Máirín Nolani

The half-sister of Muireall Whelani (page 6), she never knew her father and is unaware of her sibling’s existence. He had already disappeared before she was born and so she was given her mother’s last name. Her first name, Máirín—“star of the sea”—is the only thing that connects her to her father and half-sister. In her mind, he is still alive somewhere, sailing in search of riches. She briefly gave some thought to becoming a pirate herself, but was then sobered by the reality of being trapped on a ship with a dozen angry men. So, in the midst of her work in the information trade, she listens for any mention of him. It’s entirely possible that his name will pass over Muireall’s lips and be overheard by someone in the network. How would it feel to know she had more living family? Would they feel drawn together, or angered by each other? It would be a difficult experience for each of them to understand how one man could be so different to two of his children.