The Guess How Much I Love You trail launches in June 2023, as a first-class visitor attraction inspired by Guess How Much I Love You, written by the late Sam McBratney: a lifelong resident of Lisburn, where he worked as a teacher before retiring to focus on his writing.
The trail has been commissioned by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council through funding from Tourism Northern Ireland (TNI) to celebrate home-grown talent.
It is created by Brilliant Trails in partnership with Walker Books Limited. The ISLAND Arts Centre advocates to promote the work of local artists by showcasing public art inspired by the book.
Explore Lisburn City Centre on two self-led trails experiencing the adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare as they declare their heart-warming love for each other, ‘I love you right up to the moon – AND BACK’.
Collect your free activity sheet from the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum. You will be guided on the trails to locate 16 brass rubbing plaques which when completed will reveal an image from the book. Submit your completed worksheet to the Visitor Information Centre to receive a unique souvenir to cherish.
Taking in Lisburn City Centre, Wallace Park and the historic site of Castle Gardens the trails showcase a number of public artworks created by artists specifically for this project. Entering the city, at Haslem’s Lane you’ll find wall art created by Dean Kane depicting the beautifully illustrated watercolours originally created by Anita Jeram. In Castle Gardens, you will see a magnificent bronze sculpture of two hares inspired by the book and created by sculptor Trudy Burke. Across the trails you will also find three hand carved benches by artists Charlie Haag and James Elliott.