Ballycastle artist Paddy Donnelly shortlisted for KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards

Donnelly created the dynamic and vibrant illustrations in the picture book, ‘Na Trí Mhuicín’, which is published by Futa Futa.

Written by former Laureate na n-Óg, Áine Ní Ghlinn, this book is a retelling of the classic fairy tale The Three Little Pigs in Irish verse.

Donnelly currently lives in Belgium but is originally from Ballycastle. He has published over 25 picture books, including Fox & Son Tailers, Míp, The Vanishing Lake and Ava and the Acorn.

His author illustrated picture book, The Golden Hare, won the Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year (Junior) at the An Post Irish Book Awards in 2024. An Slipéar Gloine, illustrated by Paddy, was awarded the Judges’ Special Award at the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards in 2023.

Speaking at the announcement, Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland said: “This is the 35th year of the only Irish awards dedicated to celebrating books created for children and the calibre of writing and illustration just keeps getting better!

" Our dedicated panel of judges outdid last year’s record, reading a total of 169 titles from Irish or Ireland-based writers and illustrators. After whittling those down to an initial longlist of 19 books, this shortlist represents the best books for children and young people and showcases the rich diversity of titles published in Ireland or by Irish artists.”

Paddy will compete for an award at the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards ceremony, held on 19th May as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin.