Some stories are written because they want to be told. Others are written because they need to be remembered. My guest on this week’s podcast, Jane Buckley, is a writer who carries both intentions close to her heart.
Born in Derry, Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Jane grew up during one of the most turbulent periods in Irish history – the Troubles, a conflict that shaped generations from the late 1960s until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. For many, this era is a chapter spoken about in hushed tones, half-remembered or misunderstood. But for Jane, it was lived experience. It was childhood. It was home.
Writing to Remember, Writing to Heal
Jane’s powerful four-part book series, Stones Corner — Turmoil, Darkness, Light, and Hope brings readers right into the emotional core of that time. Although the characters and storylines are fictional, they are rooted in real events and lived realities. Through her writing, Jane shines a light on the human cost of conflict, the fear, the quiet acts of bravery, the divided streets, and the resilience that helped ordinary people survive extraordinary circumstances.
Her books don’t just tell a story, they honour a generation.
They invite readers to understand the Troubles not as a distant headline, but as something deeply human, personal, and still echoing today.
Jane writes to make sense of it all.
She writes to honour those who lived through it.
She writes so it will not be forgotten.
From Checkpoints to Imagination
During our conversation, Jane shared how ordinary life was anything but ordinary. Passing armed checkpoints. Being warned not to speak to children from “the other side.” Navigating a world divided not just by politics, but by fear.
And yet, she still found escape - not in place, but in books and swimming.
She buried herself in stories, long before she began writing them. That love of reading became the seed of her storytelling years later, proving once again how imagination can carry us through what reality cannot soften.
A New Chapter: Project Children
Jane’s next work returns to the theme of hope, this time through a true story many have never heard. Between the 1970s and 1990s, a US initiative called Project Children flew 23,000 children from across the Northern Irish divide to America. For a few weeks every summer, they lived in peace, welcomed by families who simply wanted to offer safety, possibility, and normal childhood memories.
It wasn’t a political movement. It was a human one, changing lives not through speeches or treaties, but through compassion. One child. One home. One summer at a time.
Jane is writing this story not only to honour the people behind it, but so her own grandchildren in New Zealand will one day know where she came from, and more importantly, the strength, solidarity, and hope that existed even in the darkest times.
Why Stories Like Jane’s Matter
As we spoke, I found myself reflecting on how many people only know history through a single perspective, a headline, or a distant documentary - never through the voices of those who lived it.
Jane’s work reminds us that storytelling is a bridge. Even when told through fiction, truth finds a way through. And when we listen to stories that challenge our assumptions, something powerful happens, we expand our understanding, and healing becomes possible.
We cannot rewrite the past, but we can learn from it.
We can choose to listen.
We can choose to open our hearts.
We can choose to make sure these stories are never buried again.
🎧 Listen to the Full Conversation
If this story speaks to you, if you are curious about the human side of history, the power of storytelling, or the resilience of the Irish spirit, I invite you to listen to my full conversation with Jane Buckley on the podcast.
Her wisdom, warmth, and honesty will stay with you long after the episode ends.
Sharon Fitzmaurice
Sharon Fitzmaurice is a Holistic Wellness Coach, Reiki Master Teacher & Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Speaker, and Host of The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast. She is the author of Someone Please Help Me, So I Did and Awaken Your Wellbeing, and the founder of Soulful Journeys Online Community.
A passionate advocate for mental health awareness and survivors of childhood abuse, Sharon’s mission is to inspire others to heal, grow, and reconnect with their authentic selves. Through her work, writing, and conversations, she reminds us that within every story lies the power to transform and rise.