Bealtaine Festival Event in Tuam Library

The Bealtaine festival is Ireland’s ground-breaking celebration of creativity in older age.

Bealtaine means ‘May’ with all of its associations of fresh starts, emergence and renewal. From 1st to 31st May nationwide, there are opportunities for you to get involved, to try something different and to simply enjoy yourself. It is a chance to meet people, make something new, set your own challenge or share a tradition across the generations.

An Age & Opportunity initiative, the Bealtaine festival is Ireland’s biggest collaborative arts festival, and it enjoys an international reputation. It unites communities and

diverse organisations all over the country. In the last 16 years, it has grown to include libraries, museums, care settings, active retirement groups, national cultural organisations and local authority arts offices.

Kitchen Readings in Westside and Ballybane

In conjunction with Galway Library Service, Westside and Ballybane Libraries, Cúirt hosted Kitchen Readings in a number of homes in Galway City residential areas during the week of the festival. Dublin poet Yvonne Cullen visited three houses in Westside and three houses in Ballybane during the week of Cúirt. Yvonne was accompanied by musicians and these informal gatherings were be open to all.

Press play on the player to the right to get a flavour of what happened at these events.

Headford Library

12 interesting new books for younger readers which have just been added to stock in the Headford Library. Included are:

Sleepover at Gramma’s House. By Barbara Joosse. It’s hard to imagine a book about a grandmother-grandchild relationship that has more love, heart, and just plain silliness than this adorable offering.

Snook Alone. By Marilyn Nelson. After being separated from his master on a remote atoll, a little terrier dog becomes a reluctant explorer, finding delight and wonder amid his melancholy. Challenging but gorgeous poetry is matched by equally breathtaking paintings.

Bobbie Sparrow runs a story time in Headford Library for small children (babies-in-arms to 5 year olds) every Tuesday afternoon at 2.30pm. Bobbie has been running this story time successfully since 2004. It is a wonderful opportunity for parents to introduce their children to reading and language in a fun way

The top photograph shows the selection of books being displayed by Ms. Edel Talbot, Librarian, Headford Library, with Lucie Santona and Nicolas Milliere, who are both students of librarianship from the University of Dijon in France and who are on an internship with Galway County Library.

The bottom photograph children’s storyteller Ms. Bobbie Sparrow enjoying some of the new books with the children who attend her regular storytime in Headford Library.

April Exhibition in Galway City Library

Limerick based artist and designer Paul Weerasekera.
is a self taught artist and has been painting for over 30 years. He has a degree in "Architecture and interior design" which he obtained in the U.K. but
gave up a lucrative career to pursue his first love, Painting.

He prefers the challenge of painting portraits, landscapes and imaginative pieces. He likes to experiment with color, light, texture and proportion.

His work will be on show in the City Library for the month of April.

East Galway Art Trail 2011 in Woodford and Ballinasloe/ED Libraries

The 4th East Galway Art Trail continues with further exhibitions in Ballinsloe and Woodford libraries. The Art Trail is a project organized by Ballinasloe artist Joyce Little and the staff of Galway County Library who live and work in the East Galway region of Ballinasloe, Portumna, Killimor, Eyrecourt and Woodford.

Exhibition by John Soden in Ballinasloe Library on 6th April@7.30pm.
John works in the medium of paint. In his paintings he brings to life everyday scenes through the exploration of colour and its application to the canvas. His subject matter deals with people in various settings, be it street scene,horse fair or market place.He uses oil paint which allows him to layer on the paint in different stages to give depth and a rich vibrant colour. He is mainly self taught and has had a passion for art since childhood.

Exhibition by Peter Kelehan in Woodford Library on 13th April@7.30pm.
Peter works in the medium of paint, print and mixed media. A talented artist, he is inspired by the city of Galway,in which he lives and by his environment....in particular, the beauty of Galway Bay and its boats ,especially the Galway Hooker. Peter is committed to a sense of place and he is a graduate of GMIT.

Human Library at Westside Library

Westside Library in association with the Westside Community Development Project and Galway County Council’s Social Inclusion Unit recently hosted Galway’s first ever Human Library.
On Wednesday March 16^th 2011 Westside Library became the Human Library where the ‘books’ could literally speak. There were many ‘readers’ in attendance who came to borrow a human ‘book’.

