Published in 1860, Anthony Trollope's 'Castle Richmond' is based in the South West of Ireland at the beginning of the great famine. The story opens with the mysterious blackmail of depressed Sir Thomas Fitzgerald by an unscrupulous father and son duo. Nearby, Lady Desmond is jealous of the attentions paid to her daughter Clara by Owen Fitzgerald, who is himself caught in a love triangle with his own cousin Herbert as they compete for Clara's hand. Themes of jealousy, blackmail, secrecy and bigamy are all explored in this gossipy tale as we follow the varied fortunes of these intertwined individuals.
