![\"Father](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5121789_9_articleinlinemobile_John_20Kathi_20Burke_2022.jpg\" "\\"Father")
Father and daughter John and Kathi Burke from Waterford city with their new book for 0-3 year olds, ‘Irelandopedia’. Photograph: Patrick Browne<\/p>\nAs I sit down in John Burke\u2019s kitchen in his house on the outskirts of Waterford City I\u2019m already thinking illustrator Kathi \u201cFatti\u201d Burke and her dad are a very special father-daughter duo.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a gentleness to them, and in how they speak to and about each other. That connection trickles into the now 17 books for children they\u2019ve created \u2014 illustrated by Kathi and researched and written by John.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t always the plan to work together. Their partnership \u201cjust kind of came up organically\u201d explains Kathi, who had come up with the idea of a book about Ireland and its 32 counties \u2014 Irelandopedia. The book needed a researcher. Kathi suggested her dad, and the rest, as they say, is history.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The publisher] met dad and saw his personality and how interesting he is and saw he\u2019d be perfect. I think the books are definitely bigger than they would have been if it was just me and a stranger working on them. Yeah, the work I do with dad is its own special thing,\u201d says Kathi, as she looks affectionately across the table at John.<\/p>\n
Kathi talks about John\u2019s \u201cspecial way of phrasing things and talking to children\u201d borne out of a career teaching in primary school. \u201cEven after you retired, you\u2019re still a teacher for life.\u201d<\/p>\n
But John is quick to point to Kathi\u2019s own skills as an illustrator, which make his words come to life. \u201cBut you\u2019re the professional and I admire so much what you learned to do and what you can do. I just loved being asked to get all this information and put it down. It was a joy for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
John had retired a few years previously. \u201c[My wife] Janet wanted me to have something to do. She was afraid I\u2019d waste away.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u2019d got him a model ship building kit which he says he started \u201cbut I would never have finished it\u201d, that was followed by some jigsaws, until the call from Kathi. \u201cI often wonder where I\u2019d be if it weren\u2019t for you, Kathi. The books have taken over; it\u2019s this book now, and then next year it\u2019s another book.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he\u2019s working on his own book now too,\u201d says Kathi with a smile. She tells me that one of her favourite things about working with her dad is the chance to \u201cshow him off\u201d. Having John by her side has also given her a confidence she says she wouldn\u2019t typically have for public events.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t normally say yes to things like going on a radio show, or whatever. I get a bit shy, whereas Dad doesn\u2019t get shy. We get to do things together now and I feel emboldened and more confident going up to accept an award; getting up on a stage with Dad, it\u2019s just so much more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Father and daughter John and Kathi Burke from Waterford city with their new book for 0-3 year olds, ‘Irelandopedia’. Photograph: Patrick Browne<\/p>\n
The pair have always had a close relationship. As a child Kathi attended the school where John worked. Her sister, Shauna, also went there. The trio spent plenty of time together. \u201cAfter we\u2019d finish school for the day, we\u2019d often sit in dad\u2019s office waiting while he finished admin tasks. We\u2019d read books that had come in or even play computer games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kathi says her and her sister \u201cwere spoiled for quality time with dad\u201d. \u201cI was even looking through my old email address doing a clear out of an old inbox recently. And I could see that I was sending dad emails all the time. We\u2019ve always been closer than even our friends and their fathers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Working together is a natural thing, then. And though they don\u2019t work in the same space \u2014 John is at home while Kathi works in her studio \u2014 they are always in touch, although Kathi says she tends to <\/p>\n
keep her illustrations \u201ca surprise\u201d from John until the last minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love seeing you have a bit of fun with the illustrations too,\u201d says John fondly. \u201cYou love doing fun things with the animals faces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do love a visual pun, that\u2019s true,\u201d agrees Kathi.<\/p>\n
John\u2019s affection for his daughters and his easy way of showing it is something he says he experienced with his own father. \u201cI remember as a child I wrote a little story about my dad who was a fisherman and I told the story at class. Afterwards two ladies came over to me and said \u2018we heard you talking about your dad. It sounds like you loved him a lot\u201d, and I remember being surprised that they would say that. Of course I loved him and I knew that he loved me.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that familial model, he says, it\u2019s the most natural thing in the world to enjoy the close relationship he has with Kathi.<\/p>\n
