Michael J. Carroll

Michael was born into a renowned fishing family in Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. His family operated small fishing boats and served as fish merchants, exporting to the U.S. and Germany from the 1910s until the late 1960s. Before school each morning, he grew accustomed to rowing two to three miles and hauling shrimp and lobster pots.

In the 1950s, he spent his summers backpacking through France, Spain, and Portugal. Enamored with Iberian culture, he took inspiration from Hemingway and participated in the Encierro, ran with the bulls, spent time with matadors in Pamplona, and learned to play guitar and flamenco dance from the Gitanos in Granada.

In 1990, he opened the Bantry Bookstore, gaining national fame and recognition for its collection of antiquarian and rare books. He was a regular contributor to publications and media in Ireland and the U.S.

After undergoing major heart surgery in the early 2000s, he dedicated himself to writing full-time until his passing on May 24th, 2009.