Irish author, historian, and television presenter
Turtle Bunbury |
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 Turtle Bunbury |
| Born | James Alexander Hugh McClintock-Bunbury
(1972-02-21) 21 February 1972 (age 51)
Ireland |
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| Education | Glenalmond College, Trinity College |
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| Occupation(s) | Author, historian, television presenter |
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| Known for | Vanishing Ireland |
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| Spouse | Ally Bunbury |
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| Parent | Baron Rathdonnell (father) |
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James Alexander Hugh McClintock-Bunbury (born 21 February 1972),[1] known as Turtle Bunbury, is an Irish author, historian, and television presenter. He has published a number of books such as the Vanishing Ireland series, Easter Dawn -The 1916 Rising,[2] The Glorious Madness (short-listed for Best Irish-published Book of the Year 2014)[3][4][5] and 1847 – A Chronicle of Genius, Generosity & Savagery.[6]
Career
Bunbury is the third son of Thomas McClintock-Bunbury, 5th Baron Rathdonnell and Jessica Harriet, daughter of George Gilbert Butler, of Scatorish, Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Ireland (brother of the essayist Hubert Butler).[7] He was raised at Lisnavagh House, Rathvilly, County Carlow, in Ireland,[8] and received his early education locally and at Castle Park School in Dublin.[9] He later studied at Glenalmond College, Perthshire, Scotland, before going on to Trinity College, Dublin and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.[10]
From 1996 to 1998 he lived in Hong Kong, working as a freelance correspondent with the South China Morning Post and Business News Indochina.[8][11][12]
Bunbury was a co-presenter of The Genealogy Roadshow on RTÉ television in 2011 and 2014.[8] He also presented Hidden Histories on Newstalk Radio in 2013.[13] He co-wrote the 2008 documentary John Henry Foley: Sculptor of the Empire.[14] He has also appeared on BBC1's Wogan's Ireland,[15] and episodes of the American version and Irish version of the Who Do You Think You Are? TV series.[16]
BBC History Magazine described him as "a skilled storyteller",[17] and novelist Marjorie Quarton described Bunbury as being "one of the most versatile authors of his generation … a serious author with a light touch in writing".[18]
His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler,[19] Daily Beast,[20] The Australian,[21] The Guardian[22] and the Irish Times.[23]
In 2019, Bunbury began a collaboration with Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail and Flahavan's for a project called ‘Past Tracks,’ an exhibition of historic panels that went on semi-permanent display in several railway stations around Ireland.[24]
Turtle Bunbury is married to the novelist Ally Bunbury with whom he lives in County Carlow.[25][26]
Vanishing Ireland
In 2001 Bunbury began work on the Vanishing Ireland project with photographer James Fennell. The project produced four books,[27] and a review in the Irish Independent of the first book noted how it was "written with sympathy, understanding and gentle humour".[28] Three of the books were short-listed for Best Irish-Published Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards.[29]
