The fifth annual Library Ireland Week, celebrating libraries and librarians across the country, takes place this year from 2nd – 7th March, and Clare County Library will again host a range of events to mark the occasion. Library Ireland Week is orchestrated by the Library Association of Ireland and encompasses all kinds of libraries from public to academic to educational. It is an opportunity for libraries and information services to highlight their work by holding public events which celebrate their continuing successes, particularly in these difficult times.
This year Clare libraries will host a series of readings from works by Clare authors. The readings for adults will be performed by Eleanor Feely, actor, dancer and writer. Eleanor has performed on stage and screen both in Ireland and abroad, and has recently worked on several community-based projects with both the Clare Arts Office and Clare County Library. Eleanor will visit libraries in Kilkee, Ennis, Ennistymon and Sixmilebridge on the following dates - Kilkee on Monday 2nd March at 3.00 pm, DeValera Library, Ennis at 7.00 pm. on Tuesday 3rd, Ennistymon on Wednesday 4th at 3.00 pm and Sixmilebridge on Thursday 5th March.
A representative grouping from the Clare Three-legged Stool poets have joined with the library service to host poetry readings at 6.30 pm in the following libraries – Shannon on Tuesday 3rd, Kilrush on Wednesday 4th and Scariff on Thursday 5th. The Clare Three-legged Stool Poets was founded in 2003 with the aim of providing poets from the North, West, and East of Clare (its “three halves”) with an outlet to celebrate the diverse aspects of the County. Entry to all events is free and all are welcome.
Coinciding with Library Ireland Week is World Book Day, which takes place this year on Thursday 5th March in Ireland and the UK. This UNESCO designated day is a worldwide celebration of books and reading and is a partnership of libraries, publishers, booksellers and other interested parties who come together to promote the value of books for the betterment and enrichment of all. World Book Day will be celebrated in Clare in a variety of events. A Poetry Competition for Primary & Post-Primary school students will take place and budding young poets are invited to write a poem on the subject of their choice. Eighty poems will be selected by competition judge Terry McDonagh, an acclaimed Irish poet and dramatist. The finalists will be invited to attend a reception at De Valera Library, Ennis, on World Book Day, Thursday 5th March at 8.00 pm. Here the young poets will have an opportunity to share their winning poem with a live audience, and all winning entries will be published by Clare County Library. On World Book Day a school in Miltown Malbay, who are already involved in the WOW Reading Challenge at the library, will bring their reading logs with them to the library and read as many books as possible in a type of marathon reading session. A similar event will take place at Killaloe library. Children from Tulla Playgroup will celebrate World Book Day with "Storytime” at Tulla library at 9.45am. This will be suitable for children ages 3 to 5. Children’s events are also planned at Newmarket-on-Fergus library. Readings for adults by Eleanor Feely will take place on World Book Day at Sixmilebridge library at 3.00 pm, while a group from the Clare Three-legged Stool Poets will read in Scariff library at 6.30 pm. Free book marks and activity sheets for children will be available in all libraries in Clare on World Book Day. On the same day, Clare County Library will provide information on its wide variety of services at an Information Point in the Dunnes Stores Shopping Mall in Ennis.
Also coinciding with Library Ireland Week is Seachtain na Gaeilge, 2nd - 17th March, an international celebration of the Irish language with the emphasis on fun and participation. Every public library branch in Clare will host an event to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge, including storytime as Gaeilge for the very young, and author visits for older students. Writer Esther Göbl Uí Nualláin will read from her book ‘Eachtraí Uchtaigh’ - a collection of stories for children - as well as discussing the background to her stories and some of the writing techniques she uses. And aspiring young author Meadhbh Ní Eadhra – already twice published – will meet with post-primary school students at a number of library venues to discuss her work and to promote reading and writing in young people.
Finishing off the week, the Ennis Book Club Festival runs from 6th – 8th March, bigger and better than ever. Clare County Library is proud to be associated with this annual literary and social gathering for readers everywhere. It’s a great place to meet authors, discuss books and pick up useful tips on reading material. Among the host of authors attending this year are John Boyne, Jennifer Johnston, Salley Vickers, Kevin Myers, Mark O’Halloran, Gerry Adams, Gerard Stembridge and many more.
All in all, an extremely busy time in Clare libraries – come along and join in the fun.
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