The human ‘books’ included an older person, a teenager, a traveller, a Muslim, a member of an Gardai Síochána and lots more. They represented groups of people who have experienced prejudice or stereotyping in their profession. The aim of the Human Library is the promotion of understanding and tolerance through dialogue and there was plenty of chat throughout the evening.
The immigrant worker book was the ‘bestseller’ on the night but all of the books were in high demand. Feedback from both books and readers was very positive. As one reader commented, ‘communication between humans is really essential’. The evening concluded with a choral recitation by the Westside Community choir. The conversations continued with refreshments and many new friendships were made on the night.

The Human Library was begun by Ronnie Abergel in Denmark and it is now an international event with over 120 events in 45 countries.

Fourth Forge Literature Festival events in Gort Library

Gort will see its fourth 'Forge at Gort' literature festival commence on Friday, 25th March. A host of novelists, poets and musicians are due for this year's festival, which is organised by theWestern Writers' Centre, Ionad Scríbhneoiri Chaitlín Maude, Galway.
Renowned photographer, Joe Geoghegan, will exhibit elements of his famous exhibition of photos-and-poems from the eyes, quite literally, of many Irish writers - this exhibition opens at Gort Library on the 22nd March at 19.00 at which the festival will be launched - all are welcome.

FRIDAY MARCH 25TH
5pm – 6pm - Opening and exhibition of Tom Byrne painting of Lady Augusta Gregory – this painting is for sale in support of the festival and bids will be taken or announced at the opening - Sullivans Royal Hotel
John W. Sexton – poet Sarah Clancy – 7.pm Sullivans Royal Hotel Friday
The Poetry Chicks+ Miceál Kearney : Gort Library, 8pm

SATURDAY MARCH 26TH
Noel Monahan – poet; Kevin Kiely – poet and reviewer - Gort Library, 11 am, Saturday
Matt Mooney – with Paul Jeffcut – poetry & music, Patrick Stack: – Saturday 1pm - Gort Family Resource Centre
The Clare Three-Leggéd Stool Writers' Group – O'Grady's Bar, Gort 3pm
'Tea with George Moore' – an ensemble piece on the writers' life written by John Arden and Margaretta D'Arcy - Gort Family Resource Centre, 5pm.
Olaf Tyaransen/Clare Sawtell – launch of Clare' Sawtell collection - Brenda Malloy,

East Galway Art Trail 2011

East Galway Art Trail 2011

The East Galway Art Trail, now in its fourth year, will,this year host artists Aishling Morin, Fiona Flaherty, Johnny Hession, Ann Hill, John Soden and Peter Kelehan.

The Art Trail is a project, organized by Ballinasloe artist, Joyce Little and the staff of Galway County Library who live and work in the East Galway region in Ballinasloe, Portumna, Killimor, Eyrecourt and Woodford.

Art and libraries merge and, in doing so both the artist and their work are brought into the wider community in a socially inclusive way, by using the facilities available in rural libraries as focal points and points of interaction.

The artists live within local communities themselves....therefore, by bringing the two together, smaller communities can benefit from and be exposed to the enjoyment of art and engage with their librarys facilities at the same time.
Thus, the Art Trail aims to expose the wider community to art, in its various forms.

Exhibition by Aishling Morin in Killimor Library 16^th March @7.30pm
Librarian; Marie Mullins

Aishling works with acrylic paint. In some of her latest work, she has employed the use of painting knives to make interesting shapes, not possible with brushes.While her work is mainly abstract and expressionistic, her inspiration is varied:from coloured glass, rocks, various animals, plants and marine life which are a rich source of form, colour and texture. She tends not to impose titles on her paintings, unless a particular work reveals a title as she feels a word can influence the experience of the viewer and suggest something that perhaps they might not have seen and affect their perception of the work, thus changing their individual experience with the piece. Aishling studied at DIT and GMIT.

Exhibition by Fiona Flaherty anf Johnny Hession in Portumna Library 23^rd March @7.30pm.
Librarians; Teresa Tierney, Louise Harte.

