Written by Rachel Pierce and published by Scholastic, Ireland — The People, The Places, The Stories is a celebration of Irish culture, history, and folklore. The book is aimed at young readers and brings together stories of famous landmarks, myths and legends, historical events, music, and traditions — all illustrated by ten Irish artists.
I was commissioned to illustrate the section Haunted Ireland, which explores the country’s ghost stories and supernatural folklore. The tales include sorrowful wailing, bloodthirsty revenge, lost loves, enchanted islands, fallen soldiers, false burials, and betrayals — all part of Ireland’s rich storytelling tradition.
For Haunted Ireland, I illustrated stories featuring banshees, lost loves, betrayed soldiers, and other unsettling folklore. I wanted each piece to feel atmospheric without being frightening. I used a limited, muted colour palette with strong contrasts to create mood and tension, and relied on simplified shapes and silhouettes to suggest movement and presence.
I focused on texture and composition to capture the uneasy, otherworldly quality of these stories, balancing darker themes with clarity and graphic simplicity to ensure the illustrations remained approachable for young readers.
