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Roald Dahl's visit to Kennys Bookshop, Galway 1987
- Details
- 28 July 2016
In this, the centenary year of Roald Dahl's birth, we are reminded of the memorable 1987 visit the author paid to Galway and to Kennys Bookshop in particular.
Des Kenny recalls the time he wrote to the great man with the full knowledge that his coming to Galway was a long shot!
"Our mother kept telling us we should invite Roald Dahl to the shop to sign his books.
Eventually, I wrote to him and by return received a letter saying 'You have sent me such a charming invitation that it is very difficult for me to refuse' (see the full text of Des's invitation and of Dahl's reply below).
He came for a weekend during a Children’s Street Festival in High St / Quay St / Cross St and he signed books for two days. The queue extended up past the King’s Head for all of that time.
"No child is to be disappointed” was his mantra, and no child or adult was. This photograph of the Fitzgerald family with Roald Dahl in Kennys Bookshop is typical of the huge number of photographs taken that memorable weekend!"
Felicity (Liccy) Dahl, spoke fondly of her visit to Galway with her husband Roald on the Ryan Tubridy show on August 15th 2016. She recalled dinner at Ann and Des Kenny's home - "we were given a feast... a salmon that was cooked like I have never eaten a salmon.... it was totally charming". We highly recommend listening to Ryan's wonderful interview with Liccy Dahl >>>
Such was the reaction to Monday's show that Ryan Tubridy had our own Tom Kenny back on his show on the following day!
(Click letter thumbnail to enlarge)
We enjoyed such huge interest and engagement in the story of Dahl's visit to Kennys that we decided to share images of the day on a Facebook album entitled 'Roald Dahl at Kennys Bookshop ...Were You There?'. If you were there why not check it out!
