The History Detectives at the Mountains to Sea Festival

Posted on 21/03/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

I had a wonderful time in Dun Laoghaire, at the Mountains to Sea Festival talking to lots of great kids, in a packed Pavilion Theatre, about writing and researching history.

My partners in crime were writers Brian Gallagher and Nicola Pierce. Get three writers together talking about one of their favourite topics and it’s going to be fun, revealing and crazy.

We went off for a long lunch, still chatting madly and did it all again with another session in the new DLR LexIcon Library.

Lots of great events on, so check it out if you get a chance!

Marita, Brian Gallagher and Nicola Pierce

Grainne Clear, Marita, Brian Gallagher, Nicola Pierce and Sarah Webb

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!