She is fluent in Gaeilge, the Irish language, having studied in Connemara, County Galway. She read her Irish-American-themed short stories at Sin-é Cafe in Manhattan in 1992. Hyland's work has been influenced by American writers such as Eudora Welty and Anne Tyler as well as Irish novelist Maeve Binchy. She enjoys creating memorable characters with crisp, fast-paced dialogue. &nbs more...