Two years ago on return from holidays I found a small, nondescript plant in my flower bed. It wasn’t unusual for one of my folks to plant something in my garden while they were checking on the house, but I didn’t think it a particularly great spot, or much of a shrub at that, so I pulled it out and set it aside. A week or so later Dad mentioned in passing that he’d planted a peony for me while I’d been away. I was distraught! I’d only recently admired the stunning cerise pink peony in my parents’ garden and so he had bought one and planted it for me with little ceremony, as was his way.
Read MoreI was invited to TV3 to talk about books with Sinead Desmond on the Ireland AM morning show. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the panel discussion on books by Meghan Daum and my own novel. The Songbird’s Way.
Read MoreIn 2007 I took a trip to the Arctic Circle to photograph killer whales. The setting in the Norwegian fjords was incredibly beautiful and I found myself profoundly moved after coming eye-to-eye with one of these magnificent creatures.
Read MoreI was delighted to be invited by Newstalk presenter, Orla Barry to take part in this Green Room panel discussion in January 2014. I formed a panel with fellow authors Niamh Boyce and Paul Lynch - we had a lively and enjoyable chat with to Orla about our writing processes and I talked about my path to publication for The Songbird’s Way.
Read MoreA new book written by the Chief Executive of a developing Irish charity is partially based in Wicklow and features a number of references which will be familiar to readers, such as the Christmas Day swim Greystones beach.
Wicklow town and Brittas Bay also feature prominently in ‘Look into the Eye’, Jennifer Barrett’s debut novel.
Read MoreAre we really in touch with the people we want to stay in touch with, or have we substituted quality friendships for the high quantity of social media and online ones? I decided to find out…
Read MoreIrish author and charity worker Jennifer Barrett is still very proud of her Kerry roots, with part of her new novel ‘The Songbird’s Way’ set on the family farm in Garfinny, outside of Dingle town.
Read MoreI wrote the book for all of those who are different or who may be struggling to fit into society’s view of what’s conventional. The story is inspired by the writing of Joseph Campbell who encouraged people to ‘follow your bliss’ and by Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning.
Read MoreNow! With that one word, we slipped quietly off the side of the small zodiac speedboat and into the freezing arctic waters below . . . As I slipped into the water, I was filled with nervous excitement and anticipation, which thankfully distracted me from the extreme cold.
Read More‘Get to it!’ was the slogan for the 2009 Dublin Book Festival, and the picture that went alongside featured a boat with a sail of pages, flying seagull books and a whale’s tail fluke. It was eighteen months since I’d started writing Look into the Eye, my first novel with a whale of a sub-theme, and I was beginning to lose faith that I would ever finish writing it. So I cut out the festival advertisement and hung it beside my bedroom mirror. Every day I would look at the picture, seeing it as motivation to Get to my desk and write.
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