Inner View: Terry from Derry Columnist Terry Boyle

OhIANews:  Terry, as a columnist, you have become known as “Terry from Derry”.

Terry:  It has almost become my last name, and to some degree the place that we were born is intrinsically part of who we are.

OhIANews:  Can you tell us a bit about growing up and living in Northern Ireland?

Terry:  I’ve lived most of my life in Derry, N. Ireland, until coming to the United States in 2004. I grew up during the height of The Troubles, when it seemed as if we were on the brink of a ‘civil war’. My school life, along with my contemporaries, was frequently interrupted with riots, shootings and bombings. However, despite the violence, I did go on to study Irish and English Literature at the University of Ulster, completing my studies with a doctorate. I’ve always been an avid reader and as such being a student of literary works was no chore, but a delight.

OhIAN:  What have you been doing since moving to the States?

Terry:  I moved here to take a position at Loyola University Chicago. I’ve also begun to put pen to paper, writing dramatic works (some of which have been produced), and a selection of short stories.

OhIANews:  How did a Chicago resident become involved with the OhIAN?

Terry:  My introduction to the Irish American community and the Ohio Irish American News, happened a few years after I’d left Ireland. I was giving a lecture at a local theater that was producing an Irish play, when I met some very enthusiastic fellow countrymen. It was they who discovered me, and drew me into the greater Irish American community. It was also through their encouragement that I started writing articles for the Irish American News, Chicago, and chairing a number of literary panels for iBAM (Irish Books, Arts and Music Showcase). Sooner or later it was inevitable that my path would cross with John O’Brien, Jr., the editor of OhIANews, who suggested I contribute to his newspaper. His remit was easy to follow: ‘write about what interests you’.

OhIANews:  What are some of your other interests?

Terry: They’re varied – music, theatre, books spirituality, and of course politics. You would be hard pressed to find someone from Northern Ireland who is apolitical.

OhIANews:  Terry’s collection of short stories is available on Amazon under the title of, The Designs of Silence, a stark portrait of the darker side of human existence in Northern Ireland. It was hard to put down until I finished it.

​Terry is a retired professor now living in Southern California.  Terry is originally from Derry, Northern Ireland, and in 2004 he took up a position at Loyola University, Chicago where he taught courses on Irish and British literature. Apart from teaching, Terry has had a number of plays produced and has recently been included in The Best New British and Irish Poets 2019 – 2021 (published by The Black Spring Press). He can be reached at: te*********@gm***.com