Tag Archives: Ireland

A Sad Farewell to Dr Pat Donlon –An incredible woman

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Celebrating 25 Years of ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ with Pat Donlon and Publisher Michael O”Brien in Smock Alley, Dublin.

A Sad Farewell to Dr Pat Donlon –An incredible woman

I have just returned from holidays to hear the sad news of the passing of Dr Patricia Donlon, the former director of the National Library of Ireland and renowned Children’s Literature expert.

Pat was such a special friend, full of joy with a real zest for life, highly intelligent, wise and always kind.   We first met when I attended U.C.D’s Children’s Literature Course. She was a brilliant lecturer and passionate about the subject.  We got talking and she asked why I was doing the course and I told her how much I loved and valued children’s literature and how I had recently began to write and make books for my own children. She persuaded me to show her my work and before I knew it she had told a picture book publisher about one of my books which much to my delight they decided to publish. I then told her I was writing a bigger book for my older daughter.

Pat was one of the first people to read ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ and though I had not really intended publishing it as I was nervous because it was set during the Great Irish Famine she persuaded me that I had to send it to a publisher as it deserved to be a book . That decision and advice would change the course of my life

By the time it came to be published Pat who had worked in the Chester Beatty Library, had been appointed to be the first female Director of the National Library of Ireland. It was a very prestigious appointment and Pat, like a breath of fresh air soon became a catalyst for change and innovation in its hallowed reading rooms.

She kindly offered to launch my book in the National Library on 23rd May 1990 which was huge honour for a new writer. She had started an initiative to ask Irish writers to donate their work and papers to the National Museum and I was privileged to give my manuscript to the library.

We became good friends over the years, with Pat always delighted to hear about new ideas for books, ready with good advice.

She relished every role she under took in state institutions and the arts, Director of The Tyrone Guthrie Centre Writers and Artists Retreat in Monaghan. She lectured for a while in Boston College and my husband and I stayed for a few wonderful days with her. Pat brought us to see the Kennedy Centre in Boston, a highlight of our American trip.  

She and her late husband Phelim made a wonderful couple. He worked for the Arts Council and both had a deep love for the arts, music, theatre and literature but Pat’s passion was for Childrens books.

Over many years she collected them, both old and new, building a unique selection of Irish and international children’s classics and illustrations and created a wonderful collection in her home in Blackrock.  Her collection is now housed in her beloved National Library of Ireland. 

Pat sparkled and lit up every room she entered. I loved meeting her, talking to her, chatting on the phone. She will always be remembered with great fondness by all of us who had the good fortune to know her. 

‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’Exhibition opens in the Ulster American Folk Park

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Marita with Victoria Millar, Ivan O’Brien and Kathryn Thomson at the opening.

I am so excited as after all the hard work and planning the big ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ Exhibition in The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh in Northern Ireland has just opened.  

 I was a little nervous as to how it would look but once I stepped inside the Exhibition I was blown away by the huge illustrations showing Eily, Michael and Peggy and scenes from the book which has been brought to life artist Cat Finney by the amazing design and craft work team from Ulster Museums.There are also historical and relevant pieces from the time of the Great Irish Famine on display from the National Museum’s N.I collection.

You can listen to the story as you go around and also try out the interactive displays and even dress up in costumes of the period.  The highlight is the giant hawthorn crafted from willow by Bob Johnson at the heart of the exhibition which is magical.

It was a wonderful opening with many of the team present including the incredible Victoria Millar, Senior Curator from National Museums, Northern Ireland, who brought the whole exhibition together from the initial concept and the brilliant designer Stefan McKee and his team.  Northern Ireland Museum head Kathryn Thomson opened the exhibition.  St Eithne’s School were invited along for the opening and I just loved watching their reaction to it. 

Most of my family and grandchildren came along from Dublin as did my publisher Ivan O’Brien from O’Brien Press. We all had a great time with everyone exploring the park which brings history to life afterwards

I first visited the Ulster American Folk Park around 1990 when I was researching my book ‘Wildflower Girl’ as I heard they had built a replica ship there.  I remember being so excited going around the park and then spending most of my the time sitting on a tiny bunk in the ship’s steerage section imagining that I was Peggy and was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to America. Little did I think, that all these years later that the park would be hosting an exhibition based on one of my books.

