Self Publishing Success Story - His "Children of The Dead End" - is a masterpiece!

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” 
― Stephen King

Patrick McGill was born near Glenties and *educated locally*. At the age of twelve he was sent to the Hiring Fair in Strabane, County Tyrone where he was hired to a wealthy farmer. After two years McGill went to work as a labourer on the Glasgow to Greenock line of the Caledonian Railway in Scotland and, at the age of twenty-one, he self-published a volume of poetry entitled *Gleanings from a Navvy's Scrapebook* which he sold door to door, apparently selling over seven thousand copies. McGill published two more poetry volumes to mixed critical acclaim before moving to London where he began writing novels. 
In 1914 McGill published an fictional account of the harsh life endured by Irish emigrant workers in Scotland entitled *Children of the Dead End* which was followed by its companion novel *The Rat Pit*. Both novels were best sellers.
During World War I McGill fought with the London Irish Rifles and his war memories are vividly recorded in *The Great Push* (1916) and *The Red Horizon*(1916) and in a volume of poetry, *Soldier Songs from the Great Push*.
McGill continued to write poetry, fiction and drama into the 1930's but his first literary endeavours remained his best. 
Courtesy of:- Donegal on the Net 

* Left school at 12 years old, read every book he clould get his hand on, then produced the work above.