Kathi and John have just released a series of board books for babies with Gill, adapting their popular \u2018Irelandopedia\u2019 world for children aged between 0-3.<\/p>\n
Comedians Pat and Faye Shortt became a comedy duo touring together after covid. The father and daughter never had any concrete plans to work together, says Pat. \u201cIt just happened by default.\u201d<\/p>\n
But there was never any pressure for Faye to follow in her father\u2019s footsteps. \u201cIn a way, I think the lack of pressure meant the partnership just naturally evolved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five years on and the pair\u2019s natural chemistry and banter on stage means they regularly sell out venues as they tour the country. Working together for the past few years has only strengthened their bond.<\/p>\n
In saying that, the tight quarters of the touring life meant it would either go one way or the other, laughs Pat. \u201cWhen you\u2019re touring, you\u2019re in a car, you\u2019re staying over in hotels, you\u2019re backstage in a small dressing room together. You have to be tolerant, whether it\u2019s a family member or not. But I think that side of it has been easier for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t really take anything too personally, you know. When you\u2019re family, you\u2019re always put in those scenarios where you have to be honest, then you move on,\u201d adds Faye.<\/p>\n
As work partners and all that entails \u2013 they manage the business, promote and produce the shows \u2013 their relationship has taken on a new level, but this is very much an equal partnership.<\/p>\n
Pat recalls being impressed by Faye\u2019s work process when they first started working together. \u201cI was surprised, and I don\u2019t know why I was, but Faye\u2019s work process is just brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Father-daughter](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5121795_8_articleinlinemobile_IMG_20221003_132755_1_.jpg\" "\\"Father-daughter")
Father-daughter comedy duo Pat and Faye Shortt in Dubrovnik, Croatia<\/p>\n
He says that when he started in the business it was as a musician, then a sound engineer, and then working with his long-time comedy partner John Kelly. \u201cIt took me a long time to get to certain points with performance, and then I look at Faye on that first week and I was expecting her to be like me, but of course she wasn\u2019t. She\u2019s great at this. Sure, performance is in her DNA and she has no problem performing, and I found that refreshing. It actually enriched my own personal performance and attitude towards getting out in front of people, and encouraged me,\u201d he says proudly.<\/p>\n
For Faye, working with her dad meant getting a front row seat to years of industry experience, and she soaked it up. \u201cThe main things I\u2019ve learned from dad is work ethic and resilience. Look, it\u2019s not always easy. It\u2019s a hard job to put yourself out there and maybe get knocked down and then put yourself out there again. That resilience and confidence I\u2019ve got from dad. Being around people who are confident, it brings you up as well. I don\u2019t think I learned that from drama school, I learned it from being with dad and being on the road with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Working with his daughter has also given Pat a step up when it comes to social media and content creation. \u201cI come from a very traditional form of filmmakers, and then I look at Faye and she just turns around and records something, there\u2019s no talking about it, they just do it, and it\u2019s wonderful to see. I\u2019m starting to learn to shoot, pick it up and move on and not be precious about what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pair say they have always had an open and honest relationship, something that\u2019s proved invaluable in their creative partnership.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s the arts, I feel like the honesty has really helped us. The dynamic and relationship that we have, it\u2019s made it very easy for us to work together when we\u2019re writing and creating,\u201d says Faye.<\/p>\n
Pat agrees, adding that the honesty in their relationship is necessary when they\u2019re exploring character and writing sketches. \u201cWhen you\u2019re doing that, you go into every topic, so there must be that level of openness and ability to delve into characters truthfully.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Shortts\u2019 working relationship is essentially an extension of their already easy father-daughter bond. \u201cI suppose my parents would be very much like friends as well. Now don\u2019t get me wrong, they will always give advice, but there\u2019s a very open relationship there; I wouldn\u2019t be scared to say anything to my mom or my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Karen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5121798_8_articleinlinemobile_KerrigansBCronin71_1_.jpg\" "\\"Karen")
Karen and John Kerrigan of Kerrigan Mushrooms, Cortown, County Meath. Picture: Barry Cronin<\/p>\n