A TRALEE woman will launch her first book on Thursday, October 24, at 6.30pm in Tralee Library.

In 2013, Úna-Minh Kavanagh, a young journalist and content creator, was racially abused and spat upon in Dublin’s city centre.

Having dealt with racism throughout her young life, Úna-Minh had finally had enough. In the days that followed, she took to Twitter to call out the ‘land of a thousand welcomes’ for its naivety and cowardice in dealing with racism. The incident was widely shared in the media and her story went viral.

But Úna-Minh’s story actually begins in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1991, when she was adopted at just three days old by Noreen Kavanagh from Tralee, a former teacher in Listellick NS.

Raised in a loving, Irish-speaking home by her mother and grandfather, Úna-Minh was instilled with an enduring sense of her multi-faceted Irish identity.

In her first book, she writes honestly and humorously about tackling racism, language elitism and online trolls and the joy of turning her love of the internet, video games and accessible Irish-language content into a healthy work/life balance.

Sprinkled throughout with Úna-Minh’s own ‘Frása An Lae’, Anseo is the heartwarming story of a diverse and contemporary Irish life.

Úna-Minh Kavanagh is a freelance Irish creator who makes Irish language, travel, anti-racism, mental health, and video game content.

She has a BA in Irish and Journalism from Dublin City University. Her work has been featured on Lonely Planet, TG4, the Irish Times, the Irish Independent, and more.

She was named Social Activist of the year in 2017 at the U Magazine 30 Under 30 Awards and her work has been nominated for several blog awards. Úna-Minh loves all languages and is a champion of the Irish language. Anseo is her first book – published by New Island in October 2019.