Siobhan Peoples and Murty Ryan - the Leipzig Waltz

Siobhán Peoples and Murty Ryan play the Leipzig Waltz on TG4. Posted on Youtube on the 21st of March 2009 by Peter Corfield.

Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - Masters of Tradition USA Tour 2012

"Masters of Tradition USA Tour 2012. Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill." Posted on Youtube on the 18th of March 2013 by Matt Purcell.

Street Life (Shannon & Kilrush Youth Groups)

"A project run by Shannon and Kilrush Youth groups with John Lillis Music. Check it Out!" Posted on Youtube on the 20th of December 2012 by ClareYouthService.

Launch of Guinness world record attempt for the largest tin whistle ensemble (in Ennis)

"Guinness world record for the largest tin whistle ensemble to be held in Abbey Street car park, Ennis, on Friday the 21st June 2013." Posted on Youtube on the 26th of January 2013 by malbay1.

Quin - County Clare

"Although quite a small village, Quin, located about 15 minutes drive from Ennis, is home to a number of interesting tourist attractions and is certainly worth a visit.The River Rine offers fishing enthusiasts a year-round fishing opportunity while there are a number of historical attractions located in the vicinity of the village that are must-sees on your visit to County Clare." Posted on Youtube on the 7th of January 2013 by mydesinationvideo.

Harp at The Cliffs of Moher

Posted on Youtube on the 20th of March 2013 by pierre-charles martini.

Orange Prize 2013 longlist

Twenty novels have been longlisted for the Woman’s Fiction Prize for 2013, previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction. Novels by well established writers such as previous Orange prize winners Barbara Kingsolver and Zadie Smith have been nominated alongside six debut novels. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, which has already won the 2103 Man Booker Prize and The Costa Book of the Year awards, features on the list. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn’s thriller about a marriage gone terribly wrong, is a popular choice on the longlist having sold over two million copies to date. The shortlist will be announced on 16 April with the winner of the £30,000 prize announced on 5th June. Past winners have included Lionel Shriver, Marilynne Robinson, Téa Obreht and Madeline Miller, who won the Prize in 2012 with her novel The Song of Achilles. For further information see http://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/2013-prize/longlist

Clare Communities Urged To Show Pride of Place

Clare County Council is inviting local communities, projects and housing estates to participate in the “Pride of Place” competition 2013. Proposals are currently being invited from groups who wish to seek nomination to the annual all-island competition, which is run by Co-operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border. Clare was represented in last year’s Pride of Place by the Clare Sports Partnership and Cuimhneamh and Chláir. The County’s last success in the competition came in 2011 when the Clare Crusaders Children's Clinic received an award under the Community Health Initiative category. If nominated by Clare County Council to compete in the all-island competition, judging for ‘Pride of Place 2013’ will take place between June, July or August. Community group winners, runners up and special award recipients receive a trophy and small monetary prize at a special awards ceremony, in Derry next November. “Pride of Place aims to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that communities make to society along with generating awareness, respect and inclusion for every facet of society,” explained Nicola Cullinan, Pride of Place Coordinator in Clare. Ms. Cullinan added: “In Clare, we have a wealth of community focused groups and projects that provide services in keeping with the aims and objectives of Pride of Place. Participating local communities have benefited greatly from their experiences as the competition has provided them with an excellent opportunity to highlight the elements of their areas that they have civic pride in, and gave them a platform to showcase the work they are doing on a continual basis.” Clare County Council may nominate one group only per category, providing the total number nominated does not exceed five. The nine categories include Tourism Diaspora Project, Enterprise and Youth, Community Arts, Housing Estates, (Theme Categories), up to 200 people, between 200-500 people, between 500-1000 people, between 1000-2000 people, and in excess of 2,000 (Population Categories). Population Categories will be assessed on Community Participation, Impact on Community / Area and Overall impression. Themed Categories will be judged on Impact on Community, Innovation, Sustainability, Local Leadership, Management and Overall impression. Meanwhile, expressions of interest relating to the Housing Estates category will be assessed on Community Participation, Provision for the vulnerable, Level of engagement, Impact on Community, Community events and Overall Impression. Groups interested in being considered for nomination are asked to submit a written expression of interest, detailing their preferred Category with a typed A4 summary setting out their proposal to Nicola Cullinan, Pride of Place Coordinator, Tourism & Community Development Department, Clare County Council, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare. Further information on the all-island competition is available at prideofplace.cooperationireland.org. Closing date for receipt of proposals is 4.00pm on Thursday, 28th March 2013. Pride of Place was first piloted in the summer of 2003 and came from the Local Authority All-Island Steering Forum - a forum that encourages strategic, sustainable approaches to cross border co-operation.

