Jason King, Marita Conlon McKenna and Jim Callery of Strokestown Park House, Roscommon.

What a perfect summer’s evening to be on the Dublin quays overlooking the river Liffey for the launch of ‘Hunger and Hope’, a book all about the Irish Famine Migration from Strokestown Roscommon in 1847, which was written by Christine Kinealy, Jason King and Mark McGowan.

It is a comprehensive and fascinating study of the 1,490 tenants who were evicted from Strokestown Park House and Estate and accepted paid passage to Canada.  Mostly women and children many of them unfortunately lost their lives on the journey or died of fever on Grosse Isle, but others began new lives and in time settled in Canada and North America.   

 It was lovely to meet up with old friends and get to see Jim Callery and his wife Adeline who have done so much to contribute to the ongoing huge interest and research into the Great Irish Famine with Strokestown Park House and the National Famine Museum.

Caroilin Callery helped to launch the book. There was a special treat as singer and musician Grainne Hunt  performed a few songs from the new musical ‘In the Midst of Plenty ‘, written by Amy Day and directed by Anne –Marie O Sullivan, and produced by Enchanted Croi Theatre. The musical is based on the events in Stokestown during the famine. The show is currently on tour around Ireland until 28 July. I had the good fortune to see it in Mullingar only a few weeks ago.  

 Grainne Hunt, Amy Day and Anne Marie O Sullivan

Jason King, Christine Kinealy and Mark McGowan

World Book Day is one of my favourite days of the year as it is the one day that celebrates all the things I love, books, reading and writers…. There are events being held all over the county and in schools everywhere with book quizzes, fancy dress and lots of fun. Bookshops all around Ireland are taking part and there are special World Book Day Euro 1.50 tokens being issued for every child to put towards buying a book or to exchange for one of the selection special of World Book Day books.   World Book day was founded in 1995 and started in Ireland and the UK in 1997 and has continued to grow and expand over the 25 years.

On World Book Day this year it’s very exciting as my new book Fairy Hill will be launched on 2^nd March and I will be taking part in massive schools zoom with writers Sarah Webb and Judi Curtin in the morning with also a number of events in schools and bookshops over the coming weeks meeting lots of young readers and classes. 

First off this week I met the girls from Loreto on the Green Junior School in Dubray Bookshop on Grafton Street to talk about books and writing and the next day a class from D7 Educate Together School in Dubray Book shop on Henry Street.   I love meeting readers of all ages and encouraging everyone to just Keep Reading!    

Under the Hawthorn Tree Covers

Finding out that ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ was the most borrowed Irish book in Irish libraries for 2022 is the best news ever. The list covers both adults and children’s books so it is a really big deal.  I am at number 4, the highest book by an Irish writer, just behind Harry Potter, the Mister Men and Little and Diary of a Wimpy Kid…I am so proud of all my readers who have gone to the library and borrowed my book. Thanks to all my lovely readers

Nineteen of the twenty most borrowed  books on the list are children’s titles which shows that children are reading and are going to the library. It is great to see so many young readers using those all important library tickets .

I love libraries and getting my first library tickets for Greystones Library was a momentous game changing moment for me as a kid as I didn’t grow up in a bookish house. Once I got those magic tickets in my hand I was up and down to the library borrowing books cycling on my bike with my back carrier bag full of books to read and imagine that I was in the story. 

Without those library tickets and those books I’m not sure I would ever have become a writer!  I dreamed of writing books and someday seeing one of my books on a library shelf. So dreams do come true….. I love big libraries like the National Library, Boston Public Library, Trinity College Library and all the lovely local libraries I visit and use, school libraries, classroom libraries and best of all, the very special small shelf in a child’s bedroom which holds their very favourite books. 

It is wonderful to see that libraries play such an important part in our lives and reading choices. 

 Top 10 Most Borrowed Books 2022 (Previous year in brackets)

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling (10)

2. Little Miss: My Complete Collection Box Set by Roger Hargreaves (4)

3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway by Jeff Kinney (-)

4. Under the Hawthorn Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna (1)

5. Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties by DAV Pilkey (-)

6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney (-)

7. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney (-)

8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney (-)

9. Thomas and Friends: My First Story Time Set (11)

10. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by DAV Pilkey (-)

Greystones Library

Catherine Clinch in An Cailin Ciuin

What a brilliant time for Irish filmmakers, actors and writers to see their work recognised with 14 Nominations for this year’s Oscars. 

Martin McDonagh’s powerful and moving ‘Banshees of Inisherin’ which was filmed on Achill Island leads the pack with 9 nominations.  McDonagh is up for Best Director, Best Original Screen Play, and Best Film.   All four actors are nominated with Colin Farrell up for Best Actor for his stunning performance alongside Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon nominated for Best Supporting Actors, with the film also up for Best Original Score and Film Editing.

Paul Mescal is nominated for Best Actor for ‘Aftersun’

‘An Cailin Ciuin’ directed by Colm Bairead is nominated for the Best International Film by the Academy … A first for an Irish language film.  The film is based on the book ‘Foster’ by Claire Keegan, one of my favourite writers.

Richard Baneham is up for visual effects for Avatar the Way of Water. Jonathan Redmond has been nominated alongside Matt Villa for Best Editing for their work on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. Tom Berkeley and Ross White’s ‘An Irish Goodbye ‘is nominated for Best Live Action Short.  The success of Irish film is an incredible achievement and we will all be watching with baited breath and pride on Oscar night on March 12^th.

Oscar Nominated Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson