Summer Reading Challenge in Tuam Library

This year 457 children took part in the Summer Reading Challenge in Tuam Library. 296 children completed the challenge and received their certificates on Saturday 13th September.


Due to the large numbers who completed the challenge, three end of summer parties took place with Mayor of Tuam Pete Warren and Town Councillor Tom Reilly presenting the certificates.

Each child received a ‘goodie’ bag and photos were taken for the local newspapers.

Town Councillor Tom Reilly made a speech about how important the library service was to the town. The library received lots of positive feedback and the day was enjoyed by all.

Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland presents the September Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, September 25th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Colette Bryce, Orla Higgins & Des Kavanagh.

Colette Bryce has published two poetry collections. Her first collection, The Heel of Bernadette (2000), won the Aldeburgh Prize for best first collection and the inaugural Eithne Strong award in Ireland. She was also awarded first prize in the 2003 National Poetry Competition. Her most recent work, a pamphlet, The Observations of Aleksandr Svetlov was published by Donut in 2007. Her third collection, Self-Portrait in the Dark, is forthcoming in September 2008. Bryce was born in Derry in 1970, and has lived in England, Spain and Scotland.

Orla Higgins lives in Galway, loves to travel and wants to be a writer when she grows up. She works as a Business & Communications Consultant, primarily with arts and non-profit organisations. She also lectures part-time at NUIG with both the Department of Marketing and the Huston School of Film. Her first love is fiction but she has recently collaborated on writing a play titled For Pete's Sake. She has been a serial attender of Susan DuMars’s creative writing classes and is now a student on the MA in Writing at NUIG.

Des Kavanagh hails originally from the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal. He has been writing for four years and is a regular participant in Kevin Higgins’s advanced Poetry Class at Galway Arts Centre. He also takes an active interest in folklore and local history and has chaired the McGlinchey Summer School in Inishowen for most of the past ten years. He recently co-edited the Irish language version of his father’s book, The Last of the Name. He has read his poetry at Westside Library and Clifden Arts Week.

A chance to win Encylopedia Brittanica prizes

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia and Encyclopaedia World Atlas

There are two copies of each book to be won; so, you have four chances to win.

To be in with a chance to win, answer the questions on the entry form and hand it in at
the circulation desk in your local Galway Library
The closing date is Friday, 31 October, 2008, and all correct answers will be entered
into a prize draw. The draw will take place at 6:00p.m., 6 November, 2008 at the library on Saint Augustine Street.

Visit Galway Libraries here, and select Encylopaedia Britannica.
You will be prompted for your library card number which is written on the back of your plastic library card. If you do not have a plastic library card please enquire at your local library. Please request a demonstration of this wonderful resource.

The prizes for this competition are kindly sponsored by Britannica. The answers are available from the online version of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and this resource is free to members of Galway Public Library.

Dance Library Collection in Galway City Library

Following the successful completion of her Galway Dance Residency, Tanya McCrory has initiated a Dance Library Collection in Galway City Library. The collection of over 80 dvds and books on Dance will be introduced and launched on Friday night September 19th at 6.30 pm.

So come discover videos and books from every Dance genre!
Settle in this winter with a cup of tea and one of the riviting biographies from Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Bariyshnikov and many more.
Or to stay active, check out one of the instructional videos in , Tap, Hip Hop, Foxtrot, Swing, Traditional Irish and Contemporay Dance,
If thats all to much for ya, just sit back and enjoy one of the classic musicals or dance documentaries.
There's a little something for everyone, and its all yours with your local library card... so enjoy... and see you on the dance floor.

A similar collection of books will be available in Tuam Library. The Tuam collection will be launched in October.

Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year' in Galway City Library

The Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2008 competition is open to both poets and fiction writers. The winner will receive a cash prize of €600, a spot as a Featured Reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading, and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2008. The runner-up will receive a cash prize of €300, while the third-placed writer will receive €100.

