'Some had siblings that died': A tale of friendship between Palestinian and Irish children  

The Friendship Cup is a new children's book based on the visit to Ireland by children from a since-bombed football academy in Gaza 

Ann Devlin, aka Winnie Clarke, author of  The Friendship Cup, about the visit of Palestinian children to Ireland. 

Ann Devlin never imagined she’d write a children’s book – let alone one about Gaza. “Ninety per cent of the public think, ‘Oh, someday when life gets less busy, there might be a book in me’, but I didn't really actually think that,” she says.

However, witnessing the devastation in Palestine after October 7, 2023, changed everything. “It horrified me,” she says.