A member of a Mullingar writing group who was inspired to put pen to paper is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Marian Keyes and Cecelia Ahern following the unveiling of her first novel at the launch of Culture Night 2010 in Dublin last week.
Gráinne Toher has lived in Mullingar for two years and is married to local man Michael Ahearne, those family hails from Glascorn, Mullingar. Michael's sister, Mary Ahearne is an artist and created a sculpture, which was exhibited at the Festival of the Fires on the Hill of Uisneach in May.
Gráinne has strong roots in the local community as her mother and father in law sold plants on The Green in Mullingar for years and her husband’s brother Vincent runs a landscaping company called Ahearne Landscapes with his brother Willy.
Gráinne has attended the Mullingar Scribblers writing group for over a year and unveiled her chick flick novel Comings and Goings on August 18 at Dublin Castle before she takes part in Westmeath Culture Night on September 24 in the Annebrook Hotel, Mullingar where she will read excerpts from her novel and have copies hot off the press for sale on the night.
The 39-year-old said: “I was totally excited and nervous at the same time about seeing it in print. I would call it a charming tale with a bit of something for everyone. I drew my inspiration from events going on around me and among my friends, family, and from popular culture.
“Marian Keyes was an inspiration as was Patricia Scanlon.”
Gráinne also explained that the Mullingar Scribblers gave her great encouragement and feedback, which helped inspire her writing but that it was a train journey that initially unleashed her writing skills.
“I was on the train one day and getting bored as I was stuck in Maynooth waiting for the signal to change. I took up a pen and the floodgates just kind of opened,” she said.
Over nine months later Comings and Goings, which is set in Dublin just after the recession first hit, was completed and Gráinne is already working on her second book.
