Cork World Book Fest 2023

Tuesday 18 - Sunday 23 April Cork City Library | Grand Parade | Triskel 

We have such an exciting line-up for this year’s festival and we can’t wait for you to get as excited as we are! You can check out the programme online now or pick up a brochure in Cork City Libraries or Triskel. 

Official Launch & Opening Night Event

Launch of the 19th Cork World Book Festival by Cllr Deirdre Forde, Lord Mayor of Cork, followed by Opening night: David Constantine & Carys Davies, presented by Sarah Harte Frank O’Connor: 120 years Munster Literature Centre presented the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award between 2005 and 2015. It was the biggest short-story collection prize in the world at the time, and brought accomplished international writers in contact with new and emerging Irish short story writers. David Constantine and Carys Davis, both winners of the prize, are in conversation with Sarah Harte. Liadain O'Donovan, daughter of Frank O’Connor will be in attendance. David Constantine was for thirty years a university teacher of German language and literature. He is an editor of Hölderlin, Goethe, Kleist and Brecht, who has published a dozen volumes of poetry, two novels and six collections of short stories, the most recent of these (2022) being Rivers of the Unspoilt World. His “Tea at the Midland” won the 2013 Frank O'Connor Short Story Award. In 2020 he was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. Carys Davies’s debut novel WEST was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, runner up for the Society of Authors' McKitterick Prize, and winner of the Wales Book of the Year for Fiction. Her second novel “The Mission House” was The Sunday Times 2020 Novel of The Year. She is also the author of two collections of short stories, Some New Ambush and The Redemption of Galen Pike, which won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. Her new novel, Clear, will be out in 2024. Sarah Harte is a prize-winning author. In 2020, she was a runner-up in The UK Bridport Short Story Prize. She was also longlisted for The Fish Short Story Prize. In 2019 she won The Bryan MacMahon short-story award. She was also highly commended for The Sean O'Faolain short-story prize. In 2018, she had two stories shortlisted for The UK Bridport Prize. In 2017, she was highly commended for The Manchester Fiction Prize. She has previously had two novels published by Penguin Ireland. She is a columnist with the Irish Examiner. Fiction at the Friary presents Rapid Fire Fiction Rapid Fire Fiction is a special one-off Fiction at the Friary event, involving 20 emerging writers who will read short extracts from their work and – together – will write an entirely new story, start to finish, before your eyes. Come and listen to the readings, watch writing in action, and hear Cork actor Kevin Power read aloud the brand-new story that emerges. Drinks will be provided, as well as jelly beans, hula hoops and marshmallows. Do come along for what promises to be a quirky and fun-filled afternoon! Special Guest: Inni-K , “One of Ireland's most exciting artists”, The Irish Times.

Cork County Council Announces Commemorations and Heritage Grant Schemes 2023

Cork County Council has announced the opening of the County Cork Commemorations Grant Scheme and the County Cork Heritage Grant Scheme for 2023. 

These schemes seek to recognise the heritage of the county, the numerous groups who actively engage with their local heritage, and those dedicated to commemorating the centenary of the War of Independence and Civil War. Cork County Council’s Heritage Grant Scheme was established in 2021 with support from the Heritage Council. Under last year’s scheme, over 30 groups received funding for a range of initiatives including Heritage Week projects, video documentaries, conservation plans, exhibitions, archives, natural heritage projects and heritage publications. The scheme is designed to acknowledge and support Cork County’s many heritage groups in undertaking activities that in turn support the objectives of the County Cork Heritage Plan. The Commemorations Grant Scheme, delivered by Cork County Council and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, is aimed at highlighting the pivotal role of Cork County in the Anglo-Irish War of Independence and ensuing Civil War. 

This year marks the centenary of such notable events as the killing of Corkman Liam Lynch on April 10th 1923, head of anti-Treaty Forces; a number of Civil War ambushes; the end of the Civil War on May 24th 1923 and the Hunger Strikes of October and November 1923. The scheme will support those who wish to ensure the appropriate commemoration of significant local events through a range of projects, from school projects and the restoration of important local memorials to documentaries and touring exhibitions. 

