Is SE Connolly the Irish JK Rowling? The 23-year-old debutante author, qualified vet and champion debater gives her mission statement to ARMINTA WALLACE

'IT'S VERY STRANGE to suddenly be 'The Author," says SE Connolly, aka Susan Connolly, whose debut novel has just been published by Mercier Press. At 23 and just out of college, it's not surprising that she hasn't had time to get used to her new role as a published writer. But nor is she easily fazed. At the launch of Damsel,a young reader asked Connolly if she had any advice for anyone who was thinking of writing a children's book. Her reply has the ring of a mission statement: "My advice is, just ask yourself 'what if?'. What if you're doing something totally normal and a dragon appears? What if the dragon carries you off? What if you fall? The other big piece of advice is: finish it. I mean, 90 per cent of people in the world can start a book. But very few can finish one."

Connolly began to write Damselwhile studying for a degree in veterinary science in the library at University College Dublin.

“I was really bored,” she admits. “There’s only so much microbiology you can stand at one point in time. I had re-enacted all the famous historical battles I could think of with my stationery, I had run out of all the things that a stapler can be.”

Picking up a book which had been abandoned on a neighbouring desk, she began to leaf through it. It was a sociological analysis of fairy tales – and it was, she says, a shocker.

Once upon a time, fairy tales were egalitarian morality stories in which children could look after themselves. Then they were revamped to bring them into line with conventional moral norms.

“After that, it was all, like, girls should be rescued and boys should rescue them,” Connolly says. “And as long as the prince was good-looking and had a kingdom it didn’t matter what his personality was like.”

To add to the outrage she felt, Connolly then came across an article which claimed that Mr Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice, is every woman's ideal man.

“He isn’t even a real person,” she declares, getting indignant all over again. “And much as I love the book – I mean, it’s romantic and it’s Colin Firth coming out of the water in his white shirt and all that – but he’s not a very nice guy. In fact, he’s kind of a jerk.”

A NEW MALErole model was clearly called for. Enter Roger of Rockfield, who teams up with Annie Brave on a mission to rescue the latter's father from the clutches of the evil wizard, Greenlott. Damselgives a nod and a wink to classic quest stories from the past – from Don Quixotethrough The Hobbitto Harry You-Know-Who – while remaining resolutely fresh, funny and smart as a whip. Check out the scene where Annie meets Roger:

“But I thought you were a hero!” said Roger.

“Well I’m not,” said Annie, “there were no heroes available.”

“So you’re just a girl,” said Roger.

“Just a girl who saved you from a giant spider,” snapped Annie.

The spider isn't even the half of it – the unlikely pair must do battle with a lecherous frog and a dragon with dodgy digestion before they can confront the wizard. Meanwhile, it won't have escaped the notice of eagle-eyed readers of Damselthat The Author's name bears an uncanny resemblance to that of a certain other wizardy writer.

So is SE Connolly an Irish JK Rowling? And what does the “E” stand for anyway?

“Elizabeth,” Connolly says firmly. “It was my publisher’s decision to use the initials. I’m not sure exactly why they did it. Partly because it fits better on the cover that way – but also there’s this idea that girls will read books by men, but boys won’t read books written by women.

“It irritates me slightly – not that it was done but that it had to be done.”

CONNOLLY'S PASSIONfor animals, both real and imaginary, appears to be insatiable. Having recently qualified as a vet, she'll be working with them on a daily basis. And then there are the critters who share a home with the Connolly family in, appropriately enough, Leopardstown.

“We have one dog and two tortoises,” she says. “Six or seven turkeys, at least 10 rabbits (but they live in a sunken walled garden, so there could be more of them who just don’t come out), a couple of farmyard geese, some Canada geese and some other kind of new goose. A pile of farm ducks and chickens and some decorative waterfowl. About 20 pigeons. Doves, canaries and parakeets. Some quail – and a partridge.”

Besides this flock of assorted birds, the Connolly brood has also produced three officially ranked “gifted children” in the shape of Susan and her siblings. At the age of 13 she qualified for a top-level American university summer camp at Dublin City University, where she studied advanced-level mathematical theory. “It’s very embarrassing,” she insists. “Well, it is. And it was a long time ago.”

More recently, she was the top-ranked Irish speaker at the World Universities’ Debating Championship in Thailand. With a busy career in veterinary practice just around the corner, will she find the time to write another book?

"I'd love to write another book," she says. "There could be a sequel to Damsel. I know what would happen next. Another idea is about a vet for magical animals. What would you do for a unicorn with a broken leg – that kind of thing. Like James Herriott, but with dragons."

She’s also interested in young adult fiction and urban fantasy.

"I'm working on one of those set in Ireland as well," she says. "So hopefully one of those will pan out."