The Weight of a Feather

Inspired by the harrowing events surrounding the often overlooked Ballymurphy Massacre in the north of Ireland, Stephanie Ní Thiarnaigh’s powerful poetry collection, The Weight of a Feather, delves into the depths of truth and justice. In 2021, an inquest in Belfast finally shed light on these tragic deaths, revealing the families’ nearly five-decade struggle for justice amidst persistent disinformation and propaganda from the British military. The title of this collection echoes an ancient Egyptian belief: upon death, a person’s heart, symbolizing their life’s deeds, was weighed against the feather of Maat, the goddess of truth and justice. This concept weaves through the poems, urging readers to reflect on the nature of truth and to weigh the evidence, consider the human cost of conflict, and make their own judgments.