An 11-year-old Galway schoolboy has had a short story published in a children's book for the global Make-A-Wish charity.
Matthew McNena from Oranmore entered the international writing competition for seven to 12-year-olds and the theme was mythical creatures.
His story 'Mythical Creature, Humans: A Look at Life on Earth from 2021' was one of 11 winners from hundreds of entries.
The sixth class pupil at Gaelscoil de hÍde, Oranmore, and his fellow classmates were celebrating the news today that they had a published author in their midst.
"I like to expand my imagination and think outside the box, write about strange and abstract things," Matthew said.
"I'm thrilled to have my story published in Tall Tales Short Stories and hope it makes lots of money for Make-A-Wish."
An 11-year-old Galway schoolboy has had his first short story published in a children's book for the global Make-A-Wish charity. Matthew's story was all about mythical creatures, as @TeresaMannion found out! pic.twitter.com/8wQnVW8vDV
— RTÉ news2day (@news2dayRTE) October 11, 2022
His teacher Aini Uí Ghiollarnáth said the whole of Gaelscoil de hÍde were immensely proud of Matthew.
She said: "What Matthew has achieved at such a young age is fantastic.
"Being published in a book will inspire other pupils in the school to enter competitions and go forward with their creative writing and short stories.
"Whether it's performing music, writing stories or reading a good book, Gaelscoil de hÍde encourages pupils to be creative, to use their imagination and follow their dreams."
The competition was run with the support of tech company, Learning Pool, and the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Make-A-Wish charity, which grants life changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
