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KILLARNEY author Kathryn Crowley has released a collection of memoirs and short stories in aid of one of the survivors of the tragic balcony collapse in California last year.

Kathryn’s book, Room For One More, will launched this evening by her cousin Angela Beary, mother of Aoife, and the proceeds will go towards Aoife’s rehabilitation fund.

Aoife’s grandmother, Maureen, originally from Listowel is a sister of Killarney pharmacist Donie Sheahan.

Room For One More, which is published by Emu Ink, is Kathryn’s second collection to be released in as many years and it is made up of memoirs from her life, each one accompanied by a short fictional story which it inspired.

It will be launched in Ballyboden St Enda’s GAA Club in Dublin at 8pm this evening.

Kathryn, a Dublin school principal, described Aoife as “one of the bravest and most determined young people I have the privilege to know”. “I hope any funds raised from the sale of my collection of stories will help defray the significant costs of her journey to recovery and help to make her future brighter in some small way,” she said.

Room for One More, a touching memoir from the collection, holds a special place in the hearts of the cousins.

Angela said: “I am so grateful to Kathryn for all she has done to support our family in the last year. She has been a true friend and, as they say, “cousins are friends from the same family tree.”

“Kathryn and I spent many summers together as children. When going on family holidays, my mother believed there was always some more room left in the car for cousins! We reminisce often on these happy times growing up, but Kathryn’s memories are much clearer than mine.

“I have loved immersing myself in these stories.”

Room for One More will be available in paperback, eBook and to rent digitally from emuink.ie. It is available to pre-order at http://www.emuink.ie/synopsis.php?b=133

The paperback will also be available from Sheahan's Pharmacy, Main Street, Killarney.