Welcoming the opening of applications for the 2023 schemes, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins said: ‘The Commemorations Grant Scheme and Heritage Grant Scheme are not just an investment in our past, but a vital investment in our future. By preserving and protecting our heritage, we are creating a legacy that will enrich the lives of future generations and ensure that the stories of our ancestors are not forgotten’. Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey noted ‘Cork County is renowned for its heritage, built, natural and cultural, and these schemes will support a significant number of initiatives in these fields. In the past 2 years alone, these schemes have seen an investment of over €200,000 in heritage and commemorative projects by over 100 local groups and organisations. I have no doubt that the 2023 schemes will deliver another raft of excellent projects’. The closing date for proposals and application forms is 17:00 on Tuesday 18th April 2023. Applications can be made online, emailed to commemorations@corkcoco.ie or corkheritage@corkcoco.ie or delivered to ‘County Cork Commemorations Grant Scheme 2023/County Cork Heritage Grant Scheme 2023’, Cork County Council, Floor 3, County Hall, Cork.

Cork County Library News and Updates

 

Library News April 2023 Mallow Library Welcome to the Cork County Council Library & Arts Service Newsletter Content Spring into Storytime Age Friendly Libraries Period Poverty Initiative JAM Card Exhibitions Events Groups and Clubs Local Studies Article Get to Know Bantry Library Make One Change - Tip of the Month Spring into Storytime Celebrate Spring into Storytime with Cork County Council Library Service throughout the month of April. Storytime supports concentration and communication skills, while also helping to develop creativity and imagination in children. Some branches and mobile libraries will be celebrating with storytimes, tots-times, and craft sessions! Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages to see if there is something happening in your local library. Storytimes taking place in branches around the county this April. Charleville Library Bring your little ones down to Charleville Library on Saturday April 1st at 10.30am for some stories to celebrate Spring into Storytime. There is going to be a story about a special Library Lion that you will all fall in love with! Newmarket Library Visit Newmarket Library on Saturday April 1st at 11.30am for a special children's storytime and hear a reading of 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox' by Roald Dahl. All are welcome! Dunmanway Library Looking for something fun and easy for the little ones during the Easter holidays? Call to Dunmanway Library for a special storytime treat. From Tuesday April 11th to Thursday April 13th (excluding lunchtime), library staff will be available to read a story and will have plenty of colouring and art sheets on hand for budding artists. All are welcome! Midleton Library Bring your little ones to Midleton Library on Wednesdays April 19th and 26th at 10am for Storytime. All are welcome! Age Friendly Libraries Cork County Council Library Service staff members being presented with their Age-Friendly charters Cork County Council Library Service is delighted to have completed its Age Friendly Recognition Programme which means each branch and mobile library now has an Age-Friendly charter. A major step of the programme involved assigning an Age Friendly champion from each branch whose role it was to consult with older members of the community to gain an insight into how their library could be made more accessible for elderly users. The feedback was fantastic and steps were immediately put in place to implement those changes. Some examples of changes that made branches more Age Friendly include: Offering spare reading glasses of different strengths for visitors who forgot their glasses at home. Trollies to help elderly users carry their books to the library desk. Clearer signage. Take-home slips with opening times for branches with irregular hours. Even though several changes have already been made in each branch and mobile library, the Age Friendly champions will continue to listen to and consult with elderly users to further improve the library-going experience for all elderly visitors. Additional Funding for Period Poverty Initiative Cork County Library Service has been approved for an additional grant of €10,000 to support its Period Poverty Initiative. All 25 branches and 4 mobile libraries will continue to provide free sanitary products thanks to the additional funding provided by the Department of Health. Dispensing units are stocked in all branches where public toilets are available. In libraries without public toilets and in mobile libraries, packs are available for pick up as required. The Period Poverty Initiative has been a huge success since its launch in Autumn 2022, and it is hoped the initiative will continue to promote menstrual health literacy and reduce the stigma around periods. JAM Card JAM Card is a discreet way of allowing people with learning difficulties or communication barriers to convey to others that they just need a little more time and understanding before they are ready.  