George Otto Simms was born in Dublin in 1910. He took his BA, MA, BD, PhD, and DD degrees at Trinity College, Dublin. Ordained a priest of the Church of Ireland in 1936, he spent his working life in the service of the church and was Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 1969 until his retirement in 1980. A noted scholar and historian, he lectured and wrote extensively, particularly on The Book of Kells, on which he was internationally recognised as an expert. For almost 40 years he contributed a weekly religious feature,'Thinking Aloud', to the Irish Times. George Otto Simms died in 1991.
Exploring the Book of Kells was Dr. Simms first book for the younger reader and received wide acclaim. It was a winner of the Reading Association of Ireland Award, and together with his second book for children, Brendan the Navigator, Exploring the Ancient World, was joint winner of the BISTO Book of the Decade Award. His third and last book prior to his death was St. Patrick, The Real Story of Patrick, who became Ireland's Patron Saint.
David Rooney is an Irish illustrator working mainly in scraperboard, an engraving medium involving scratching away black ink from a chalk board surface using a surgical scalpel to reveal the white underneath. His work focusses mainly on cultural projects including the BBC’s Story of Ireland, Titanic Experience and King John’s Castle. His illustrations for the award-winning book 1916 Portraits and Lives were acquired by the OPW for the State and exhibited in Kilmainham Gaol as part of the centenary commemorations, before touring internationally. This is his first book for children.
