Words of wisdom from older generations are being shared with children throughout Ireland and as far afield as the US, thanks to A Book of Hope, edited and illustrated by artist Ana Colomer.

As part of Clare County Council’s Keep Well campaign, Clare Arts Office supported Ana to create the book under the Cúram initiative. She invited older writers to submit pieces about aspects of life when they were growing up and then illustrated each submission.

The first copy of A Book of Hope was presented to one of the contributors, Mary McMahon who in turn has passed the book on to her grandchildren.

“It has been an honour and an unbelievable journey to gather heartfelt messages, memories, tales, poems… a project conceived to connect people, and what a success it has been,” Ana reflected.

She continued, “I know for a fact some of these books will travel as far as the US, Korea and Australia, where little hands, wide-open eyes and eager ears will touch, see and listen, remembering their loved ones far away, unable, for now, to travel. I hope the book will feel like a hug”.

Ana invited older people to write a little piece about their childhood. Following a public call, 24 submissions were selected from all over Clare, Ireland, the UK and the US, to name a few. Ana then created beautiful illustrations to accompany some of the chosen pieces.

Siobhán Mulcahy, Clare County Arts Officer, said: “The delicate use of colour in this book provides a soft, inviting and comforting read that can be shared between generations. Ana’s proposal struck a chord with our ‘Keep Well’ message, encouraging older people to partake in creative writing while connecting with young people and children during this difficult time. The book will be one to be treasured by all who read it.”

Copies of A Book of Hope are available from https://www.amazon.es/dp/B08YQQWSF8

Related News

court yard lanters 1-2
Gort Arts to host exhibition at Kennedy studio for Culture Night
donna mcgettigan 1
Abnormal rental prices in Clare says McGettigan
donald trump 2
Trump 'more than welcome' in Doonbeg for Irish Open says Agriculture Minister
inagh bus stop bike shelter 1
Inagh named Ireland's Greenest village
Latest News
david speed mural killaloe 1-2
Salmon of knowledge mural unveiled in Killaloe
colm walsh o'loghlen marco cleary 1-2
Marco makes his mark to claim player of the week
banner v ennistymon 16-08-25 ronan kilroy 1
Banner book place in Clare IFC semi-finals for very first time
naomh eoin v clondegad 12-10-24 sean mcallister sean bonfil 1
Clondegad cruise past Naomh Eoin to qualify for Clare IFC semi-finals
cratloe v ennistymon 14-09-25 diarmuid ryan 1
Cratloe claim victory over Ennistymon following extra-time excitement
Premium
Parish produce big second half pump to knock out Kilmurry Ibrickane
O'Currys relegated to Junior A ranks for first time since 95 following Ennistymon loss
Wind in Corofin's sails to bounce back to top tier after quarter-final win over Gaels
Cooraclare cause big shock to knock Kilrush out of intermediate championship
Glory for Kilmihil in relegation final as Wolfe Tones drop back down to intermediate

Advertisement

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.