Francis Brennan Is Taking To The Road In His ‘Happiness Tour Truck’

With his new memoir, Counting My Blessings: Francis Brennan’s Guide to Happiness released this Friday, 2 October Francis Brennan is taking to the road for a nationwide book tour, popping up in surprise locations along the way with goody bags to spread a little happiness. Francis will travel in his ‘Happiness Tour Truck’, branded to match his new book cover. The inside is fitted out to make a pop-up sitting room and fans can drop in to say hello to Francis and have a chat when he rolls in to town.

Beginning in Dublin this Saturday, 3 October, following an appearance on The Late Late Show, Francis will visit Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny, Athlone, Cavan, Tipperary, Galway and his hometown in Kerry between now and December. Specific details can be found at www.gillbooks.ie/francisbrennan. Francis is encouraging the public to use social media to send on their photos if they spot his Happiness Tour Truck and be in with a chance to win goody bags that include signed copies of his book. You can tweet him at @francisbrennanb or @Gill_Books using the hashtag #CountYourBlessings.

Francis’ new book follows the success of last year’s It’s the Little Things, one of the bestselling books of 2014. Counting My Blessings is Francis’ take on how to be happy by way of his memoir. Francis is renowned for his positive outlook. Through his life story he shows how he has faced his life’s many challenges with a positive outlook which has allowed him to overcome his toughest times. He says of the book ‘Life can deal us any kind of a hand, good or bad. Often, it’s a bit of both, and the only difference is what we make of it. And that’s the subject of this book – how we handle what life throws at us, and learn to make the most of it. In short, it’s a book about happiness,’

Full of warm and witty anecdotes, Francis Brennan reveals how counting his blessings has sustained him in life - his family, career, travel, friendships, spirituality, home life and public life. He also wants to spread the message that happiness is the most important gift you can give yourself and offers his happiness hints that everyone can use to help them appreciate the blessings in their life and take the focus off difficulties.

No stranger to tough times himself, Francis was born with a club foot and had eleven major operations when he was a child. When his father died tragically young, Francis had to take over the running of the family business and look after his family. He then worked hard to build his own hotel business but, like for many others, the recession wasn’t kind to him. For Francis these challenges did not hold him back. He got on with life and came out the other side. By sharing how he has dealt with the ups and downs of his life, he shows that happiness is something you choose, rather than it choosing you.

Francis Brennan is the co-owner of the five-star Park Hotel Kenmare, in Co. Kerry. Together with his brother John he has been showing hospitality businesses how to thrive as part of the RTÉ series ‘At Your Service’ since 2008. He is the bestselling author of It’s the Little Things.

Count Your Blessings: Francis Brennan’s Guide to Happiness will be published by Gill Books on Friday, 2 October 2015, priced at €14.99. For further information visit www.gillbooks.ie/francisbrennan or contact Teresa Daly, Communications Manager, Gill Books, 01 500 9521, 086 838 3559, tdaly@gill.ie.