I normally try to find a linking theme when I post Shan clan photos on a Sunday, but this week I just picked four random shots from my folder -- partly because I have quite a few random snaps that just don't go neatly with any of the others, and partly because I was feeling lazy and uninventive today!!! :-)

The first was taken in the middle of the Irish summer (as you can tell by the clear blue sky... um...) when we visited the famous Cliffs of Moher. I always enjoy a visit to this place, though I used to like it much more years ago, before they stuck up those big stone slabs all along the path. "We have to protect the dumber tourists who get too close to the edge and risk being blown over the edge of the cliff," said the authorities. "Natural selection at work," said I, but I was (properly rightly) over-ruled!!

The second was take on a visit to Craggaunowen Park. I absolutely love this place, and we try to work in a trip or two most years. It proved incredibly helpful when I was planning my book Bec, which is set in Ireland 1600 years ago -- Craggaunowen features replicas of buildings, tombs and more from around that time period, which helped me visualise the settings far more vividly. I even had the launch party for Bec there, which stands out in my memories as one of my all-time favourite events. If you're in the area when the park reopens for the season at the end of April, I highly recommend popping in.

The third photo was taken at the start of the school term last year, when my son Dante moved up into First Class. (In Ireland, schools begin with Junior Infants, then Senior Infants, then First Class.) This was taken on his first day, as he was on his way out the door. The reason he's grinning so wickedly is that one of his fingers had been sticking upwards in the shot before -- no prizes for guessing which finger!!!!

The final photo was taken when Bapcia, Mrs Shan's mother, returned to Ireland after a far-too-long, COVID-related hiatus. Dante isn't much of a hugger, but he was so thrilled to see his granny after several long months of only seeing her on a phone or iPad, that he hurled himself into her arms and hugged her for dear life. *sniff*

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There's nothing random about the carefully constructed Darren Shan monthly newsletter, which you can read for free online here: https://darrenshan.com/news/shanville-monthly