Dublin City Libraries launched a Children’s Literacy Project in Croke Park in cooperation with the Dublin GAA County Board for 6th class children from schools in the Dublin City Council area.
Get Reading! Now that school is over you can still spark your imagination, join in activities and take part in our exciting Summer Stars challenge. This year you can do a marathon read, a sprint read or a read from your couch; if you would like to register for the Summer Stars reading challenge, contact your local library.
Playback: One Dublin One Book event The Anatomy of Crime
Author Andrew Hughes and State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers and Deputy State Pathologist Dr Jill Roman in conversation with novelist and journalist Conor Brady.
The section’s main aim is to go out into the community and let people know about all the amazing things available in their library, both in branch and online.
This spring children in Dublin are urged to keep their eyes peeled for mysterious aliens at their local library as Bumpfizzle – the Best on Planet Earth by Patricia Forde, has been chosen for the 2019 Citywide Reading Campaign for Children.Bumpfizzle is an alien, sent to Earth from Planet Plonk on a research mission. Or is he really just a ten-year-old boy who is feeling a bit disgruntled at all the attention his parents are lavishing on The Baby? It is up to readers to make up their own minds. The author, Patricia Forde, has published numerous books for children in English and in Irish, two plays, in addition to several television drama series for children and teenagers. She has worked as a writer on both English and Irish language soap operas. In another life, she was a primary school teacher and the artistic director of Galway Arts Festival.The illustrator Elīna Brasliņa is an illustrator from Riga, Latvia. She has illustrated fifteen titles to date, most of them picturebooks, children’s books and young adult novels. Her work has been nominated for many local awards as well as the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal. She has twice received the Zelta Abele Award for Book Design, as well as the Janis Baltvilks Baltic Sea Region Award (2017).This is the eighth year of the city wide reading initiative. Previous books selected for the Citywide Reading Campaign in previous years include; Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent by Alan Early, The Nightmare Club series featuring Annie Graves, The Powers by Kevin Stevens, Danger is Everywhere by David O’Doherty and Chris Judge, The Book of Learning by E.R. Murray, Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden and last year’s book was Making Millions by Erika McGann. The aim of the campaign is to encourage children to read for pleasure. There will be author visits to many Dublin City Council branch libraries as well as city-centre based events in bookshops, the National Library of Ireland and Dublin City Gallery – Hugh Lane. The campaign ends with fun events based on the book, as part of the St. Patrick’s Festival’s in Merrion Square. Copies of the book are available in all Dublin City Public Libraries as well as in all good bookshops. Dublin City Council Library stock can be borrowed from libraries nationwide.Key Events;• Author visits to Dublin City Public Library branches between January and March. Class visits booked locally at branch libraries.• Cabra Library, Navan Road, Dublin 7, Tuesday 29th January at 3.30pm (Booking Essential; [email protected] or ph. 8691414).• The National Library of Ireland, Kildare St, Dublin 2. Thursday 7th February at 10am (Booking required: Contact Bríd O’Sullivan [email protected])• Dublin City Gallery - The Hugh Lane, Charlemont House, Parnell Square North, Dublin 1 Saturday 16th March 11am-12pmAuthor Patricia Forde says: “I am delighted and very excited that Bumpfizzle The Best on Planet Earth is the 2019 Citywide Read. Bumpfizzle is an alien- which may attract some funny business from other planets - but I think Dublin children are up for that. I sincerely hope so. We may need heroes before this is over.”(Dublin City Public Library Staff, Patricia Forde and Kids at Launch)(Photo Credit Fennell Photography)You can download a Reading Guide to the book, suitable for teachers and parents at http://www.dublincityofliterature.ie/projects/citywide-read/The campaign is run by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and Dublin City Council Public Libraries, in partnership with Little Island Books, and is funded by Dublin City Council’s Public Library Service and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Dublin Festival of History returns for it's sixth year and takes place from the 24th September to 7th October. This year will see over 140 events across the city, with talks, walks, tours and exhibitions on a wide range of topics, including the historical impact of gaming, former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ time spent in Ireland, a queer history of Kilmainham Gaol, an evening of conversation and music with Christy Dignam, as well as numerous events marking 100 years of Irish women’s suffrage. All events are free.The Festival will culminate with a ‘Big Weekend’ series of talks at City Hall and the Printworks, Dublin Castle, taking place from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th October featuring many best-selling historians. Michael Palin will bring to life the history of the ship HMS Erebus, Anne Applebaum will discuss Stalin’s war on the Ukraine in the 1930s, while Helen Rappaport will shed new light on the murder of the Russian Imperial Family after the Bolshevik Revolution, 100 years after their death.Commenting on the launch of the full programme of events, Brendan Teeling, Dublin City Librarian, said: “The Dublin Festival of History has been growing year-on-year since we started in 2013 and we’re delighted to launch an expanded and diverse programme of events for this year’s Festival, all completely free of charge. We’re immensely proud of the diversity of topics, and we’re also really pleased that once again the Festival has achieved gender balance, in fact we have a majority of female speakers on our line-up this year. “History isn’t just for academics – whether you have an interest in fashion, gaming, GAA, maps or want to know more about the first wave of Irish feminism – we’ll have an event for you. We’d encourage everyone to check out our programme, come along to an event and learn something new.”If you have an interest in history you can’t miss this Festival and remember, all events are free!The Dublin Festival of History is brought to you by Dublin City Council and is organised by Dublin City Public Libraries.View the full programme at dublinfestivalofhistory.ie | Library-based Events | Dublin Festival of History programme (PDF, 6.32MB)
Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath Mícheál Mac Donncha, launches the 2018 Dublin: One City One Book programme of events today on the eve of International Women’s Day.The Long Gaze Back – An Anthology of Irish Women Writers edited by Sinéad Gleeson, joins a long list of illustrious titles as this year’s featured book in the Dublin: One City One Book Festival. As suggested by the title, this book is rooted in the present with emerging writers, while looking back to the flag bearers of Irish women’s writing.The month-long festival will feature dramatised readings, music, song and poetry, discussions with the featured authors, walking tours, talks on topics such as the tradition of women’s short fiction in Ireland, gender balance and anthologies, writing workshops, exhibitions and much more. Many of the events are free. Check out Dublin: One City, One Book events on in our libraries.The flagship event of this year’s festival is ‘Our Stories Ourselves’ an evening of music, readings and discussion in The Great Hall, Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Wednesday 25th April. Madeleine Keane will chair a discussion panel comprising Anne Enright, Lisa McInerney, Christine Dwyer Hickey and Sinéad Gleeson. Actor Cathy Belton will read excerpts from the book and critically-acclaimed musician and singer Lisa Hannigan will perform. This event is free but booking is essential at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/our-stories-ourselves-tickets-43606189286Speaking at the launch an tArdmhéara said “It is very fitting that this year’s book choice for the Dublin: One City One Book Festival is an anthology of Irish women writers. In the year in which we celebrate the centenary of the Suffragette movement, it is important to highlight women writers’ contribution to the arts, both historically and at the present time. The book spans four centuries of women’s writing and brings voices from Ireland’s past together with contemporary writers.”Sinéad Gleeson said: “I’m thrilled and delighted on behalf of the 30 writers, past and present, that The Long Gaze Back is this year’s Dublin: One City One Book choice. Anthologies are a platform for telling multiple stories and so many of the writers and their work included here are intrinsically connected to Dublin and its people. The book arose from a desire to amplify the voices of women who write, and being chosen for Dublin: One City One Book will help to introduce these talented writers to all kinds of new readers.”Dublin City Librarian Margaret Hayes added “This collection of stories embraces writers of the past, present and of the future, an anthology of diversity and talent. With themes universal and contemporary, and settings urban and rural, it includes some of our best writers in a genre much loved by the Irish reader and storyteller. Dublin City Libraries wishes to showcase the full catalogue of these women writers, many of whom will be well known to readers but others who may have slipped a little from view and who deserve to be looked at anew.”The Long Gaze Back, a collection of thirty stories from writers past and present, from the 18th Century to now is available to borrow from libraries and to buy in bookshops. Taken together, the collected works of these writers reveal an enrapturing, unnerving, and piercingly beautiful mosaic of a lively literary landscape. This year's Festival, which runs during the month of April, offers an opportunity for readers to engage with the book, and the city, through music, readings, walks and talks at various venues.Programme details are now available online. Pick up a copy of the printed programme of events in libraries and bookshops across Dublin.The Festival is organised by Dublin City Council’s Public Library Service. Dublin: One City One Book is supported by New Island Books, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and RTÉ Supporting The Arts.
The Dublin: One City One Book Programme Now Available!
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr, today launched the 2017 Dublin: One City One Book programme of events in Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street.Speaking at the launch the Lord Mayor said "I am delighted to be here this morning to launch the Dublin: One City One Book Festival and to announce Echoland by Joe Joyce as this year's book choice. Echoland brings the reader back to the Dublin of the 1940s and I know it will prove to be a popular choice with bookclubs and the City’s many readers. I hope people will engage with the many interesting events that take place during the month of April as part of this wonderful festival."Joe Joyce's novel Echoland, published by New Island Books, is the twelfth book to be featured as Dublin: One City One Book and joins a list of illustrious and interesting titles. Readers are brought back to experience life in Dublin during the Emergency of the 1940s. This year's Festival, which runs during the month of April, offers an opportunity for readers to engage with the book, and the city, through music, readings, walks and interviews at various venues.All events are free and details are now available online.Pictured at the launch of Dublin: One City, One Book 2017: Jackie Lynam, author Joe Joyce, Dublin City Librarian Margaret Hayes, Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr and Alison Lyons, Director Dublin UNESCO City of Literature. (click to enlarge)Joe Joyce commented: "I'm delighted and honoured that Echoland will be Dublin's One City One Book for 2017. The city is an integral part of the book, not just the backdrop to a spy story. As I was writing it, I was very conscious of the hardships and great dangers of the Emergency period, faced -- as always by Dubliners -- with resilience and wit."Dublin City Librarian Margaret Hayes added "Dublin: One City One Book 2017 will be the twelfth year of this annual programme. Echoland is set in the Dublin of 1940, expertly capturing the atmosphere of the city as its citizens cope with the challenges of the Emergency. It’s a brilliant opportunity for us to re-imagine our City as it was, while enjoying a thrilling read."Highlights of the programme include:Airman Michael J. Whelan will give tours of the Air Corps museum at Baldonnel, with a focus on aviation during World War II on Thursdays in April at 11:00amAuthors Sinéad Crowley, Andrew Hughes and Joe Joyce will talk about the challenges of writing fiction set in different time periods in a panel discussion entitled 'Writing Crime Fiction' in Dublin City Library & Archive on 25th April at 6:30pmAuthor and journalist Mary Kenny will appear at the Mansion House to discuss her book 'Germany Calling: A Personal Biography Of William Joyce, Lord Haw-Haw' on 12th April at 6:30pmProfessor of Contemporary Irish History Eunan O'Halpin will talk about Spies in 1940s Ireland at Dublin Castle's Chapel Royal on 10th April at 6:30pmThe Festival is organised by Dublin City Council’s Public Library Service.Dublin: One City One Book is supported by publishers New Island Books, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; RTÉ Supporting The Arts and Dublin Town.Hashtag: #1city1book
