About
Joe Keane, the illustrator
Winter 2024. Sadly, Joe has passed. He leaves behind so many talents and people who loved him. When I think of Joe I feel joy and gratitude. He was amazing at his art, his writing, and his kindness. Farewell from Aoife, Mark, Bonni, Rua, and all the other animals. Slan mo chara. (Safe home my friend.)
Joe Keane, I say with great pride, is my cousin. He lives in the West of Ireland. He is a talented, gifted artist and illustrator who specializes in color Irish landscapes. Joe writes short stories, particularly themed in the Irish tradition. He is a published author and his latest book is titled “The Slopes of Mullaghatee.”
Joe and I worked on the writing and the sketching of Aoife’s Amazing Animals for several months. All our calls and emails included lots of laughter as we developed the book. We each had our favorite characters. Joe’s insight into each of their personalities was amazing, and it shows in the subtle messages and humor in the pictures. They are worth the time to search every detail.
In addition to the book, Joe helped me with family research. He is very knowledgeable about Irish history. In 1996 I contacted a newspaper in Sligo (Northwest Ireland.) This was before the internet became the number one way to do research. I asked the paper to print my letter, detailing who and what I was searching for, namely any Keane relatives who may have still lived in the area.
I received a few responses within a month. One of them was from Joe. At the time he was not sure that we were related. He placed the newspaper article in a drawer and time went on. We lost touch. I continued to research my family roots, both in the United States and in Ireland. In the spring of 2019, I received a call from Joe. He found the newspaper article in his drawer and the rest is history! We never expected to confirm that we, and our families, were from the exact villages and towns in County Sligo. And we definitely did not expect to publish a book together!
In August 2021, Joe, myself, Press and Mark “the sheep” drove to Cork in the South of Ireland. We arrived at the publisher, presented our creation, and in a sense, arrived at the end of a circle that began in 1996. Our family relationship was established, our ancestors were smiling down from the heavens (well, maybe a few were smiling from that other location that can be quite hot), and a book was born.
I will always be grateful for his presence in my life.
Joe and I worked on the writing and the sketching of Aoife’s Amazing Animals for several months. All our calls and emails included lots of laughter as we developed the book. We each had our favorite characters. Joe’s insight into each of their personalities was amazing, and it shows in the subtle messages and humor in the pictures. They are worth the time to search every detail.
In addition to the book, Joe helped me with family research. He is very knowledgeable about Irish history. In 1996 I contacted a newspaper in Sligo (Northwest Ireland.) This was before the internet became the number one way to do research. I asked the paper to print my letter, detailing who and what I was searching for, namely any Keane relatives who may have still lived in the area.
I received a few responses within a month. One of them was from Joe. At the time he was not sure that we were related. He placed the newspaper article in a drawer and time went on. We lost touch. I continued to research my family roots, both in the United States and in Ireland. In the spring of 2019, I received a call from Joe. He found the newspaper article in his drawer and the rest is history! We never expected to confirm that we, and our families, were from the exact villages and towns in County Sligo. And we definitely did not expect to publish a book together!
In August 2021, Joe, myself, Press and Mark “the sheep” drove to Cork in the South of Ireland. We arrived at the publisher, presented our creation, and in a sense, arrived at the end of a circle that began in 1996. Our family relationship was established, our ancestors were smiling down from the heavens (well, maybe a few were smiling from that other location that can be quite hot), and a book was born.
I will always be grateful for his presence in my life.