Coosan author James Hannon's highlight of 2026 was 'heartwarming' book launch

We contacted a number of people from in and around the Athlone area to ask them about their highlight of 2025 and their hopes for the new year.

Children's book author James Hannon launched his latest work, 'An Incredibly Daring Heist Brought to You by a Ten-Year-Old Criminal Mastermind' in Athlone in March. Having recently taught at Summerhill NS, James is currently on a career break from teaching.

* My highlight of 2025 was...

Definitely the launch of my second book 'An Incredibly Daring Heist Brought To You By A Ten-Year-Old Criminal Mastermind'. It was held in Athlone library and the turnout was a lot higher than I had expected. The best part was answering all the incredibly insightful questions from children who had read my first book. That showed me they weren't just there because they happened to be in the library, they were there because they cared about the story I was telling. It's all I ever dreamed of when I decided to become an author, and it was a very heartwarming experience. I can't wait to share more of my stories with the people of my town, and towns all around the country.

* My hopes for 2026 are...

I could talk about future book launches or visits to schools and libraries here, but, I'll be honest, the thing I hope for most for 2026 is that the Republic of Ireland soccer team qualify for the World Cup. I didn't think we had a chance in those group stage games against Portugal and Hungary, but I was never more delighted to be wrong. I think we have a great chance in the play-offs, so we could end up having a fantastic summer of soccer. I was 10 the last time we were at a World Cup, and I remember the excitement like it was yesterday. I hope we can feel that excitement again!