ABSTRACT

In the past couple of decades, picturebooks by Irish artists have taken their place internationally. Four of Ireland’s foremost contemporary picturebook artists are Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, PJ Lynch, Niamh Sharkey, and Oliver Jeffers. For the most part, their books are published outside Ireland. Even among those published in Ireland, few have any perceptible Irish content, with the exception of Irish myths, legends, and folktales. This may be a result of the desire to appeal to an international audience. Valerie Coghlan comments on the small number of picturebooks produced in Ireland, due in large part to the cost of originating art and the small home market (Coghlan 2004, 1101).