Eithne Loughrey has a background in speech and drama teaching, features writing and copy-editing. She worked as a features writer with the Irish Independent until 1995.

While researching something else she came across the story of Cork-born Annie Moore, the very first emigrant to be processed at the newly-opened immigrant station at New York in 1891. A sculpture of Annie has been erected at Cobh in County Cork and in the museum on Ellis Island. Eithne became fascinated by Annie Moore's story and determined to write a book about her. Because little is known about Annie's subsequent life in the United States, Eithne wrote this book as fiction which developed into a trilogy.

Eithne is married with a grown-up family and lives in Dublin.