Mark Mellett
BOOK LAUNCH
Kevin McDonald: A Life Less Ordinary
Soldier. Mountaineer. Archaeologist.
Thursday, October 10th
Festival Dome, 8pm
Book launch by Vice-Admiral (retd.) Mark Mellett DSM
Hosted by Ken Lyons
About the book
Kevin McDonald has occupied a front-row seat to the reality of conflict in the world in a military career of more than 40 years. A Life Less Ordinary – his illuminating memoir – brings readers along his incredible and perilous journey from the 1980s to the present day.
His early days in the FCA in Mayo were followed by enlisting with the Irish Defence Forces and his recruitment to its specialist Army Ranger Wing. At home he was dealing with the reality of the threat of the IRA but overseas UN missions brought him to the centre of many global conflicts.
Over a 40-year period, McDonald served on missions in Lebanon, Israel, Chad, Western Sahara and Syria, and with the EU in Mali, followed by subsequent UN roles in the Central African Republic and his current role in the fledging nation of South Sudan.
His is a vivid eyewitness account of the reality and brutality of war – witnessing the horrors visited on innocent civilians and the ever-present danger facing peacekeepers as he watched the killing of friends and colleagues right beside him. It is also a fascinating insight into the geopolitics of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Kevin McDonald somehow found time for two other all-consuming passions in his life – mountaineering and archaeology. He has scaled some of the world’s most challenging mountain ranges – the Himalayas, the Alps and details his exhilarating experiences of abseiling, rock climbing and alpine climbing in Ireland and overseas. He completed a degree in Archaeology in Galway University and put his passion and expertise to good use at home and abroad. He has made several new discoveries, including two 5,000-year-old Megalithic tombs in County Clare.
Kevin McDonald has a life well-lived, a life less ordinary.
About the author
A native of Castlebar, County Mayo, Kevin McDonald works for the UN in South Sudan as a security coordination officer having previously worked with the UN in the Central African Republic.
Prior to that, Kevin was a military officer in the Irish Defence Forces, with experiences on the border with Northern Ireland and in the Irish Special Forces.
Kevin served with various UN missions in Lebanon, Israel, Chad, Western Sahara and Syria, and with the EU in Mali.
He obtained a degree in Archaeology from NUIG in 1996 and completed a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2022.
He is a keen archaeologist and mountaineer.
Kevin is married to Clare and the couple has two children, Ellen and Ben. He lives between Galway and South Sudan.
Booking info: With the exception of Friday night (pre-booking essential), all events at this year’s festival are on a first come, first served basis. As some venues have limited availability, we'd recommend arriving early to secure a seat. All events are free of charge.