1998 and 2004).

An invitation by Tony Bradman to contribute a story about a Pavee (an Irish Traveller) to his collection of short stories for children about racism, Skin Deep (Puffin, 2004), led to a new career as an author of children's books. It was through Tony that Siobhan was introduced to Hilary Delamere. Hilary became Siobhan's agent and continues to represent her titles, both as her agent and also as the executor of her literary estate. In 2007, Waterstone's identified Siobhan as one of the top '25 Authors of the Future'.

Siobhan died in August 2007, aged 47. In the very last days before she died, Siobhan set up The Siobhan Dowd Trust, who works to give young people the opportunity to read and enjoy literature.

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Summary

Fergus had twisted his ankle and ask his uncle Tally to have a talk with Joey. Tally said that will be complicated because he had an argument with Joey about the stole of Joey's girlfriend. So Fergus went back home to prepare the oncoming of Felicity and Cora. He even put a flower in Cora's bedroom because he is in love with her. Then Fergus and Felicity with her daughter went to the Roscillin's abattoir, where is now the bog child. We learn that the bog child, named Mel, come certainly from the time of Christ. Fergus and Cora take a walt in town after she becomes sick because of Mel's body. Cora said to Fergus that her father lives with a new family in the USA. After another dream of Mel, we learn that her family was harassed by the Boss Shaughn who wanted his payment back. Fergus again had another dream but this time it didn't concern Mel. He dreams about Michael Rafters and Cora.

Comprehension questions

How has Fergus twisted his ankle ?

Why the bog child is now in the abattoir ?

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Fergus McCann

now he is confident at driving -> has a provisional driver license, learns to drive (mainly with Uncle Tally)

don't like to smoke but occasinally he is the companion of his uncle

after the grades : he wants to go find a summer job over in England and go to medical school

He named the bog child Mel, short for Melanie.

doesn't want to believe that Joey joined the hunger strikers

stops believing in God

Uncle Tally

He has no girlfriend but loved a girl when he was Fergus' age. Her name was Noreen and stayed 6 years with her.

faithful

is not in the IRA because he is too old and he doesn't want to get involved

turns 40 this year

smokes

regret not going away the valley years ago

Felicity and Cora O'Brien

Felicity is the mother and Cora is her daughter.

They are the archaeologist in charge of the bog child case.

Fergus met them at the place where the bog child is.

Fergus invites them to come at the B&B run by his mother.

Ma - Pat

40 years

she is worried about Joey, her son.

Da - Malachy

is not in the IRA because he is too old and is a family man

~47-48 years

he works at a petrol station

Joey

is in prison for 10 years

is 20 years old

change block : he had been moved to the hunger strikers block because he joined them.

before the prison he had been seeing Cindy but Cindy is now history

Michael Rafters

Joey's friend at school

try to convince Fergus to do a  pick-up for him -> he even use Joey to convince Fergus to help him

Bog child

Fergus calls her Mel which is the short for Melanie.

Owain

The Welsh soldier who Fergus met when he was doing his footing.

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Bog child : Chapters 2-7 Flashcards | Quizlet

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Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards terms like plainclothes, the turf, a pagan and more.

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Fergus travels to the bog location and assists others in digging out the youngster. There are a lot of folks watching this as well. They also notice Mel has a rope tied behind her that runs from her chin to her arms. Michael has also arrived and is looking for Fergus' response to the delivery. He agrees to wait till he gets to Aberdeen in exchange for him convincing Joe to end his hunger strike.

Even if they don't have enough money, Mel returns home, and they must pay. Brennor's mother wishes to send him away since they do not have enough money to feed the entire family.

Fergus passes his exam, but he's nervous. He realizes he's made some errors, then speaks with Padraig before returning home.

Fergus is the first to deliver, and everything went smoothly. He doesn't meet anyone. He swaps out the first packet in a tyre for one in a rock on the other side. At a chip shop, Michael waits for Fergus and says that he hasn't yet persuaded Joe to quit, but that he will speak with someone higher up. Fergus wants to stop, but Micheal persuades him to keep going and promises to do the same the next morning. He returns home and writes a letter to Margaret Thatcher (the Iron Lady) pleading with her to end the hunger strike (has started 40 years ago). He finally pulls it apart and burys it.

He gets up at 6 a.m. the next morning to make the next delivery. Everything seemed normal at first, but as he returned to his side, he noticed Owain driving a Range Rover, which caused him to stumble. Owain offered assistance, and Fergus attempted to conceal the package. They talk a little about their own country, Mel... Finally, Fergus hears a car approaching and has to flee. The automobile does not come to a halt, and he continues on his way home after replacing the packet in the tyre. Even if the Provos are going to shoot him, he doesn't want to do it again.

QUESTIONS
How did they unburied Mel ?

What decides Fergus to do in order to help his brother ?

Why did Fergus write to Margaret Thatcher ?

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(Hugo)

In Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 13 unarmed civil rights demonstrators are shot dead by British Army paratroopers in an event that becomes known as “Bloody Sunday.” The protesters, all Northern Catholics, were marching in protest of the British policy of internment of suspected Irish nationalists.

In Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 13 unarmed civil rights demonstrators are shot dead by British Army paratroopers in an event that becomes known as “Bloody Sunday.” The protesters, all Northern Catholics, were marching in protest of the British policy of internment of suspected Irish nationalists.

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At the beginning of the last century, Ireland was still completely ruled by England. But not everybody was happy with that and they began to protest. The real fight began in 1972 with the Bloody Friday, 14 catholics have been killed.

