Author delighted with her prize winning grandson

Dolores Keaveney, the children’s picture book author and illustrator, was an especially delighted member of the audience at the presentation of awards in the 2026 Mullingar Rotary Club Young Writer Competition at Mullingar Library, as her grandson Huw was a double winner (see main story).

Asked about it, Dolores told the Examiner: “I didn’t know Huw had entered the competition, though he did enter it last year, and maybe the year before, but about a month ago he said to me, ‘Nanny, I entered a competition in school, and I won it’. Then he explained what it was about, and that was my first time to hear the story, and it was lovely.”

Dolores said that Huw and his brother Austin appear in her ‘Little Huwie’ series as the matchstick boys. They are two of her eight grandchildren, and they visit her every Monday, “and have been nearly since they were born… it’s a kind of a ritual”.

“But to be honest with you, I didn’t have any clue he was doing that (writing), he’s a quiet lad. To win an overall prize is amazing, I’m really proud of him.”

Asked if she would encourage Huw, Dolores confirmed she would and she hopes he might carry on her self publishing business, DB Press.

“I’m an elder lemon now, and I hope he will (take on the publishing), but it’s entirely up to him – anyway, it’s just a bit of fun we have, when they (her books) come out, and that’s it. But I’m really delighted, I think this is amazing.”