The Apprentice

This is the autobiography of actor, storyteller and seanchai, Eamon Kelly. It takes its title from the fact that the young Kelly was apprenticed to his father, a wheelwright and master craftsman. The book recreates an area, the Sliabh Luachra area east of Killarney, a family life and a culture that co-existed with dramatic political events: World War I, the War of Independence and the Civil War. It also provides a glimpse into the mind and emotions of a gifted artist, as he grew to maturity.