National Famine Commemoration in Kilrush

Kilrush, County Clare, and its environs were among the areas worst hit by the Great Irish Famine between 1845 and the early 1850s. In the 1840s, half a century before the introduction of Local Authorities, most local government and local taxation were devolved to the level of the Poor Law Union and placed in the hands of the local Boards of Guardians. In the Kilrush Union, which originally stretched all the way from Loop Head in the west to Quilty in the north to Killadysert in the east, the unpaid Guardians lost control of the situation during the famine. In November 1847, Captain Arthur Kennedy was appointed in an advisory capacity as Poor Law Inspector for Kilrush, where he remained until September 1850. His detailed reports documented the further deterioration of the situation, and the Guardians were stripped of their powers, which were transferred between April 1848 and November 1849 to two paid Vice-Guardians. Between December 1849 and February 1850, the Illustrated London News carried a lengthy seven-part series entitled Condition of Ireland: Illustrations of the New Poor-Law, illustrated by a total of eighteen sketches. The series and the sketches concentrated on the Poor Law Union of Kilrush, where the effects of famine were particularly harshly felt. These eighteen contemporary sketches are today by far the best recognised images of famine conditions in Ireland. Some or all of them have been reproduced in almost every general work on the Famine. The 2013 National Famine Commemoration will take place on Sunday 12th May on Frances Street in Kilrush. A full ten-day programme of events leading up to the National Famine Commemoration will begin on Friday 3rd May, including a series of lectures, walks, tours, re-enactments, theatre, music, exhibitions and local commemoration ceremonies. These events recall the impact of the Great Famine on the people and the landscape of the Kilrush Poor Law Union. There will be no cover charge for any of the events listed in this programme. Donation boxes for charities currently fighting famine around the world will be located at some venues.

Brochure of events...

Links:
Kilrush Union Minute Books 1849
Deaths and Staff in Kilrush and Ennistymon Workhouses 1850-51
Reports and Returns Relating to Evictions in the Kilrush Union (1847-1849)
The Famine in Clare from the Illustrated London News, 1849-50
Poverty before the Famine (examines Kilkee)

Poetry Slam in Scariff Library

Teen Week 2013 in Scariff Public Library ended on a high note with a session from poet Stephen Murray. Students from Scariff Community College were inspired in a highly interactive workshop to turn out poetry that Stephen classed as ‘outstanding and gorgeous’. Stephen engaged brilliantly with the group in a session that saw their confidence in producing poetry increase so much so, that by the end of the session many students had no problem in reading their poetry aloud. Other well attended events during the week included a careers workshop, a music workshop and a talk on the traditional buildings of Clare. Scariff Library’s teenage bookclub, whose numbers continue to grow, also met during the week to talk about their chosen book of the month.

Our daily bread: food and drink in medieval Irish monasteries

The North Clare Historical Society presents a lecture by Colmán Ó Clabaigh OSB, at 8pm on Tuesday 26th March 2013 in the Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon. Colmán Ó Clabaigh is a Benedictine monk of Glenstal Abbey, County Limerick and a specialist in the history of monastic and religious orders in medieval Ireland. His publications include works on medieval Irish Benedictine monks, Franciscan friars, hermits and anchorites, Augustinian Canons, Nuns and the Knights Templars and Hospitallers. His most recent publication, The Friars in Ireland, 1224-1540, was published in April, 2012. He is currently researching a chapter on the Church in Medieval Ireland for inclusion in the forthcoming three-volume Cambridge History of Ireland. His talk 'Our daily bread: food and drink in medieval Irish monasteries' will explore the manner in which religious produced and consumed food in late medieval Ireland.

