I’m planning a live launch of A Purgatory of Misery next month. I created a Facebook event and have been putting up daily posts about Irish history.

I was going to repeat them here but I hit on a better idea. A quiz!

If you know the answers it won’t take you long. If you don’t, you will find them over on the event’s FB page.

Unfortunately it’s not interactive. I’ve researched several quiz widgets but WP requires me to upgrade to the business version in order to install them.

Here are your questions. You can enter your answers in the comments if you want to show off.

1. Workhouses were introduced into Ireland by the 1838 Poor Law (Ireland) Act. How many were built in this  first phase?
2. The book launch is to be held in a former workhouse. It is one of how many additional workhouses that were authorised for construction during the famine?
3. The book’s title is taken from a speech by whom?
4. 1848 saw rebellions across Europe. What was the name of the Irish man who led the Chartist rebellion in England?
5. My co-author’s ancestor was one of how many orphan girls shipped from the workhouses to Australia?
6. One of those girls is an ancestor of which former Australian Prime Minister?
7. Name the Island off the coast of England where St. Patrick founded a religious community.
8. What is the title of my historical novel based on the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century.
9. In which century did the brother of a Scottish king invade Ireland during an earlier  famine?
10. Name the English poet who took part in the bloody siege of Smerwick.

All the answers can also be found, along with many more shocking facts, in the book. If you can’t get along to the launch – and I know most of you are too far away – you can download the e-book here for Kindle and here for all other e-readers.