Fiona Flaherty works in the medium of paint. Her interest lies in exploring female identity through objects, the body and the imagination. She studied Art and Design at Moate Business College,during which she was chosen to fulfil 3 weeks work experience in Barcelona,Spain. She is now in 3^rd year in Cluain Mhuire, GMIT Studying Art and Design,specialising in paint but also working with a wide range of materials.

Johnny Hession works in the area of sculpture.He uses video, photography and performance as a way to express his work.He explores the notion of identity,territory and rituals. He used the idea of the door as a transportal and also as fear of the unknown and,as a confined space in open space. He uses his hair and body in a way that comes across as masculine/feminine gestures. His hair is expressed in a spiritual/ritualistic manner by quick movement giving mask like features, having these differebt characters in the inner self. Johnny studied at GMIT.

Renmore Active Retired Association - Ballybane Library

Renmore Active Retired Association launched their 2011 Art Exhibition in Ballybane Library recently. 43 paintings by members of this

group will be on show until the 31^st March. It was opened by Chairperson Eithne Carey and Local Historian

William Henry. It is always good to see the talent of

Local residents

Human Library in Westside Library

As part of Library Ireland Week 2011 Westside Library will host Galway’s first ‘Human Library’. This event will be held at Westside Library on Wednesday 16^th March 2011 between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm.
In the Human Library books are people! The shelves are full of people who frequently face prejudice. In the Human Library you can chat to these human books and change your preconception of them and maybe theirs of you.

Galway Library Service plan to have ‘books’ for the following stereotypes: Traveller (ethnic group in Ireland), disabled, lone parent, early school leaver, refugee, Muslim, former homeless, Irish language speaker, member of An Garda Síochána, and Blonde Woman. The titles of our books all represent people who the local organizers know have been stereotyped in the community.

The Human Library is prepared with funding from the Social Inclusion Unit of Galway County Council to cover the running costs for the event. As always, the services of the Human Library are free to its readers.

For more information please contact Westside Library at 091-520616

'Adventures in Music’ - Ballybane Library

Jimmy Fitzgerald came to Ballybane Library in early March to entertain children from Senior Infants of Scoil Dara in Renmore. This event was sponsored by ‘Adventures in Music’. The children were very inquisitive. They sang along to fun songs and were allowed to strum the guitar. A great musical treat for all.

Adventures in Music is a parent-run, non-profit organisation based in Galway, which was set up in 2004 in order to promote family-oriented musical events. The committee was formed by nine

mothers who met while attending Galway's Parent and Toddler groups.

Dedicated primarily to the cultural enrichment of children through music, Adventures in Music is aimed at providing children – and their families – with the opportunity to enjoy and learn about music, in a fun environment for both adults and children alike.

Édouard Glissant - Discover the roots to open itself to the world

Portrait of the writer of Martinique dead recently at the age of 82

Discover the roots to open itself to the world

Édouard Glissant, the patriarch of the Caribbean literature, on last February 3rd is dead in Paris at age of 82. In his writings Glissant has strongly expressed that the World is lacerated between the fear of the globalization (it conforms and it cancels the differences) and the exasperation of the differences (that is it brings the people to stay isolated and to hate each others).

Once he wrote: “The roots do not sink into the darkness of ancestral origin, searching the purity, but they widen in surface as branches of a plant, to meet other roots and to shake them as hands."

This thought is direct expression of the " creolization." This word refers to the Creole, this language which is a mix between the French dialect spoken by master of the slaves and the language of the slaves themselves. It became the frank language of the Caribbean.

In the literature of Glissant we can find therefore the influences of the black slaves picked up from Africa, of the French masters of the slaves, of the Caribbean and of the people who later arrived, including the Indians, the Chinese and the Syrians.

Glissant has written numerous essays and novels. His masterpiece is The Fourth Century (1964), a narration of that four centuries in which the slaves' humanity, in the hold of the slave ships, leans out to life and history.

Édouard is hard in his report of the slavery but he is immune entirely from the vengeful resentment that would remove his interior liberty and his work.

This great author, well known in France and in the USA, accepted the limits of mutual human understanding (we have to learn to live with that limit) and in one of the last interviews he said: “we need to learn to live with the other and to love him, accepting to not be able to understand him and to be able to be understood by him.”