Careers for Teens – Shannon Library

Greg McGough from the Worksmart Project welcomed a transition Year group of 24 students from St. Patrick's Comprehensive School to Seán Lemass Public Library, Shannon, on Wednesday 20th March. Greg had the students on their feet immediately and encouraged them to shout as loud as they could because, as he said, they might never get to shout as loudly in a library again! When the group were seated again and wide awake after his ice-breaking exercise, Greg then went on to speak for over 90 minutes about how students can maximise their potential in school, college and in the workplace. Greg explained the 'Maverick' method of self-assessment that makes up the basis of the Worksmart Project and made his way through the different elements of the system including Motivation, Assessment, Visualise, Educate, Re-assess, Investigate, Cost vs Gain, Know Yourself. He had lots of excellent advice about making college and career choices and advised the group on the best ways to present themselves on a CV and in an interview situation. Greg delivered the Worksmart Project with a real honesty and enthusiasm and the students listened intently throughout. The talk was perfectly pitched at the Transition Year age-group and their stage at the cusp of the junior and senior cycles. Students, teachers and library staff were very impressed with the event.

Teen Week in Shannon

Teen Week 2013 got under way in Shannon and Scariff Libraries on the week of the 19th of March. 50 students from St. Patrick's Comprehensive School attended Seán Lemass Public Library in Shannon on day one of the programme along with their teacher Mike Scanlon to hear Clare County Council's architectural conservation officer Risteard Ua Cróinín’s presentation on the importance of conserving our traditional buildings. The group included Transition Year and Construction Studies students. Risteard’s informative talk was supplemented by a slide show which demonstrated the quality of the building techniques employed years ago. He offered some very practical advice on how traditional structures might be protected and welcomed questions from the audience. It was apparent to all attending that Dick has a huge depth of knowledge in the area of planning, conservation and local history.

Claire Welcoming Claires to County Clare

"Claire Daly welcoming Claires to County Clare, Ireland, - dancing her way through County Clare in preparation for the "Welcoming Claire to County Clare" Guinness world record attempt on June 23rd 2013 in County Clare, Ireland." Presented by The Clare Volunteer Centre. Posted on Youtube on the 20th of March 2013 by malbay1. https://www.facebook.com/WelcomingClairetoClare

Sharon Shannon - Sandy River Belle Live at Dolans

Sharon Shannon and her band live at Dolans, Limerick. Posted on Youtube on the 20th of February 2013 by Sharon Shannon.

Tulla Pipe Band, St. Patrick's Day 2013

"Tulla pipe band leading the parade on St. Patrick's Day 2013 in Tulla." Posted on Youtube on the 20th of March 2013 by Ruth Byrnes.

Killaloe and Mountshannon - County Clare

"Few towns can claim to be the home of a king, but Killaloe was the home of the last high king of Ireland - Brian Boru. The magnificent River Shannon runs to the right of the town separating it from its twin village of Ballina in County Tipperary." Posted on Youtube on the 7th of January 2013 by mydesinationvideo.

Colorado State University Marching Band sings at Cliffs of Moher

"The CSU Marching Band sings the school song at the legendary Cliffs of Moher during its visit to Ireland to perform in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin." Posted on Youtube on the 19th of March 2013 by CSUliveProductions.

Ré Ó Laighléis in Shannon Library for Seachtain Na Gaeilge

The author Ré Ó Laighléis visited Seán Lemass Public Library in Shannon on Friday 15th March and entertained 2nd Year students from both St. Patrick’s Comprehensive School and St. Caimin’s Community School. Ré spoke with the students for well over an hour on such diverse subjects as publishing, creative writing, bullying and speaking Irish. Ré encouraged the students to try to use their ‘cúpla focail’ every day even in a very small way and not just during Seachtain na Gaeilge. He gave examples where the teenagers could practise their Irish and explained that almost everyone has even a few words. Ré also spoke about the books he has written and read from one of his novels. He explained that although his books were written primarily in Irish, they have still been very successful throughout the world, have been translated into many languages and have won many prestigious awards including the Bisto Book of the Year award. Ré encouraged the students to put pen to paper by telling them about the recently published book ‘Flying the Banner’ a collection of short stories written by their fellow students in St. Patrick’s and St. Caimin’s schools. ‘Flying the Banner’ was compiled and edited by Ré himself and he was full of praise for the talent of the young writers involved. The students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed Ré’s visit to Shannon library and were really taken by Ré’s enthusiasm for the Irish language and for creative writing.

Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations in Scariff Library

Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations in Scariff Public Library came to a dramatic close with a drama workshop facilitated by Emer Ní Fhlaitheartaigh. 5th and 6th class pupils from Scariff national school had great fun performing a variety of drama exercises as gaeilge. Earlier in the week Whitegate national school took part in a lively and interactive storytime session as gaeilge with Clare County Library staff member Seamus Ryan.

World Book Day and Seachtain na Gaeilge in Kildysart Library

Kildysart Public Library has been a hive of activity in recent weeks with visits from local schools who joined in the World Book Day and Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations at the branch. Cranny and Labasheeda National Schools enjoyed what Branch Librarian Margaret. Sheehan described as “a lovely relaxed and friendly art session under the professional guidance of artist Alan Shoosmith” on World Book Day the 7th of March. It was an ideal opportunity for children and teachers from neighbouring schools to get together for a reading related activity. Both the children and teachers greatly enjoyed the session and complimented the library on organizing it.

On Tuesday 12th March Teresa Carmody O’Shea, Library Staff Officer, entertained the children of 1st class from Kildysart National School with her scéalaíocht do dhaoine óga repertoire. Teresa’s storytimes celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge in Kilmihil, Kildysart, Kilrush and Kilkee libraries included lots of fun, learning and using the Irish language while promoting the library’s resources. Her sessions were much appreciated and enjoyed by a lively bunch of seven year olds and their teachers alike in all four libraries.

‘Continuum’, in the Gallery at Scariff Library

Erato, the Wood-Nymph Dryad is an arresting sculpture that is part of the current exhibition, ‘Continuum’, in The Gallery at Scariff Public Library. Patsy Preston, the artist, used tree-bark, shells, hemp rope and other found items in the making of the impressive figure. Patsy says “I like to play with materials and surface… to create a dialogue between the natural world, the viewer, and energy and pattern that exist in realms unseen.” Continuum is a group exhibition by thirteen recent art college graduates. The show displays work from their student days to the present. The works explore the reflective changes as they try to forge their own paths as artists outside of the influence and institution of college. The exhibition runs until April 2nd so come along to get a glimpse of this beautiful sculpture and the paintings at the library.

Scariff Library book clubs

Scariff Public Library's morning book club is only a few months old but already they have had their first evening outing to the Ennis Book Club Festival. They read Star of the Sea in advance of the special Giant Book Club Gathering hosted by author Joseph O'Connor. It was a great night out and some members got to speak to Joseph when he signed their copies of the book. It was lovely to meet other book clubs and take part in the discussion and they will definitely be back in 2014! They meet on the second Friday of every month at 11am in the library and look forward to welcoming new members. It's a great way to meet new people too!

The teen book club in Scariff Public Library is looking forward to their special book club meeting for Teen Week on March 19th at 6pm. They will be talking about The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. The teens love having their own book club and are excited about their new project compiling a list of teen picks for Clare County Library. They will recommend good reads and a "teen pick" sticker will be placed on the selected novels in all branches. A great way for teens to let other teens know about a book they loved!

