The Towns I love so well!

I come originally from the north west of Ireland, from a small village called Magheramason. It is set in the lush green of the Foyle valley and in the distance you can see the cathedral spires of the city of Derry, and beyond that the hills of Donegal, where my father's people came from. I grew up in the troubles, and like many others I have no memory of the times before the troubles began, therefore all my memories of home are set against the backdrop of that time. I attended school in the city and later read Philosophy and Political Science at Queen's University Belfast. I graduated in 1983 and went back to live in Derry. In 1986 I went to work in Germany, and there I married Ingrid and together established our little family and business. We have three children, now all well grown, so hardly children anymore – they are 18, 19 and 20 years old. In 2004 after a number of years running our small Irish Craft shop in Heidelberg and on the internet, I returned to Queens to do an MA in International Relations. After that I was given the opportunity to do a PhD in St. Andrews in 2006 and I jumped at the chance. I am researching Islam in the European sphere and I hope to be finished this year. I have tutored second year students in the school of International relations and that has been a richly rewarding experience. I would like to teach and pursue my academic research in the future. The towns I love so well are Derry, Belfast, Heidelberg and St. Andrews.

P.S. There is a picture of Ingrid and myself on our homepage. Just follow this link www.tinneys-irish-shop.com