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- Fergus McCann : main character, Irish and Catholic, he was proposed to participate to the provo with his brother but he promised to his mother that he wouldn’t be involved.

- Joe McCann : political nationalist prisoner locks for ten years

- Pat McCann (Mam) : Fergus's mother

- Da McCann : Fergus's father

- Theresa & Cath McCann : Fergus's sisters

- Uncle Tally : rents a room where he works in Finicule’s Bar

- Mel (Bog child) : seven or eight years old, probably a girl who has to do a lot of cleaning

- Brennor : Mel's brother

- Owain : border guard, pentecostalist from the Valleys

- Michael Rafters : old school Joe's friend, member of the Provo

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Quizlet for the chapers 14 to 18: https://quizlet.com/ch/681315730/bog-child-chap-14-to-18-flash-cards/?x=1qqU&i=282c0g

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(Romane)
-period time-> troubles
-JCB-> britisch compagny wich produce all machinery for diguing (tractors, katerpillar...)
- RUC-> all the police of norden ireland and they are protestant
-Loyd Georges-> britisch prime minister
- proval-> part of these provisional irish army, illegal your are politically in danger
-maze (prison)->
-tarred and feathered-> they put tarre on you body, tarred= hard glue, feather= something taken of bird
-The sond -> London calling by the clash
-Unionists -> Unionists are  in Ireland strongly opposed Home Rule as they were loyal to Britain and seen the bill as a threat that could lead to a nationalist & Catholic-dominated
country
-uncle tally-> took his "trips" to the mainland -> as a catholic he shouldn't say that he was going to England bc he could be arrested.

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Bog child : Chapters 19-24: Flashcards and practice test | Quizlet

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Start studying Bog child : Chapters 19-24. Learn vocabulary, terms and more with flashcards, games and other study tools.

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(Marius)
There are 4 religions :
Unitarianism
Catholicism
Protestantism
Paganism
Historical things, a bangle and a necklace that are from the Iron edge.
There is "Pieta" a statue that remembers the mother of Fergus.
There are 2 different countries: Dublin and Belfast.
Cora prefered Dublin because it is more fancy.

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Bog child : Chapters 25-30 Flashcards | Quizlet

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Start studying Bog child : Chapters 25-30. Learn vocabulary, terms and more with flashcards, games and other study tools.

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- Joe is continuing his hunger strike. That’s prove that he’s determined.

- The mother and father are very sad about the situation with Joe.

- Fergus have succeed his exam. He visited his brother in prison and are very sad because he knows that this is the last time that he can see his brother alive. He is so mad about this that he drinks and try to forget his problems and pressures.

- Cora still are a support for Fergus.

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Hunger strikes: already explained before. Lennie Sheehan died.

British army: Soldiers were asked to attend a lot of events such as funerals => feeling of tension and pressure.

Mels Wisdom teeth: we discover she was not a child

Mels dwarf syndrom: was considered as evil at their time

The irish pub culture: meeting point (they go there after work/ diner) +A LOT of drinking.

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The Tollund man is a natural human mummified corpse. It is preserved as a bog body and found in 1950 in Denmark. The physical is so good preserved that we can mistake the corpse for a recent murder victim. Indeed, the man comes from the 5th century BC. The cause of death is the hanging. The scientists think that he was a human sacrifice because of the body's position with his eyes and mouth being closed.

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The hunger strike in Ireland :
The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of five years of protest by Irish Republican prisoners during the North Irish conflict. The protests began with the 1976 blanket protest when the British government took away the special status of the convicted paramilitary prisoners. Prisoners were attacked when they left their cells to empty their chamber pots. So, in 1978, the conflict took the form of a dirty protest, because the prisoners refused to wash themselves and covered the walls of their cell with excrement. In 1980, 7 prisoners went on the first hunger strike that lasted 53 days. The second hunger strike took place in 1981 and confronted the prisoners and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The strike ended after the deaths of 10 prisoners, including Bobby Sands. The strike led to a radicalization of nationalist policies and was the driving force that enabled the Sinn Féin to become a mass political party.

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In a driving class with Uncle Tally, Fergus says he’ll be looking for a summer job to make money, and if he gets the grades, he’ll continue to study to have a good job. Uncle Tally encoded it in this move and told him that if he could, he would have left the country before all the problems began. Fergus meets Cora and Felicity O'Brien who do archaeological research on the body of the dead girl. He asks if he can help them, they accept and Fergus welcomes them home. Fergus gives a name to the dead girl: Mel. We learn that Mel was in contact with the Shaughns - a powerful family that bullied others - and that Mel did not like to go to their home. After this flashback, Fergus and his family learn that Joe may have joined the strikers. His mother is very worried so Fergus offers to take her to prison to try to reason his brother with a rhubarb pie and various arguments. It’s a failure: Joe doesn’t change his mind. The next day, at breakfast, Cora, Felicity and Fergus make theories about the life and death of the Mel.

1. Why Fergus called the dead girl Mel ?
2. Why did Joe joined the strikers ?
3. Who was Mel according to Fergus, Cora and Felicity ?

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Fergus

like when Owain plays music

he needs to talk to someone because of his brother Joey -> he is sad about the situation

wants to see again Cora

for hime Michael Rafters is the person who puts the bomb in Londonberry

feels guilty because of the work he did for Michael -> he thinks that he transported the bomb across the border so he discover what is in the packets (he is angry about it)

Michael Rafters

try to convince Fergus to do one last rune for him across the border

Owain

would like to play in a band because he plays trombone

Mam

has some regrets in her life

knows that Fergus has a crush on Cora

Theresa

catches Fergus talking on the phone with Cora