3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wicklow author pens children's picture book inspired by Wexford memories
It was standing room only in Hodges Figgis in Dublin when Aileen, in conversation with RTÉ's Áine Lawlor and publisher Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde of Éabhlóid, described creating the book, its inspiration and the decision to publish it as Gaeilge.
Attendees could view the original handmade book and a fine-art lithographic print collection, of which NCAD purchased one limited edition copy for their NIVAL collection.
Aileen spoke about how, during a dark period in lockdown, she sought her happy places, Cahore beach being one of them, which brought back memories of walking with her mother and encountering foxgloves, lying in the grass, listening to the sounds of nature.
Speaking at the launch, Áine recalled when her colleague Aileen from the RTÉ graphics department first shared the book, then a work in progress, how she was immediately drawn to it because of the language used in the book.
'I'm old enough to remember my grandmother using words like fairy fingers and God's little cows; these were the traditional names that I remember when growing up … the story is about a child finding redemption in our nDúchas, and this is a book that gives great meaning to that word Dúchas,' she said.
