Artistic strokes in Ballybane Library

On Saturday 4th of July a mixed media exhibition by Mervue artist, Angela McManus, was launched in Ballybane library, by Councillor Terry O`Flaherty.
The exhibition includes different media such as silk, oil, water colour, parchment and crochet. Many of the paintings are already sold and this is a testament to the quality of Angela’s work. In fact, it’s impossible to walk beside the pictures without being amazed by the artist’s great talent.
The visitor will travel through a world made by bright and warm coloured flowers, against autumnal views, and women and Celtic figures. These subjects appear clearly because they are mostly put on the foreground and the contrast is achieved by the use of shaded backgrounds
During this art tour, you will probably be struck by the Pink Lady and her beautiful hat, her paleness contrasted by the dark pink background. Although her profile is imposing, you are transported back to the roaring 1920’s. This is one of the woman figures that the visitor can admire. Other female forms are women working in a potato field or nudes with shoulders and back on the foreground. We have noticed the absence of men; it’s all about the delicate strokes of the female universe.
Few steps forward, you can bump into The Vacant Chair. Now, the scenery is completely different. The roaring time leaves the place to the solitary chair, perhaps representing family and friends who are now departed. The chair is in a cold room.
The artist’s spirit is expressed also in the hand-working of copper, a sign of an eclectic soul. For this part of the exhibition, religion is the foremost topic: the Virgin Mary who holds the child in her arms or Bridget’s Cross. But, Angela doesn’t forget the place where she lives, Galway. The Claddagh Ring and a view from Salthill are represented as well, showing us how various her work is.
The walls of the library are now not only visited for the books on the shelves, but also for an other view: a local woman’s expression of freedom.

The writers of this review Jennifer Bignens and Paola Benassi are both students who are on an internship at Ballybane Librray. Jennifer is from Switzerland and Paola is from Italy.

Art Exhibition in Gort Public Library

An Art Exhibition featuring Local Artists is taking place in Gort Public Library
The launch takes place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 7th July.
The Exhibition runs throughout the month of July during library opening hours.
The library is located in the Old Church on Queen St.

2009 CILIP CARNEGIE/GREENAWAY WINNERS

Two years after her untimely death from breast cancer at the age of 47, Siobhan Dowd’s fourth and final novel, ‘Bog Child’, has been awarded the UK’s premier accolade for children’s writing: the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2009. The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children.
Dowd wrote her fourth and final novel ‘Bog Child’ in Spring 2007, completing it just as Waterstone’s named her one of only three children’s authors amongst their 25 ‘Great Writers of the Future’.
‘Bog Child’ is set in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. The story opens in 1981 close to the North-South border as teenager Fergus McCann makes an illicit raid to the South to gather peat with his uncle and discovers a child’s body buried in the bogs, perfectly preserved for 2000 years. The child’s history unfolds as Fergus struggles with the normal challenges of being a teenager: his driving test, ‘A’ levels, his ambition to study medicine and first love for the flighty Cora. But this is also a time of war in Northern Ireland and Fergus must deal with exceptional circumstances: his parents arguing over the Troubles, the mounting pressure on him to take sides in a raging sectarian conflict; and a brother on hunger strike in the Maze.

Inspired by a wild hare and her own large-ish feet, Edinburgh-based illustrator Catherine Rayner has won the 2009 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, the UK’s most prestigious award for children’s book illustration. The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annually for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people
Rayner wins the 2009 Medal for only her second published book, ‘Harris Finds His Feet’ in which Harris, a small hare with big feet goes out into the world with his Grandad, from whom he learns not only how to hop high into the sky and run very fast, but also about the joys of growing up and of independence.
‘Harris Finds His Feet’ was inspired by a real and magical encounter with a hare in the wild, and by the size 8 feet of its author: a childhood embarrassment Rayner strove to turn into a positive feature for Harris, and for her audience of young readers.

The Pied Piper comes to Woodford

On Friday morning 12th June, Simone Schummelfeder, a young and exciting storyteller from Hamburg in Germany came to the Library in Woodford and made a presentation to students (8 and 9 year olds) from the surrounding schools of Derryober, Drim and Woodford.
Simone first read the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and then she got the children to build a story themselves, helping them to understand such things as character, plot, action and how a story evolves.
Situated right in the heart of Woodford, the library is a space (shared with the Credit Union) which is alive, well-kept, and looks well. In this small town/village, anyone can come in and find the world, both through the stock of library books and materials, and through the various informal education events which are held here.
Opportunities for children in a rural area such as Woodford to engage with a young foreign story-teller/performer are few and far between. It is especially important for children from poorer families whose parents cannot afford to take them and pay to such events in larger centres of population.
That Friday morning event in Woodford, as well as helping to nurture literacy and literary skills, was surely a nourishing experience for each child’s imagination and creativity.
More importantly, as we all know from our own childhood experiences, the memory of an event like that in one’s local area will live, and be of consequence, in a child’s mind long into adulthood. For every child it is something special that books are alive and even magic is afoot in Woodford - a service that is more important than ever during the negativity of an economic downturn.

This event was part of this years Three Rivers Storytelling Festival which is now in its second year. The festival is midlands based and takes in the East Galway libraries of Ballinasloe, Portumna, Loughrea, Eyrecourt, Killimor and Woodford

“Surviving and Thriving in a Downturn” takes place in Tuam Library.

A Free Information Event open to all interested in accessing further training, education and other supports in Tuam on Thursday 25th June. Drop into Tuam Library between 2-6 pm for information and events from:
FÁS, Galway Rural Development, Galway County council, Galway County VEC, NUIG, GMIT, Skillnet, Gardai, Department of Social and Family Affairs, Health Service Executive, Money Advice and Budgeting Service, County Childcare Committee, Western Travellers, Tuam Resource Centre and Tuam Chamber of Commerce.

Exhibition about Galway Community Circus in City Library

A colourful show about the history of the Galway Community Circus was launched on Tuesday 9th of June in the City library. It will be on display until the 29th of june. Then it will move until the 17th of July to Westside Library. In August it will move on to exhibit in Ballybane Library.

The Galway Circus Project (An Sorcas Beag) have come together with a shared interest in circus skills and created a forum, since September 2002 in which individuals can share and pass on skills, develop teaching techniques and concepts. Our interest was to create a space where young people on differing social backgrounds can connect on neutral ground.
We are a non-profit organisation and all of our public classes operate on voluntary contributions.

In Stitches in Ballybane Library

This textile and art exhibition continues in Ballybane Library. It showcases works by GMIT third year degree students. These images are just a sample of the many fine pieces on view.

It continues until the 20th of June.