Today FM’s Facebook post on Under the Hawthorn Tree

Posted on 03/03/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

I’m not on Facebook myself but heard through my kids that Today FM has posted the original cover of my book Under the Hawthorn Tree on their Facebook page asking who read it as a child. I am delighted with the huge, positive response to the post. Would you believe it, I wrote the book twenty five years ago!

Original Irish cover by Donald Teskey

It was written for my own children with little thought of it getting published. I’m mad about history and wanted to tell the story of Ireland’s Great Famine, in a way they would understand. I heard of three small skeletons from the time of the Famine being found in a field, buried under a hawthorn tree. Suddenly I had a story and Eily, Michael and Peggy and their baby sister were on the page, and I couldn’t stop writing. It was crazy as I wrote the book in 12 weeks. My own son was only a baby and I was still doing night feeds and life was pretty hectic.

I sent the book to a publisher and well…talk about luck!

I am so eternally grateful to everyone who has read the book, bought the book, passed it around their families, and used it in their schools. It is still being read by lots of children and readers of all ages around the world. My original readers are now reading it with their own kids. It is a very special book and enabled me to work as a writer. I am so proud of Under the Hawthorn Tree and its amazing 25 years!

The Blue Horse

Posted on 03/02/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

What a lovely start to 2015 to discover that my book The Blue Horse has been chosen as the ‘One Book, One Community’ novel to be read by a huge group of schools in North Dublin and the City.

I went along to the wonderful launch in O’Connell’s CBS School, where I got to meet hundreds of enthusiastic readers and their teachers who are mad about reading and books. It was great to see images from the book up on screen and one of the teachers even got a cake made of the book cover!

Well done to everyone and I hope you all enjoy reading Katie’s story!

40 Years of The O’Brien Press

Posted on 24/11/2014 by fionaconlonmckenna

Big celebrations as The O’Brien Press, my Irish publisher, celebrated 40 years of publishing!

unnamed It was great to join the party at Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, where I met so many old friends from the book world. I still find it hard to believe that it is almost 25 years since they published my very first children’s book Under the Hawthorn Tree.

Michael O’Brien talked about how his father set up the business, how he got involved and first developed a passion for publishing good books and wanted to create a strong Irish focused publishing house. His son, Ivan, is now helping to run the company. Good luck and well done to all my friends, editors, designers and the team in The O’Brien Press.

Remembering ‘The Great War’

Posted on 13/11/2014 by fionaconlonmckenna

Softly March Away was a very special commemoration of the 22 young men from Greystones who were killed during The Great War and are commemorated on a plaque in St Patrick’s Church. They were brothers, cousins and friends, all with homes in Greystones, who enlisted in the army and lost their lives on various battle fields during ‘The Great War.’

Irish Times journalist Peter Murtagh, an avid local historian, researched the brave young men and their families and in a very moving tribute told their stories to a packed audience.

Softly March Away - WWI From archive film of Flanders, Gallipoli and the Trenches, photographic montages of the young soldiers and their homes in Greystones, to letters, telegrams, death certificates and parents’ letters to Lord Kitchener, these all added to the poignancy of this very moving event.

Interspersed was music of the time performed by mezzo soprano Dara McMahon and Tenor Patrick Hyland with a wide range of songs like, ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’, ‘Macushla’, ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘I Didn’t Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier.’ The evening ended with the sounding of ‘The Last Post’ and the lowering of the standard of The Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

It was certainly an event to remember and a privilege for all of us lucky enough to attend. Well done to Peter Murtagh for putting it all together.

Children’s Book Festival!

Posted on 21/10/2014 by fionaconlonmckenna

October is the busiest month for writers with the Children’s Book Festival and so many events happening around Ireland.

So I packed up my book bag and headed down to Waterford City to talk to a huge group of wonderful young readers in the magnificent setting of the City Hall. I had lots of fun with everyone.

Then last week, I went up on the bus to Donegal. No trains, but I enjoyed the beautiful Autumn colours and scenery. I stayed in Letterkenny where I got to meet lots of great kids and young writers in the Central Library.

I also dropped into my local Dubray Bookshop for their ‘Books are my Bag’ promotion where they are giving away handy book bags when you buy some books….something I can never resist!