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                Children’s Book Festival Galway

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Westside Library, Galway with librarians Jo Fahy and Meliosa McIntyre

I am just back from two busy days in Galway as part of the Children’s Book Festival.   I got to visit the amazing Westside Library which is a hive of creative and artistic work. There is a brilliant spooky Halloween kids section and so much art work on display that I was blown away. I even got to meet a local craft group, who are busy doing a project on 1925 in patchwork and collage. There were lots of brilliant young readers who came along to meet me and were full of ideas and stories.  It is always a joy to visit Galway, one of my favourite cities.

The next day it was on to Ballinasloe Library with its tall windows and stunning views and more art and the beautiful old church which adjoins it and is used as an exhibition and gallery space.  I loved meeting so many brilliant young readers there. What a setting talking to everyone surrounded by the amazing colours of the stained glass all around us. 

Thank you to Meliosa and Sharleen and all the librarians who arranged the visits and looked after me.  I am in Cavan town library this week as part of the Festival.

Westside’s spooky kids section and Ballinasloe Library.

Wild, Windy and Wet in Cork!

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Summercove N.S. Kinsale with School Principal Louise Hallissey

Despite Storm Amy and arriving rather windblown and wet I had a brilliant few days in Cork meeting some amazing young readers and writers.

First there was Bishop Aherne National School in Leamlara School near Glanmire. A school literally in the woods with welcoming teachers and great kids which is a magical place. The original school was built in 1847 during The Great Irish Famine. It was lovely also to meet recently retired principal Mrs Marie Murphy too, who told me about reading ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ to her class sitting in the wood surround by trees.    

Then on to Summercove  N.S in Kinsale, where the waves were wild and stormy and coming up over the pier.  Another amazing school who are also busy reading my books , it was an emotional visit when one of the teachers  Muireann Ni Raghallaigh got out her violin and played  ‘Isle of Hope and Isle of Tears ‘and all the children sang together , one of those rare special moments in your life. 

Cosied up at lunch in The Bulman afterwards as the storm blew.   The next day talked to a great crowd in Kinsale’s new Library which is well worth a visit.  A wonderful array of readers of all ages turned up for my conversation with Kate Murphy.  What a great audience!

I went to some brilliant events with Diarmuid Ferriter and Peadar Thompson and also one with author Niall Williams.   I got a wonderful warm welcome from Maureen Tierney as stayed in her lovely Friars Lodge, right in the heart of Kinsale.  Had some great food, shout out Man Friday and some great music, talented Cork singer and guitarist Bo Collins who blew us all away with her voice in The Blue Haven.  Thanks to Kate, Maureen and Susan everyone at the ‘Words by Water Festival,’ for looking after me so well during my visit.

Summercove School with Muireann ni Raghallaigh, Bishop Ahern School with principal Billy O Connor teacher Laura Butler, and former principal Marie Murphy and Class. Kate Murphy in Kinsale Library.

Words by Water Festival in Kinsale

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Kinsale Town, Cork

I will be heading to one of my favourite places in Cork, the town of Kinsale for its ‘Words by Water Festival’ next weekend. It runs from October 2nd to the 5th.

There is a wonderful line up of events and workshops organised over the few days in the most beautiful setting, overlooking the water.   Could anything be more perfect, writers, books and lots of lovely words! 

I will be talking in the wonderful new library in Kinsale on Saturday 4th October where hopefully I will get to meet lots of young readers and future writers.

The library was originally an old mill from the 1800’s which has been repurposed into a state of the art library and cultural space.  It is always great to see exciting regeneration projects like this rather than the terrible dereliction and decay of old buildings that blight so many of our towns and villages.

Kinsale Library, designed by Cork County Council Architects, Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland, 2023 /Photograph Jed Niezgoda – jedniezgoda.com

 ‘Children of the Famine’ is Number One, top of Ireland’s Children’s Best Selling book list.   

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In Greystones Community School’s amazing woodland inspired Library

 ‘Children of the Famine’ is Number One, top of the Irish Children’s Best Selling book list.   

May and June are always extra busy for me before the summer holidays trying to get around to visit some of the many schools that have been using my books, and meeting my young readers and some very creative aspiring writers, before I go on holidays.

In the past few weeks I have visited wonderful schools in Ballymun, Castleknock, Foxrock and finished up in Greystones Community Primary School in Wicklow.

 This is a pretty new school and I got a wonderful welcome when I talked to a big gang of brilliant readers in their amazing woodland inspired library. I was surrounded by deers and foxes and to my mind what looked like two beautiful hawthorn trees.

 A few classes there are also reading my book, ‘Safe Harbour’ which I set in Greystones, as it is one of my all- time favourite places. 

I was so happy to see the beautiful Kenny’s Edition of ‘Children of the Famine’, which combines the three books ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ , ‘Wildflower Girl ‘and ‘Fields of Home,’ went straight to number one and top of Ireland’s Children’s Best Selling list. Hard to believe that it is exactly 35 years ago since my first book, ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ was published.

Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway for the launch of a Special limited edition of ‘Children of the Famine’

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I’ve just had a wonderful few days in sunny Galway as the good people in Kenny’s bookshop, Tom, Tomas and Sarah Kenny came up with the idea of creating a very special edition of The Children of The Famine Trilogy in one book in a beautifully designed limited edition to mark thirty five years since the book was first published. The specially bound book is beautiful and I am so proud and pleased with it. I had to sign every numbered copy over two days with Grainne and then Clodagh helping me.

On Thursday evening Kenny’s held a special event to launch it with author Grainne O’ Brien interviewing me. We had a great turn out with lots of lively fans of all ages. My publisher Ivan O’Brien came down from Dublin for the night and a few of my lovely cousins also attended. I have such lovely memories of doing events in Kenny’s over the years in the old book shop and gallery. Thank you to all the Kenny family and all who came along to mark the occasion.