The Gathering Song - Socks In The Frying Pan

"Songwriter and Ennis native Peter Keane penned 'The Gathering' in 1999 following years spent playing the vibrant music scene in New York and Boston. The song reflects an emigrant's absence from his homeland and looking forward to a home-coming in Ireland. His ambition was always to professionally produce the song and make it available to a wider audience. In mid 2012 Peter approached the Gathering Clare 2013 Steering Group for support and advice. The Steering Group instantly connected with the song and adopted it as one of its major initiatives for the Gathering 2013 year. The song is a celebration of Clare people all over the world and reinforces the fact that County Clare is the undisputed home of traditional music. Emerging young local group Socks in the Frying Pan was selected as the group to perform the song. With their recently released debut album and a growing popularity both at home and abroad the group led by vocalist Aodán Coyne gave the song their own interpretation including harmonies and instrumentation from brothers Shane and Fiachra Hayes." Posted on Youtube on the 10th of March 2013 by Paul Byrne.

The Tulla Céilí Band in Mill Marquee, 2009

"The Tulla Céilí Band in Mill Marquee, during the Willie Clancy Summer School, 2009,in Miltown Malbay." Posted on the 16th of August 2009 by Bile3.

Lou McMahon - 'Summer on the Moon', live at Cultúrlann Sweeney, Kilkee

"Lou McMahon live at Cultúrlann Sweeney, Kilkee, County Clare, March 2013." Posted on Youtube on the 6th of March 2013 by Lou McMahon.

Kilrush... Just a Glimpse

"A few clips that were caught in Kilrush during 2012." Posted on Youtube on the 21st of February 2013 by Neil Hynes.

Welcome to East Clare

"East Clare is dotted with lakes and rivers. A perfect destination for visitors of all kinds. There is something for everyone to do. Life seems to slow down around here and history and culture abound!" Posted on Youtube on the 4th of March 2013 by clare virtually.

How Google Search Works

"The life span of a Google query is less then 1/2 second, and involves quite a few steps before you see the most relevant results. Here's how it all works." See also the Google search graphic. Posted on Youtube on the 4th of March 2010 by Google.

Seachtain na Gaeilge at Miltown Malbay library

To celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge 10 children from Gaelscoil Magh visited the  Dr. Patrick J. Hillery Public Library in Miltown Malbay on Wednesday March 13^th for storytime ‘as gaeilge’.  Staff member Seamus Ryan from deValera library in Ennis entertained the children from 1^st and 2^nd classes with three different stories.  The children were very eager to use their gaeilge and were more than willing to interact with Seamus throughout.  They received gifts of balloons and stickers from staff before leaving the library.

Clare County Library’s Teen Week 2013

Teen Week 2013 will be celebrated by Clare County Library from the 19th to the 22nd of March in Scariff and Shannon branch libraries. Now in its third year, its underlying aim is one of raising awareness of reading, art and culture among teenagers in County Clare while providing an opportunity for staff to welcome young adults to libraries during a week which particularly focuses on their particular interests. The programme is supported by teachers and pupils from local second level schools who appreciate the scheduling of a week-long festival on their doorstep. Both libraries offer a varied programme including music, book clubs, poetry, local history and archaeology and a careers choice workshop that promises to deliver all you need to know about moving on from 2nd level education.

Ciaran Collins will facilitate a two-hour music workshop in both libraries during the week giving an overview of music creation and production. Young music lovers are guaranteed to come away with useful tips on songwriting, how to record a demo and even information on how to make their pitch with recording companies. Workshop participants will have access to acoustic, electric and bass guitars, a drum machine and digitech console and much more, with the ultimate aim being to create their own track by the end
of the session.

Thinking of Careers is a ninety minute workshop tailored to help Senior Cycle students make educated career choices. Discussion will cover CV building, interview preparation, personal and aptitudinal assessment, target-setting and advice on relevant work experience. Course facilitator Greg McGeogh will deliver all the advice necessary for young people to make informed decisions about their future on leaving second level education.

Architectural conservation officer with Clare County Council, Risteard Ua Cróinín will deliver a presentation to students on The Importance of our Traditional Buildings. Risteard’s work includes responsibility for the built environment of the county. He has a wealth of archaeological and architectural knowledge to share with students who are interested in where they live in County Clare.