The NOW Group, developers of the JAM Card initiative, awarded Cork County Council Library & Arts Service with a Certificate of Accreditation following training by staff. We hope that all JAM Card users will feel more confident when visiting our branches and will know that they can approach any member of staff, present their JAM Card, and be assured that they will be given those few extra minutes that they need. A JAM Card can be used by both children and adults, and can be used as a card or an app. Applying for one is free of charge and can be done by visiting www.jamcard.org Exhibitions Visit Cobh Library and check out a slice of musical history for yourself as the Readers and Writers Festival are bringing this very special Photography exhibition by legendary music photograper Govert de Roos to Cobh Library for the month of April. De Roos has spent his life photographing a plethora of musical greats. This exhibition focuses on his shots of Rory Gallagher as the festival is honouring Rory and his Cobh connections. Other pieces include Debbie Harry, Sade and his iconic shot of John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their bed-in for peace for which he is perhaps best known. Official launch at 2pm on Saturday April 1st and the exhibition space is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30pm to 5.30pm until Saturday April 29th. Come in to check out a slice of musical history for yourself! Cobh Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Liam Lynch: To The Letter: An exhibition in three parts by Dolores Lyne Join Mitchelstown and Fermoy Libraries as they take part in exhibiting two parts of Dolores Lyne's three-part exhibition in response to the personal letters of Liam Lynch, chief of staff circa 1917 to 1923. Work on Paper will be available to the public at Fermoy Library and Trilogy Paintings will be available to the public at Mitchelstown Library from the 1st to the 30th of April. Not to be missed!  Fermoy Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie) Mitchelstown Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Ocana Fest 2023 at Mallow Library Mallow Library is delighted to be hosting an exhibition highlighting the adventures of Captain Ruben Ocana forty years on. On a mid-April morning in 1983, Captain Ruben Ocana was forced to land an air-jet in the North Cork town of Mallow. With just three minutes of fuel left in the tank, the successful landing was a feat of aviation that made national and international headlines. Captain Ruben Ocana developed strong friendships with the people of Mallow during his extended stay as he and his crew awaited the building of a runway before they could take off again and fly the jet safely home. April 2023 Ocana Fest celebrates 40 years since this event.  There will be a display of pictures, articles and documentaries to celebrate in Mallow Library from Tuesday April 11th to Saturday April 29th. Mallow Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Diva Cadenza: Heroines & Anti-Heroines of the Opera at Bandon Library Bandon Library is thrilled to be hosting a mixed media art exhibition by Artist Karen Billing featuring the heroines and anti-heroines of the opera for the month of April. For more information please contact Bandon Library on 023-8844830 or email bandon.library@corkcoco.ie Bandon Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie) Events Craft Your Own Planisphere Workshop Saturday April 15th from 2.30pm to 4pm Midleton Library invites all stargazers and astronomy lovers to join us for a special workshop to create your own Planisphere. Everyone is welcome, however all children in attendance must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  At the event, expressions of interest will be taken for the future development of an Astronomy/Space Science Club. Contact Midleton Library on 021-4613939 or email midleton.library@corkcoco.ie Midleton Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Lunchtime String Quartet at Cobh Library Join Cobh Library on Saturday April 15th at 12 noon for the first in our series of Lunchtime String Quartet Recitals! It's sure to be lovely so come along and support music at your library! The quartet is comprised of talented, local young people. Cobh Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Seed Library at Midleton Library Midleton Library's Seed library will be open for borrowing in April! Simply call into the library and 'borrow' a packet of whatever seeds you'd like, bring them home and plant them in your garden. At the end of the growing season, collect seeds from the produce you've grown and 'return' them to the library so another gardener can use them!  