Harpist Kathleen Loughnane Lunchtime Concert in City Library

Poetry Reading with Patrick Deeley in Loughrea Library

Junot Diaz

Independent Foreign Fiction prize 2013

IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winner Gerbrand Bakker wins the £10,000 Independent Foreign Fiction prize 2013, with latest novel The Detour.

Dutch tale The Detour has been announced as the winner of the 2013 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, at an awards ceremony sponsored by Tattinger in London on 20th May 2013. Themes of infidelity, exile and isolation won over the judges of this year’s Prize to give the author his second major prize win. His previous novel The Twin won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Translator David Colmer will share the prize money with Bakker, in this unique award that recognises writer and translator equally.

The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize is awarded annually to the best work of contemporary fiction in translation. The Prize celebrates an exceptional work of fiction by a living author which has been translated into English from any other language and published in the United Kingdom in 2012. Uniquely, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize acknowledges both the writer and the translator equally, recognising the importance of the translator in their ability to bridge the gap between languages and cultures.

Contempo Quartet to perform in Tuam Library

The Enormity of the Tragedy by Quim Monzó

Joana Torres Tamarit has just arrived in Galway County Libraries on an EU Leonardo internship from Valencia in Spain.

We sometimes ask our interns the question: "What are the five books you think everyone should read?”

Joana has answered this question and one of the 5 books she recommends is The Enormity of the Tragedy by Quim Monzó.

Quim Monzó is the foremost Catalan writer of his generation (Joana, our intern, is a Catalan speaker) The Enormity of the Tragedy is regarded by many as his greatest work.

‘With an incomparable narrative rhythm, page after page multiplies and augments and surprises the imaginative capacity of the reader . . . Quim Monzó has managed to create a novel in which life and death are drawn with a untameable peculiarity. He has also achieved something more important: that the reader doesn’t despair and comes to trust blindly in the morality of high literature’ – El País 

The library currently does not have copies of this book. Please contact us if you are interesting in reading the work of Quim Monzó.

Afternoon Concert in Westside Library 22nd May

Taha Muhammad Ali

And so
it has taken me
all of sixty years
to understand
that water is the finest drink,
and bread the most delicious food,
and that art is worthless
unless it plants
a measure of splendor in people's hearts.


-Taha Muhammad Ali

Eurochild Workshops in Ballinasloe, Portumna & Tuam Libraries

Loughrea Library Coffee Morning

Islands in Poetry At Inishbofin Library

Europe Day Celebrations in Europe Direct, Ballinasloe Library

A selection of short films in English,Irish,German and French and produced by the Irish Film Institute entitled:"Euro-paens:celebrating Ireland and Europe in film",will be screened throughout the day at the Europe Direct Centre, Ballinasloe Library on May 9th next, which is Europe Day.

This compilation marks the Irish Presidency of the European Commission during the first 6 months of the current year.

Screenings are available throughout the day and may be pre-booked by groups by contacting the library at 0909643464 during library opening hours.

The Ballybane Library Blackbird (An Lon Dubh).

 ‘‘Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, deerit nihil.’’

(If you have a garden in a library, nothing is missing.)

So wrote Cicero.

In keeping with this library philosophy, earlier this spring a blackbird built its nest in the bushes in the grounds of Ballybane Library. The Blackbird and the young chicks did well and have now flown the nest.  Currently on display in Ballybane library is the blackbird's nest, some photographs of the young chick's in their nest and other books and documents about An Lon Dubh, the blackbird.

 It is said that Blackbirds symbolize reincarnation.

Of St.Kevin, an Irish 7th century Saint who loved wildlife, it is said that in the temple of the rock at Glendalough, St.Kevin was praying with his hand outstretched upwards when a blackbird flew down and laid her eggs in his palm. The story goes on to say that the saint remained still for as long as it took for the eggs to hatch and the brood to fly the nest.

Cúirt Kitchen Readings in Westside