The short-list for the 2008 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year competition is as follows:

Megan Buckley, Galway
Fiona Clark Echlin, Tipperary
Denise Garvey, GalwayEamonn Harrigan, Galway
Brian Kirk, Dublin
Tom Lavelle, Galway
Wes Lee, New Zealand
Mary Madec, Galway
Donny Mahoney, Dublin
Alan McMonagle, Galway
Brendan Murphy, Galway
Mairin O'Grady, Kildare
Aiden O'Reilly, Dublin
Hans-Joachim Quade, Galway
Evelyn Walsh, Dublin

The winners will be announced by competion judge, Celeste Augé, at the Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library, Augustine Street on Thursday, September 25th, 6.30-8pm, when the Featured Readers will by Colette Bryce, Des Kavanagh & Orla Higgins. The reading is sponsored by Poetry Ireland.

Arts Week in Clifden Library

2008 will mark 31 years of the annual arts festival in the Connermara capital of Clifden, which has grown from a small community event in to one with a packed programme of events playing to an international audience. As part of the festival the following events will be taking place in Clifden Library.

18th September
Poetry reading by Jarlath Fahy
Poetry reading by Jarlath Fahy, whose book, The Man Who Was Haunted by Beautiful Smells was recently published by Wordsonthestreet Press. Admission: €5. 4:30pm

19th September
A Showcase Reading by Galway Arts Centre’s Advanced Poetry Workshop. (Facilitator Kevin Higgins). Readers will include Lorna O’ Shaughnessy, author of 'Torching the Brown River' , Mary Madoc, winner of the 2008 Hennessy Award for Poetry, Mary Mullen and Des Kavanagh. Admission: €5. 1:00pm

‘The Sea and the Shore’- Derek Mahon’s water music. Talk by Hugh Haughton, author of ‘The Poetry of Derek Mahon’. Dr Haughton is Professor of English and related Literature at the University of York and his previous books include 'The Letters of T.S.Eliot' , which he co-edited with Valerie Eliot. (Sponsored by Clifden Book Shop, thanks to Nicole and Maura) Admission: €5. 4:00pm

22nd September
Reading by poet Dr. Robyn Rowland. Music will be performed by Lynn Saoirse. Admission: €5. 1:00pm

Reading by poet Louis de Paor.
Reading by poet Louis de Paor. Louis is Director, Centre for Irish Studies, NUI Galway. His books include a study of narrative technique in the short fiction of Martin O’Cadhain and an anthology of 20th poetry in Irish co-edited with Sean O’Tuama. (Sponsored by John Stanley). Admission: €5. 4:30pm

23rd September
Reading by Letterfrack Writers’ Group. Admission: €5. 1:00pm

‘The Self Inventor’: talk on Michael Mac Liammoir by Des Lally , editor of Captivating Brightness, which has just been published. Admission: €5. 4:00pm

24th September
Guitar Recital: Redmond O’ Toole.
Through his unorthodox playing style and committed musicianship Redmond O’Toole has emerged as one of the most innovative and exciting young guitarists in Europe. He has been selected as the National Concert Hall’s ‘rising star’ for 2009. Admission €5 (Sponsored by AIB ) 1:00pm

Reading: 'Something About Mary'. Mary Banotti reads from her book about Irish women politicians. Mary was a distinguished public servant and Dublin MEP from 1984-2004. Admission: €5. 1:00pm

Reading by Pat O' Brien.
Reading: Poet and great friend of Arts Week Pat O’Brien. Admission: €5. 4:30pm

26th September
Book Launch: Captivating Brightness.-Ballynahinch, edited by Des Lally with Peter Fallon and John Fanning. Lunchtime readings with poet-in-residence Tony Curtis, Michael Coady and special guest poet and great friend of Arts Week Michael Gorman. (Thanks to Jim Savage and David Lilburn of Occasional Press and Patrick O’Flaherty of Ballynahinch Castle Hotel). Admission: €5. 1:00pm