Kerry Writers’ Museum is proud to host the launch of GRIT, the debut book by Kerry writer, poet, and visual artist Aidan O’Leary, during the 2025 Listowel International Storytelling Festival.
Aidan’s hybrid work blends poetry, prose, photography, and sound, with QR codes linking readers to audio pieces that bring words and images to life.
His creative projects include contributions to the Kerry Women in Literature exhibition, an installation for Siamsa Tíre’s opera Mary Motorhead, and recognition at the Poets Meets Painters competition in Kenmare.
GRIT marks an exciting new step in his creative journey.
PHOTO: GRIT by writer, poet and multi media artist Aidan O’Leary
My name is Aidan O’Leary, and I’m a writer, poet, and visual artist from Kerry. My work moves between poetry, prose, photography, and digital art, often blending them together to explore resilience, memory, and the quiet details that shape our lives.
GRIT is my first full-length publication, and it began as my final year project in college.
The response I received at the time encouraged me to keep developing it. I wanted to create something that honoured the smaller moments of survival and strength — the things people carry quietly, often without recognition.
The book weaves poetry, prose, photography, and sound. QR codes in the pages link readers to accompanying audio pieces, allowing the experience to shift between text, image, and audio.
PHOTO: Language of Minds by Aidan O’Leary.
It’s a hybrid work that reflects the way I like to approach creativity: not through a single medium, but by letting words, images, and sound speak to each other.
Alongside GRIT, I’ve worked on a range of projects that bring writing and visual art together.
My visual compositions were featured in the Kerry Writers’ Museum’s Kerry Women in Literature exhibition. I created an installation for Siamsa Tíre to accompany the opera Mary Motorhead, combining digital art with a poem inspired by the production.
PHOTO: Rendelsholmes Mystery is part of the Kerry Women in Literature permanent exhibition in Kerry Writers’ Museum.
Most recently, I was awarded second place in the Poets Meets Painters competition in Kenmare this year, which gives me further encouragement to keep developing and sharing my work.
Launching GRIT at the Kerry Writers’ Museum during Storytelling Week feels like a natural step and a way of bringing words, images, and sound together in a place that celebrates storytelling in all its forms.
PHOTO: I Just Want To Go Home by Aidan O’Leary
Book Launch Details
Join us as we celebrate the launch of GRIT, the debut multimedia collection by Kerry writer and visual artist Aidan O’Leary. Blending poetry, prose, photography, and sound, GRIT offers a layered reflection on resilience, memory, and the human experience.
Date: Saturday 20th September, 11.30am
Location: Kerry Writers’ Museum, Listowel
Tickets: Free Event