Meet our Judges for the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards 2026

Dr Jane O’Hanlon was head of education with Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann for 25 years, developing and coordinating its suite of national education and outreach programmes. She holds MA’s in women’s studies and children’s literature and her doctoral research was on the unique character and affordances of arts learning within the formal education system. Her research interests include arts and aesthetic education and children’s literature. She is a member of the STEM Implementation Group and the convenor and chair of the STEAM Advisory Group to the Department Education. She is president of IBBY Ireland, the Irish Section of the International Board on Books for Young People, and a member of the Executive Committee of IBBY International. She was a Fulbright Ireland Scholar for 2023/2024.

Leo Callanan is a recent Trinity College Dublin graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy. His final year dissertation examined Irish fiction for boys from the start of the twentieth century. His areas of interest centre around Irish children’s literature and classic American novels.

Is múinteoir bunscoile é Derek Carney i Scoil Náisiúnta (Ag Foghlaim Le Chéile) Paradise Place i gcathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Coimeádann sé an leabharlann agus déanann sé é a uasdhátú mar chuid dá ról. Is Dochtúir Leabhar é le Leabhair Pháistí Éireann chomh maith agus is léitheoir díograiseach é a leanann scríbhneoirí agus foilsitheoirí Éireannacha. 

Derek Carney is a primary school teacher in Paradise Place ETNS in Dublin city centre. He maintains and updates the libraries in the school as part of his role. He is also a Book Doctor with Children’s Books Ireland and a keen follower of Irish writers and publishers. 

Dr Jade Dillon-Craig is Associate Professor of Children’s Literature and Young Learners at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway. She is the author of Theorising Oliver Jeffers’ Picturebooks: From How to Catch a Star to Now (Routledge, 2025) and co-editor of Family in Children’s and Young Adult Literature (Routledge, 2023). She has published several book chapters and articles related to children’s literature, Alice studies, fairy tales, and visual texts for young readers. She is co-editor of the Children’s Literature in English Language Education journal and a founding board member of the Association for Research on Children’s Literature in English in Norway. 

Clara Maria Fiorentini is a former primary school teacher, now lecturing in initial teacher education at Marino Institute of Education, Dublin where she specialises in literacy education and children’s literature. Clara provides CPD for teachers and early childhood educators in the areas of literacy, children’s literature, playful learning and school transitions. Clara is completing her PhD research on preschool literacy practices at Trinity College Dublin and is the current President of the Literacy Association of Ireland (2024). Clara is a proud advocate for the use of children’s literature in the preschool and primary classroom and the prioritisation of the read-aloud in school and in the home. You can connect with Clara via Instagram, X or via her website.

Philip Kennedy is a Lecturer in Illustration at Ireland’s National College of Art and Design, where he leads the BA (Hons) Illustration programme. Passionate about visual storytelling, he balances his teaching practice with authorship and illustration – exploring the history of the medium and crafting work for young audiences.

Dr Maggie Masterson is a Research Collections librarian at Trinity College Dublin. A former children’s librarian from Chicago, she received her MPhil and PhD in children’s literature from Trinity. She reviews books for Children’s Books Ireland and is co-editor of Paper Lanterns Teen & Young Adult Literary Journal.

Is múinteoir bunscoile, léachtóir, scríbhneoir acadúil agus scríbhneoir don aos óg í Laoise Ní Chléirigh. Scríobh sí An Uaigh (LeabhairCOMHAR, 2013) agus Na Laochra is Lú (An Gúm, 2012), a bhain áit ar ghearrliosta na bliana 2013 de chuid Leabhair Pháistí Éireann. Le déanaí, scríobh Laoise an-chuid leabhar don tsraith Cosán na Gealaí. Is aoibhinn léi léitheoireacht agus leabhair nua, neamhshaolta do pháistí agus d’aosaigh óga! 

Laoise Ní Chléirigh is a primary school teacher, lecturer, academic writer & children’s writer. Her novels include An Uaigh (LeabhairCOMHAR, 2013) & Na Laochra is Lú (An Gúm, 2012), which was shortlisted for the Children’s Books Ireland Awards in 2013. She adores reading & loves discovering new, dreamy children’s & young adult books!

Siobhán Morrissey is a lecturer in Children’s Studies at the University of Galway where she teaches and researchers children’s literature. She completed her Masters in Popular Literature at Trinity College Dublin in 2014, and her PhD in English and Children’s Literature at the University of Galway in 2022. 

Scoláire ar litríocht & cultúr na bpáistí is í an Dr Róisín Ní Mhulláin. Tá forbairt na litríochta Gaeilgedo pháistí, teoiric iarchóilíneach i litríocht do pháistí, & saothar Chathail Uí Shándair, údar Gaeilgedo pháistí, ar na réimsí taighde aici. Chaith sí cúig bliana déag mar léachtóir le Gaeilge i gColáiste San Aingeal, Sligeach & tá sí ag obair faoi láthair leis An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta

Dr Róisín Ní Mhulláin is a scholar of children’s literature & culture. Her research includes the development of children’s literature in the Irish language, post-colonial theory in children’s literature & the work of Cathal Ó Sándair, an Irish language children’s author. She spent 15 years as Irish language lecturer in St Angela’s College, Sligo. 

Is múinteoir Béarla í Aine Ní Ghloinn atá paiseanta faoi litríocht do pháistí agus daoine óga le blianta fada anuas, ó bhíodh sí ag taithiú a leabharlainne áitiúla agus í ag fás aníos i gCorcaigh. Tá sí go mór ar son na leabhar ó scríbhneoirí Éireannacha, i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge araon, agus roinneann sí a grá don léitheoireacht ar mhaithe le háthas lena cuid daltaí agus lena clann. 

Aine Ní Ghloinn is a teacher of English with a decades long passion for children’s and YA literature since she haunted her local library as a child growing up in Cork. She is a strong advocate for books by Irish writers both in Irish and in English, sharing the joy of reading for pleasure with her students and her growing family.

Caroline Sullivan is the owner of Tales for Tadpoles in Bray, and is passionate about nurturing young imaginations through carefully crafted books and stories. With a love for both classic and contemporary children’s literature, I bring years of experience curating magical books for young readers. 

Is dalta sa chúigiú bliain é Páidí Sweeney atá tugtha don léitheoireacht, an pianó a sheinm, karate agus teicneolaíocht. Labhraíonn sé Béarla, Gaeilge agus Spáinnis, agus ba mhaith leis a bheith ina mhúinteoir meánscoile amach anseo, nó ceol a chumadh do scannáin agus cluichí.

Páidí Sweeney is a Fifth Year student with a love for reading, playing the piano, karate and technology. He speaks English, Irish and Spanish, and hopes to become a secondary school teacher, or to compose music for film and games.