Hi my name is Rob Shairp and I'm a 64 year old Scottish artist and designer of websites, I also provide computer assistance to local people here near Rossaveal in Connemara as well as creating chainsaw carvings and quirky garden furniture.
Over the last couple of years I have also been authoring and publishing books using Amazon kdp. The books are historical with local interest being a main focus.
An example of a book I co authored and published on Amazon kdp is Sioscarnach Mhuintir Fhinse (see below)
The book was created to preserve the history of the families from Fenish Island off Carna in Connemara.
More info on the Website Design Page
Feenish Murmurings, A recent history of Feenish Island
My mother was born on Feenish Island and she shared a lot of stories with me.
When I got married I was very lucky to settle down with my wife Mary in Rusheenamanagh and our house looks out on Feenish.
After my mother passed away in 1994, I felt that my connection with Feenish Island was getting stronger. I then started to record and document stories and talking to relatives of the people who had lived there.
My aunt, Mary Madden, who was 101 years when she died in May 2023, was also able to share her stories and knowledge, anecdotes and genealogy of the people on the island with me.
The more information I gathered, the more I thought about it and realised that I owed it to my mother and the people of Feenish Island to preserve their stories and follow their footprints in the sand back to their past life on Feenish Island.
In this project, I have written the knowledge that I have recorded from my mother, Nóra Madden-Hernon, my aunt, Mary Madden and my uncle Joe Madden and other descendants of the island.
Marcus Hernon
For sale on Amazon Books
Clyde Puffers and my experience as master on the Eilean Eisdeal the last puffer with a load line certificate to run commercial cargo.
I am glad I experienced and was part of the "trade" and it set me in good stead for further adventures in my life.
Fewer and fewer people will remember when the boats worked the West coast their smoky lums on the horizon replaced now with the white Dacron sails of charter yachts.
available on Amazon Books here
Published at the start of April 2026 is my book of reminicences growing up on the island of Luing on Scotland's West coast. The book is available on Amazon in the UK at https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GQG7C1SM
Having left the island about forty years ago I have wandered
ever since, these wanderings have included twenty years
beneath the wide Australian sky, and now fifteen more on the
weather‑worn edge of Ireland’s west coast.
After all my travels and adventures in this life, it is strange,
but Luing still feels like home to me.
This little book is simply how I remember it. Any history woven
through it comes from stories handed down, some shaped by
voices long gone, so forgive me if some details have grown
softer or more colourful in the retelling.
It’s just one past islander’s recollection of a place that never
quite let go.
I use my own timber that has been blown over in storms or recycled timber to construct quirky garden furniture and carvings of animals.
A gallery of some of my carvings and examples of benches is on my Carving and Garden Furniture page.