Adapted by Alberto Fostinelli, internship student with Galway Libraries, from an article in Corriere della sera written by Claudio Magris.

Westside Library Seisiún

Library Ireland Week 2011 & Seachtain na Gaeilge - Westside Library

As part of Library Ireland Week 2011 and Seachtain na Gaeilge, Westside Library will host the following events
.

‘Get into Reading’ – a reading group with a difference

The first ‘Get into Reading’ event will be held at Westside Library on Tuesday 8^th March 2011 between 6.30 pm and 8.00 pm. Get into reading is a reading group with a difference. Prose and poetry are read aloud on the night and it is then followed by a discussion on what was read. You don’t have to read aloud or even speak but if you like to hear literature read aloud, come along on the night. Guest readers from the BAFFLE Poetry Group will read at this first event. The event is free and all are welcome.

Seisiún at Westside Library
As part of Seachtain na Gaeilge, Westside Library is delighted to present local musicians, singers and creative writers for a medley concert. The Seisiún will take place on Friday 11 March 2011 between 3.00 pm and 5.00 pm. The will also be storytelling for children. The event is free and all are welcome.

For more information please contact Westside Library at 091-520616

Concord Exhibition at ED Ballinasloe Library

An exhibition by the European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development CONCORD is on view at the Europe Direct Centre, Ballinasloe Library, until the end of March.

CONCORD represents over 1600 European Development and Relief NGO's and has a common drive to fight poverty and injustice. It aims to influence the policies and practices of the European Union so that the Union and its member states enhance social justice, equality and human rights throughout the world.

The confederation includes organizations such as :Dóchas, World Vision, Oxfam, Terre des Hommes, Caritas Europa, Save the Children, MVRO Slovak ngdo platform, NG Italiane to name only a few.

The photographs in this extensive exhibition give some idea of its work throughout the world today.

Europe Direct Centres were set up by the European Commission in partnership with the Library Council to make information on the European Union readily accessible to citizens.

The Babel Lecture: ''Exploring the Book' - Galway City Library

The first Babel Public Lecture Series entitled 'Exploring the Book' will come to a close with a lecture by Dr Kate Quinn on Tuesday, 1 March, at 6.30pm in Galway City Library.
Titled ’Criminal Passions: The Perennial Appeal of Death and Detection’ it will be delivered by Dr Kate Quinn, Spanish, NUI Galway.

The lecture is open to members of the pubic and entrance is free.

According to Dr Lillis Ó Laoire, Head of the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, “Dr Kate Quinn’s enticingly ’noir’ title manages to mention two of the great themes, passion and death, and promises to bring the first series to an appropriately intriguing completion. Her talk will deal with crime fiction and inform us about why it is we are so drawn by books in this genre.”

There will be a reception before this final lecture from 6.00pm to 6.30pm. The series will be formally closed by Dr Edward Herring, Dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, NUI Galway.

Over the Edge - City Library

Library Ireland Week

'One Book, One Tuam'

One Book, One Tuam”, a community based literacy project was launched in Tuam Library on Friday 11^th February by Storyteller Niall de Burca. This year is the third successful year and the book chosen for 2011 is ‘The Secret of Kells’ by Irish author Eithne Massey. This project involves classes from local primary and secondary schools along with Ability West, St Oliver’s and local groups all enjoying ‘The Secret of Kells’ and partaking in associated activities.
Events organized in conjunction with the project include music, art, drama and history workshops, all of which are free to attend. Author Eithne Massey will visit Tuam and read from her book and the finale of the project will be the viewing of the film. The objectives of the project are to promote literacy in the community, to involve local groups, clubs and schools in activities which promote inclusion in the community and to highlight the joy of reading for pleasure.

Ten Things You Should Know About Slow

Don't rush through life. Dian Duchin Reed is a writer and poet who loves to garden and always takes time to smell the roses, lilacs and jasmine. Among "Ten Things You Should Know About Slow" she recommends that:

One of the most delightful (and insightful) ways to slow down is to take the time to read poetry daily. "And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow," wrote William Butler Yeats in "The Lake Isle of Innisfree."

Savour poems of all eras, categories and styles by choosing a book from our poetry section (we have hundreds by poets from all over the world on our shelves) and read one poem slowly.