Children's Books Ireland Collection at DCU Library

Through events, Book Clinics, conferences and more, Children’s Books Ireland shares their expertise with adults to inspire and guide children, while also inspiring a love of reading in children.

To intake the books submitted to the annual KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards to preserve them and make them available for research in our O'Reilly Library reading room. As of 2024 the collection has approximately 4,000 items which track the history of children’s publishing.

Established in 1990, and currently sponsored by KPMG, the awards accept submissions matching the following criteria: that the author or illustrator be born in Ireland, be citizens of Ireland, or have made the island their home. Irish- and English-language entries are encouraged.

Irish writers have a history of successfully seeking publication abroad, and children’s authors are no exception. This collection contains books from the early 20th century with the majority published in Great Britain.

This period saw the foundation of Irish publishers focused on children’s literature and, more recently, Irish imprints of UK publishers.  Meanwhile, Irish children’s writers and illustrators have been gaining more recognition in Ireland and internationally.

From the beginning of the 20th century and into the formation of the Irish Free State, children’s publishing in Irish became a priority.