Cover image for Dublin Inquirer print edition #118

The idea for this cover was an ode to the post workers, couriers and delivery drivers who just (literally) carried the Christmas season on their backs, and there’s no sign of them stopping now in the New Year.

Dubs are supposedly the fastest walkers in the Western world (yes, even faster than New Yorkers), so you very rarely get a still, slow moving scene on our streets, more a mosaic of bodies, cargo and vehicles all going in different directions. I wanted to capture that nearly overwhelming feeling I get when I’m back in Dublin, that everyone has something on and somewhere to be, though they’ll obviously always stop for a “howaye”.

My name is Louise Ní Chuilinn, and I sign my work as Selkies. I’m an illustrator from Dublin, now living in Brussels. My work is a little bit nostalgic, a bit cheeky, and always rooted in a firm sense of place – wherever that place may be. I’m often inspired by folklore and tradition, and if I can, I like to show something surprising in the familiar. Aside from illustration, I also create zines and host creative workshops for adults.