Stephen Murray was born in Ireland in 1974 and moved to London in 1975. As a teenager, he was twice a runner-up in the W.H. Smith Young Writer of the Year Awards. In 2005 he was crowned Cúirt Grand Slam Champion and he has performed his work as guest reader at many of the world’s most famous poetry venues. He currently lives and writes in Galway where he works as director of Inspireland, teaching poetry and creative
writing to young people across the country. House of Bees is his debut collection.
His poetry slam for teenagers is guaranteed to be a hit with Scariff Community College students who’ve already booked their places.

World Book Day in Scariff Public Library

Fresh from World Book Day celebrations in their school, 2nd and 3rd classes from Scariff National School took part in an art workshop with artist Alan Shoosmith in Scariff Public Library. Dressed as characters from their favourite books, including a very impressive tin man from the The Wizard of Oz, the classes took their inspiration from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books to produce a very colourful display. Quizzes, storytimes and readings were the order of the day for two local national schools, Ogonelloe and Mountshannon, when Scariff library staff members Aileen McDonagh and Samantha Morrissey visited to celebrate World Book Day.

The Burren - time lapse sequences by David Hunt

"The Burren is a karst landscape region in north-west Co. Clare in Ireland. It is one of the largest karst regions in Europe. I have been photographing The Burren over the last 5 years, and recently got into time lapse photography. The Burren was an obvious place for me to do this first video. There's a detailed HOWTO available on how I did this, including construction details on the rail, motor controller in the form of a Raspberry Pi computer, and some info on a DIY dew heater to keep condensation off the lens during cold shoots at http://davidhunt.ie/?p=2822." Posted on Youtube on the 27th of February 2013 by Dave Hunt.

Set of reels with John Joe Tuttle and friends

"Classic set of reels played by Eoin O'Neill, Joan Hanrahan, BrÍd O'Gorman, Dympna O'Sullivan and John Joe Tuttle during John Joe's Life Time Achievement Celebration in Corofin, Co. Clare, 27th of February, 2013." Posted on Youtube on the 28th of February 2013 by Thierry Masure.

Eoin O'Neill, Quentin Cooper, Maeve Kearse and Lorraine O'Brien in Brogans, Ennis

"Eoin O'Neill (bouzouki), Quentin Cooper (fiddle), Maeve Kearse (fiddle) and Lorraine O'Brien (concertina). Filmed as part of the TG4 Geanntrai series in Brogans, Ennis, Co. Clare." Posted on Youtube on the 25th of October 2012 by Willie Cummins.

North Clare - County Clare

"North County Clare is predominately characterised by the unique limestone landscape of The Burren. Standing amongst the exposed stone are megalithic tombs and monuments that are older than the pyramids of Egypt. The local flora and fauna take advantage of the tranquil backdrop of mountains and valleys and winding streams. This part of Clare is like no other and is unique in its scenery and heritage." Posted on Youtube on the 7th of January 2013 by mydestinationvideo.

Pink Ribbon Walk in Killaloe

"A short presentation showing the Pink Ribbon Walk that is held each year in Killaloe, County Clare." Posted on Youtube on the 27th of 2013 by Rebecca Lloyd.

Mol An Óige school fund launch day

A montage of photographs from the launch day (March 1st 2013) of the Mol An Óige school, Ennistymon, fund raising project. Posted on Youtube on the 4th of March 2013 by BuildMolAnOige.

Polish choir at Clare Museum

Jakub Kacprzak (centre), a Polish national and FÁS Job-bridge intern at the Clare Museum, gives a guided tour in his native language to a Polish church choir group visiting the museum recently. The choir was in the mid-west for a few days, combining sight-seeing at the Cliffs of Moher, Clare Museum and other attractions with singing at several Polish masses over the weekend in Ennis and Limerick.