There is variety of herbs, flowers and even some vegetables for you to take home, nurture and grow. Midleton Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Easter Colouring Competition at Midleton Library Let the kids' artistic side out with a special Easter Colouring Competition at Midleton Library! Pop into the library to pick up your child's entry. There are three age categories: 5 and under, 6-8 years and 9-12 years. Closing date for entries is Tuesday the 11th of April. Good luck! Midleton Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Easter Colouring Competition at Bandon Library Bandon Library is hosting a children's colouring competition this Easter. Collect your entry from the library and return by April 6th.  There are three age catagories: 3-6 years, 7-9 years and 10-12 years. Good luck to all who enter! Bandon Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   National Autism Awareness at Mallow Library To celebrate National Autism Awareness Month, Mallow Library will be hosting an informal social and information day on Saturday April 22nd for parents, carers, and people with autism so they can visit the library and explore the different services offered by the library. Visitors will also get to hear from other people with autism and their experiences with interviews, work, and exams etc. There will be a few different activities on the day such as: a reading café, an autism-friendly Lego afternoon, private tours of the sensory area, plus more! Guest speakers will be available throughout the day for formal talks and more informal one-to-one chats.  There will also be workshops on the day too. Contact Mallow Library on 022-21821 or email mallow.library@corkcoco.ie for more details. Mallow Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Internet Safety Talk for Elderly Users at Macroom Library Community Garda Orla Doyle will be visiting Macroom Library on Friday April 21st at 11am to give a talk on internet safety for elderly users. Orla will provide advice on how to stay safe when browsing online, and how to spot and avoid online threats. Macroom Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Pokémon Card Swap Day at Bandon Library Drop-in to the Bandon Library on Saturday April 15th and trade your spare Pokémon cards with others.  It is sure to be an amazing day and you never know what cards you may find! Bandon Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Your Council talk at Millstreet Library Friday April 28th at 11am Join Millstreet Library as they give an informative talk on how to use the Your Council website and access over 120 services through the Cork County Council. All are welcome.  For more information please contact Millstreet Library on 029-21920 or email millstreet.library@corkcoco.ie  Your Council | Cork County (corkcoco.ie) Millstreet Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie) Groups and Clubs Pre-teen Book Club at Midleton Library is taking new members! If your child is an avid reader who loves to discuss books and is aged 10 - 12 then contact Midleton Library on 021-4613929 or email midleton.library@corkcoco.ie The Teen Bookclub at Cobh Library meets monthly and the next book up is ‘Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer’. New members always welcome! Contact the library on 021-4811130 or email cobh.library@corkcoco.ie  Midleton Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie) Cobh Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Dunmanway Library's new 'All Are Welcome' Book Club for adults begins soon! It aims to be inclusive and welcoming, and like the name suggests "All Are Welcome” but particularly people who may not have had an opportunity to join a book club previously. So, if you have had difficulties with reading, if you find concentrating on a long book to be challenging, or maybe you have an intellectual disability or other condition which might affect your reading speed – this might be the book club for you. The aim will be to read and chat about one book per month and the club will meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 11am. If you are interested, please contact Dunmanway Library on 023-8855411 or email dunmanway.library@corkcoco.ie Dunmanway Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Midleton Library Women's New Social Club is having their next meeting on Wednesday April 5th at 11am. Come along and meet new friends, join in on discussions or get creative with a group project. The choice is yours. New members are welcome. Contact Midleton Library on 021-4613929 or email midleton.library@corkcoco.ie Midleton Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Bandon Library's Gramophone Circle is meeting on Thursday 6th of April at 11am. Join them for a selection of classics and favourites presented by Bill Sheane. All are welcome and there will be tea and coffee on the day! Bandon Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   The Write Road: Bandon Library Teen Writers Group April Session: Saturday 15th at 2.30pm - 4pm. Are you the next Alice Oseman or Derek Landy? Learn how to shape and develop your story-telling skills, be inspired and find your voice. Meetings are held every fortnight for ages 12+ Bandon Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Bandon Library Craft Group Join the Bandon Library Craft Group every Tuesday at 10am for weekly chats with a cup of tea and meet like-minded creatives. All projects/methods are welcome! Bandon Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie)   