Category Archives: Great Irish Famine

Big Celebrations for 25 years of Under the Hawthorn Tree

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Big Celebrations for 25 years of Under the Hawthorn Tree at Smock Alley, Dublin!

 
What a special night with so many friends, book fans and family coming along to join in the celebrations for 25 years of Under the Hawthorn Tree. My wonderful publishers, The O’Brien Press, organised a very special night to mark the 25th Anniversary of its publication. It only seems like yesterday that the manuscript was dropped, with much trepidation and hope, into the letter box of  O’Brien Press, book publishers. Michael O’Brien loved the book and before I knew it, young artist Donald Teskey was painting the cover and designing the wonderful chapter illustrations and my book was coming out.

The book was launched on the 23rd of May 1990 in the National Library of Ireland, Dublin by Dr Patricia Donlon, then Director of the National Library. Pat had been my lecturer in UCD when I did a course on children’s literature and kindly looked at my book. She recommended that I send it to The O’Brien Press, an Irish publisher who had just started developing a children’s list.

Walking into Smock Alley’s magical Winter Garden/Banqueting Hall to be met by so many friends and book fans was wonderful. There were hugs and chats and a great sense of emotion as Michael O’Brien, my publisher, talked about the book and gave me a very special gift of fine silver hawthorn twig necklace which I will always treasure.

Pat Donlon and I had a great conversation in front of a big audience about the wonderful journey Under the Hawthorn Tree has made since it was first published. It was overwhelming to see so many faces there that have been part of that journey and to think of all the wonderful things that have happened to my story of three children, Eily, Michael and Peggy, all desperate but determined to survive the Great Irish Famine.

The event was part of the Dublin Book Festival and there was lots of wine and photographs and stories. Afterwards we all headed for the Clarence Hotel, where the party continued until late into the night.

It was a magical night and one this very grateful author will never forget.

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Dublin History Festival and National Famine Commemoration 2015-Newry

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I seem to be surrounded by history at the moment. This year’s National Famine Commemoration was held in Newry – the first time this important event was held in Northern Ireland.

I took part in a large event organised for schools held in St Dallan’s Primary School in Warrenpoint, where children from over 30 schools came along to find out about the Famine. In the afternoon we did a live video conference with almost 90 schools and also linking with Pittsburgh in the USA, where former US ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, talked about his own family having to emigrate from the port at Warrenpoint during the time of the Famine.

Dublin Festival of History 2015 logoAs part of the Dublin Festival of History I talked to a lovely group in Dublin Castle. What a wonderful setting to talk, as it is steeped in centuries of Irish history.

The Dublin Festival of History runs until 10th October with lots more events in Dublin Castle and in libraries around the city.

Newry and Mourne Museum visit

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Newry and Mourne MuseumI travelled up to Bagenal’s Castle, which is home to the Newry and Mourne Museum, to talk to a lovely group from the local schools about writing and the Great Irish Famine.

Earlier on, as part of the Museum’s ‘Living History’ initiative, the group had been shown how to make stirabout and to use yellow meal. They were also introduced to the strict rules and regulations of the Workhouse as they sat at long trestle tables in the Museum’s re-created workhouse dining hall.

A lovely trip and then back to Dublin and finishing my new book…

Today FM’s Facebook post on Under the Hawthorn Tree

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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

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!

National Famine Commemoration 11th May 2014

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This year’s National Famine Commemoration will be held in Strokestown Park House (home of the National Irish Famine Museum) Roscommon on Sunday 11th May 2014 at 2.30pm.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister Jimmy Deenihan will attend the ceremony, which is open to the public. There will be music, readings and poetry and the laying of a wreath to remember the many victims of Ireland’s Great Famine.

There is a full programme of events which includes a Famine Walk and a Children’s Soup Kitchen Workshop on Saturday 10th May in Strokestown.

It is so important for all of us to remember the Great Irish Famine and the generations of people who died and emigrated during those tragic times.

Strokestown Park Irish Famine Museum

Strokestown Park Irish Famine Museum