Adult Literacy Book Club at Scariff Library

Scariff Public Library, in conjunction with Scariff VEC and Scariff Brothers of Charity, has been successfully running an Adult Literacy Book Club at Scariff Library for the past year. It is the only such group in Clare and has grown in numbers since its initial launch, and is now facilitating 14 students. A wide range of subjects is covered each week from reading to comprehension, writing and creativity, and the meetings are also an important social outlet for many of the members. The group meets for two hours every Wednesday and enjoys learning in a relaxed comfortable environment. Over the past two months, members have put together an art project with the help of artist Nicola Barnes. The idea for the piece came from class discussions on ways that learners themselves could become involved locally in celebrating Adult Learners Festival. Collectively they have produced a piece of artwork which reflects their own experiences of learning and which they hope will inspire others to get involved. The art piece was unveiled by Siobhan Mulcahy, Clare Arts Officer, at Scariff Library on Wednesday 27th February and will be on display for the remainder of the Adult learners Festival. Photo shows Aileen McDonagh (Senior Library Assistant, Scariff Public Library), Mary Mullane (Adult Literacy co-ordinator with the VEC in Scariff), Siobhan Mulcahy and participants in the project.

World Book Day – 7th March

Over the last 16 years World Book Day has become firmly established as one of Ireland’s biggest events promoting the enjoyment of books and reading. The 7th of March 2013 is World Book Day and artists Alan Shoosmith and Krystyna Pomeroy will facilitate workshops to promote reading in a fun way for young book lovers on different days in five branch libraries. National School classes and their teachers are invited to come along to some of Clare’s branch libraries dressed as their favourite book characters, which they will re-create on paper under the professional advice of two of Clare’s best-known artists.

Seachtain na Gaeilge

Is féile idirnáisiúnta Ghaeilge í Seachtain na Gaeilge, atá ar an gceiliúradh is mó dár dteanga agus dár gcultúr dúchais a bhíonn ar siúl in Éirinn agus in go leor tíortha eile gach bliain. Reáchtálfar féile na bliana seo chugainn ón 4 – 17 Márta 2013. Tugann an fhéile deis go gach uile dhuine sult a bhaint as an nGaeilge, idir chainteoirí dúchais, fhoghlaimeoirí agus lucht an chúpla focal araon, trí fhéilire imeachtaí siamsúla agus spraíúla a chur ar fáil do gach cineál suime agus gach aoisghrúpa. Between the 4th and the 17th of March both primary and post primary schools will have an opportunity to attend at least one event in their local library to take part in this national celebration of the Irish language. Library staff Seamus Ryan and Teresa Carmody O’Shea will host scéalaíocht do dhaoine óga in most of our libraries. Newly published author Maeve Tynan will visit Shannon and Sixmilebridge libraries to introduce her book Ar Shiúil leis na Daoine Maithe to 1st and 2nd classes from nearby schools and Ré Ó Laighléis, award-winning author, whose books have been translated into several languages, will be in Ennis and Shannon libraries during Seachtain na Gaeilge to discuss his writing for teenagers with Secondary School students.

Engineers Week

Clare County Library’s March programme for children and teenagers sees a number of  local and national festivals being celebrated once again through its branch network in the county. Engineers Week ran from Monday 25th February to Saturday 2nd March 2013 and this year’s chosen theme was ‘Bringing Dreams to Life’.  The Week is run annually by Engineers Ireland and is a vital platform to celebrate engineering as a career and to recognise the importance of the profession in Ireland. The aim of the week is to create a positive awareness and spark enthusiasm about the engineering profession to people of various ages with little or no engineering background. Engineers Irelands’ STEPS programme was established in 2000 to encourage primary and post-primary students to explore the world of science and engineering and with this in mind Clare County Library are taking part during the month of February.  Presentations for Secondary School students took place in Shannon and Ennis Libraries. On Monday Feb 25th of February Rob Stephen met with students from local Secondary Schools in Shannon Library. Currently employed at Piercom Limited, Shannon, County Clare, Rob talked about the incredibly various options or fields of engineering and about his own experience working as an engineer. Rob has worked in Agricultural Science, travelled & worked in Africa, and is currently working in IT.  On Tuesday the 26th February, deValera Library, Ennis, hosted a talk for Senior Cycle Students delivered by Alan Morrissey, engineer at Ennis Town Council. Alan’s presentation to students of Ennis Community College and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir covered a general introduction to engineering including environmental engineering and the importance of maths in the profession. Photo above shows Alan with some of the students from Gaelcholáiste an Chláir and Ennis Community College who attended his talk at deValera Library.