‘The Under the Hawthorn Tree Exhibition’ will run for the next two to three years.  The park is open every day except Mondays and is a brilliant place to come and explore with its cottages and cabins, school house and Victorian street with shops, and the ship as it brings so much of our history to life.

Marita with pupils from St Eithne’s School and with Exhibition Designer Stefan McKee.

Sitting under the beautiful Hawthorn Tree

Getting ready for the ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ Exhibition in The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh.

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I am getting very excited as the time gets nearer for the opening of the ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ exhibition in The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh in Northern Ireland in a few weeks’ time.

I have been working with Victoria Miller and the wonderful team from Northern Ireland Museums on this big project over the past year and a half as they build and bring this Exhibition to life

It is a totally new experience for me getting involved with listening to young actors, musicians helping to choose illustrators and designers and seeing the detailed craft work done for an exhibition like this. I never realised the hard work and dedication mounting such an exhibition takes.   I am learning so much and it is great fun as I can see things begin to come together.

 I was back up in Omagh a few weeks ago to film with a group of wonderful students from the Sacred Heart School , Tattyreagh..They were  in great form and full of questions and chat despite the awful rainy wet weather

It is hard for me to believe that it is over thirty – five years ago since I first visited thre park to do some research for my book ‘Wildflower Girl,’ . Little did I dream that all these years later an exhibition based around  my book ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree ‘would  be opening there.

As the time gets closer there is so much work going on with Stefan McKee designing and creating the exhibition and talented heritage maker Bob Johnson working in the Ulster Museum Folk site using willow to create the most incredible hawthorn tree for the centre of the exhibition and Matthew Walton creating birds that will sit in the tree. I cannot wait to go back up to Omagh and to see the tree in situ.

The exhibition will be open at the end of March, just in time for the Easter Holidays.

The Picasso Exhibition in The National Gallery  

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I highly recommend a visit to The Pablo Picasso Exhibition currently on in The National Gallery, Dublin, which is a collection of work from his studio (which he would apparently not sell).

This wonderfully curated show is visually stunning with a wide selection of his art work over different periods. It is a celebration of the Picasso’s long life and continued need to paint and create and work until just before he died.

It is interesting on every level and entertaining and also backed up with a detailed and helpful telling of his life story. The additional filmed clips of Picasso being interviewed, making ceramic pottery doves to be fired in a local pottery and relaxing in his garden in the south of France bring a sense of intimacyand connection to the show. 

The exhibition opened in October and will run until the 22nd February 2026.  Tickets are available from the National Gallery but must be booked in advance, with children going free.   

Another one to watch out for is The Gate Theatre’s stage adaption of ‘Poor’ by  Katriona O Sullivan. It is a rare theatre experience to see such a powerful and heart rending account of a childhood of poverty, neglect and abuse turned in to such a triumphant and deeply involving play. I loved the book but seeing Sonya Kelly’s adaption is a very special experience and makes you realise the power of good drama, acting and direction (Roisin McBrinn), in bringing this complex story to life. There were stunning performances from young Pippa Owens (child)  and Aisling O’Mara (adult) and Hilda Fay (mother).

‘Poor’ sold out its run in October but following rave reviews will return to the Gate Theatre on 13th March  and run until 26th April 2026 so …get booking.

Greystones Whale Theatre ‘Legends of Children’s Writing’  

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Tom McCaughren, Marita Conlon McKenna, Patricia Forde and Don Conroy

It is always a joy to be back in Greystones but this time it was for a very special event in the Whale Theatre with my old friends Tom McCaughren, Don Conroy and the Children’s Laureate Patricia Forde which was organised by writer Sarah Webb and Trish Hennessy of ‘Halfway up the Stairs’ book shop in Greystones. 

We had so much fun and it was great to chat with Patricia sabout when we all started writing children’s books and all the good times we’ve had since then. We had a lovely audience of fans and bookworms who came along to meet us, some having travelled from afar.

We all are still busy writing.  Tom’s wonderful new picture book for young children ‘Run Home Little Fox’ has just been published with beautiful illustrations by Shannon Bergin has already been shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards.

Afterwards it was lovely to meet and chat to so many young readers and some older ones too.  Thank you so much for to Sarah and Trish for organising a Saturday that we will all remember and to everyone that came along.

Sarah Webb, Don Conroy, Marita, Tom McCaughren, Patricia Forde and Trish Hennessy