Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Mayor to Launch For the Record, the Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils

Cllr. Liam Carroll, Mayor of Galway County, is to launch For the Record, The Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils, a Guide to the Collections held by Galway County Council Archives in Áras an Chontae on 1 May 2014 at 5.30 pm. The guide has been produced by the Archives as an action of the County of Galway Decade of Commemorations Strategy 2013-2023. All are welcome to this event.

Dr Mary Clancy, historian and author attached to NUI Galway, will also give what promises to be an enlightening and interesting talk on the role, functions and attitudes of the Rural District Councils.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Galway Libraries shortlisted nomination for 2014 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

The International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award is presented annually for a novel written in English or translated into English. The award is an initiative of Dublin City Council, the municipal government of Dublin, in partnership with IMPAC, with the objective of promoting excellence in world literature. Nominations are submitted by library systems in major cities throughout the world.

The nomination process for the Award is unique as nominations are made by libraries in capital and major cities throughout the world. Participating libraries can nominate up to three novels each year for the Award. Over 400 library systems in 177 countries worldwide were invited to nominate books for the 2014 award.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Liam & Tom O’Flaherty Society - Galway City Library

Liam & Tom O’Flaherty Society - 
THE INVENTION OF LIAM O’FLAHERTY AND LAUNCHING AN UNKNOWN O’FLAHERTY SATIRE. ‘A Cure for Unemployment’

Thursday, 24 April, 6 – 8 p.m. in Galway City Library.
Free. All welcome

It took a person of courage and understanding to ‘discover’ the forsaken Irish writers in England. One such person, and a key agent in the case of Liam O’Flaherty, was Edward Garnett.

The speaker, Dr Frank Shovlin, is an expert on the subject. He is Senior Lecturer of Irish Literature in English at the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool and will give an entertaining and informative, illustrated talk on Edward Garnett and Liam O’Flaherty in England.

In the context of O’Flaherty as a writer in London, the Society is launching, at this event, a hitherto completely unknown satirical text by O’Flaherty – ‘A Cure for Unemployment’. This text is published as one of three satirical texts in the Swiftian mode – one of these is by Swift himself: ‘A Modest Proposal’, a modern take on it by Tomás Mac Síomóin, ‘An Immodest Proposal’ and Liam O’Flaherty’s.
This publication will be launched, quite appropriately, by Terry McDonough, Professor of Economics at NUI Galway.

Friday, April 11, 2014

French Literature in Galway City Library



Did you know that Galway City Library has a collection of French literature books?
They can be found in the adult literature section and you can also find some books in the juvenile section.

There are books in French,  French authors translated into English and bilingual books.
Be adventurous and discover a new language, new authors and another culture.
A small part of the collection is on display on a table near the adult desk.

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Cúirt Kitchen Readings in Westside and Ballybane Libraries



Cúirt Kitchen Readings are informal gatherings are free and open to all. 
The guests gather in the kitchen with the overflow finding seating in the hallway or, weather permitting, in the garden, are served the tea and scones provided by the hosts, and then listen to the reading.

For more information contact 

Ballybane Library (091) - 380590, ballybane@galwaylibrary.ie

or 
Westside Library (091) - 520616, westside@galwaylibrary.ie.

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

For the Record, the Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils

Galway County Council Archives has published, as an action under the Decade of Commemorations Strategy, 2013-2023, a guide to its Rural District Council archive holdings.  It is hoped that this easy to read useful guide, titled For the Record, the Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils, will raise awareness of the existence of this important primary source material.  
The collections, dating from 1899-1925, detail the functions and achievements of our predecessors in early local government, dealing with, among other things, the provision of labourers cottages, water pumps and burial grounds, and also the maintenance of local roads.  The collections, which are comprised primarily of minutes, chart the change in political thinking in the early 1900s when the Councils supported Home Rule but were by 1920 demanding full independence and recognising the underground Dáil Éireann.
Copies of the publication are available by contacting archivist@galwaycoco.ie