‘Shannon’ a journey through Ireland
Frank Delaney’s “Shannon” tells the story of a Marine chaplain, who, after being traumatized during World War I, is sent by the church to Ireland on a pilgrimage for his roots.
The Rev. Robert Shannon, over the summer of 1922, traverses the green landscapes mostly on foot and is befriended by a network of people informed of his journey by the Catholic Church.
The kindness bestowed upon Robert eases his shell-shocked spirit. He doesn’t know the church has informed Catholics in the area of his journey, but he realizes they can spot him all the same. The first couple who aid him warn him he will be recognized throughout the country.
He had asked them to stop calling him Father. They agreed, yet they warned him that everywhere he went in Ireland he would be recognized as having the stamp of a priest on him. Joe added, “We’d recognize a priest naked. I mean — if you saw a giraffe up the fields, you’d know it was a giraffe.”
Though the young war hero believes he has been sent on his travels to restore his faith and recover from shell shock, which has erased most of his memory, he doesn’t know that he has been sent right into the middle of a civil war. The violence occurring around him puts him in danger — physically, emotionally and spiritually — but he perseveres.
Robert’s restoration is not the only aspect of the story. Upon his return from war he witnessed the corruption of the archdiocese of Boston, and church officials will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets hidden. Robert doesn’t know, but it isn’t an accident that he was sent into the middle of another battle, and the dangers of war are only compounded when an assassin is put on his trail.
“Shannon” is rich in description of the lushness of Ireland and the compassion of its people. The story is a well-written tale that pulls the reader in as Robert meets a colorful cast of characters. This novel is one to be enjoyed slowly, as a damaged priest’s recovery unfolds in pages painted with vivid imagery of a magical land.
