THE author of a book centred in St Helens has finally decided to get it published at the age of 88 – two decades after he wrote it

Tony Sweeney penned 'Light From The Earth' around 20 years ago but never got round to having it published.

The book, of which the title is inspired by the town's motto Ex Terra Lucem, is set in the 1800s when Irish immigrants were arriving in the country to escape the famine.

"I looked up a few of them and bring them along the road from Liverpool to St Helens because they could get work with the chemical plants," said Tony, from Eccleston.

"It looks at how they tried to integrate and settle down among the natives and draw a parallel with present day problems.

"There are real events and people in it but some of what they say and do is imaginary. and the real hero of the book is the town of St Helens."

Tony has had 100 copies of the book printed and there are copies of the book at the World of Glass.

Dad-of-two and Tony, who also has plans to publish a second book of the series next year, said: "My daughter met someone whose job it is to edit books and he read it and liked it and urged me to have it published, so I thought I might as well get it off the ground.

"For many years I used to work at Pilks in the education department and had to study the history of the community and you can't learn about Pilks without learning about St Helens," added Tony, a widower who was married to wife Margaret for more than 40 years.

"It has been very well received by people and they think it's a very good tale."