Ciorcal Cainte at Bandon Library Every Wednesday at 10.30am Caint, comhrá agus cupán tae sa leabharlann! A casual chat as gaeilge for all levels from beginners to fluent. Bandon Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie) "Two Working Men" - A Local Studies Article Here in the Local Studies Library at Library HQ, one of the most regular questions over the years is as local as they come. Visitors from near and afar want to know about the two statues beside the County Hall and, anticipating that the library is expected to know these things, we have compiled an extensive file on the subject. For over half a century, Oisín Kelly’s bronze statues have fascinated all who pass them. Standing bedside an important public building that most citizens visit more than once and located at the start of the tourist trail to Kerry, the statues, though officially known as “Two Working Men,” have come to be known as “Cha & Miah,” after two legendary Cork entertainers. The most popular of the many theories as to what the statues symbolise is that the younger man is benefiting from the unsolicited wisdom that his older companion feels obliged to pass on. The statues were originally intended for Liberty Hall, Dublin, the headquarters of the Irish Transport & General Workers Union, now known as SIPTU, but they were considered as traffic hazard. Thanks to the efforts of some senior Cork trade unionists, the southern capital became an alternative location and the statues arrived here in 1969 “on loan” and were placed near the old County Hall carpark after a brief sojourn at Fitzgerald’s Park for an exhibition. In 1976, it was decided to make this arrangement permanent, and a formal ceremony was held in the following year. In his address at the unveiling, the union president Senator Fintan Kennedy referred to Cork’s glorious trade union history with a forgotten lockout of 1909 and the many visits that James Connolly made to Cork for meeting and rallies in mind. After the entire County Hall was revamped in the early noughties, the statues went off-stage for a couple of years before triumphantly returning in 2006 for the official re-opening of the modified building – this time they were put on their own plinth more prominently. The statues continue to stand majestically at their new spot and are regularly snapped by visitors, as “Cha & Miah” are custom-built for the age of the selfie. No other nickname for “Two Working Men” ever really took hold – “The Lads” and “Podge & Rodge” among the ones that did not endure. The County Hall statues are now well-established in Cork as traditional historical and religious monuments and their high standing is evident in the emergence of other statues that render some homage. “The Echo Boy” by the site of the former Examiner offices on Patrick Street was the work of the distinguished sculptor Barry Moloney who, at the unveiling in 1991, expressed the wish that his statue be as revered as “Cha and Miah.” In 2017, a young pair of “Cha & Miah” statues from the Cork-based sculptor Brendan Byrne appeared at the entrance to the re-opened Kingsley Hotel, standing just outside the door by a water fountain. In a conscious nod to the County Hall statues, the actors who played Cha & Miah, Frank Duggan and the late Michael Twomey respectively, appeared in the advertisement announcing the re-opening as the two boys in the new statue stare up at the hotel just as their adult equivalents gaze up at County Hall just across the road. More articles from Local Studies will appear in the forthcoming Newsletters, including news from our department and nostalgia pieces on branch libraries, especially ones with recent or upcoming changes of location. Get to know Bantry Library About Us Bantry Library is located on Bridge Street, right beside a large water wheel. It is a beautiful heritage building that pays homage to a doleman, and was built during 1972-74 by Architect Harry Wallace. Bantry Library is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm and is staffed by Geraldine, Denis and Aaron. Adult Groups Bantry Library Book Club meets on the first Thursday of every month at 12 noon. Book Clubs are a chance to get together with other local book lovers. Two book titles are discussed each month. You will have a chance to give your opinion of a particular book in a relaxed and informal way. The mixture of different views and comments enriches everyone's experience of the book. There is a Writer's Group at Bantry Library that meets on the second Saturday of each month from 10:30am-1pm. The Conversational Irish Group meets every Wednesday at noon and the Knitting Group get together on Fridays from 11am to 1pm. Childrens Events and Groups Children's Storytelling takes place every Saturday at 11 am, for children from 4-8 years old. There is also a Lego club at Bantry Library. For more information or to join any of these groups please call us on 027-50460 or email bantry.library@corkcoco.ie Something We Would Like You to Know Bantry Library is the host of the West Cork Literary Festival. Over the years the West Cork Literacy Festival has hosted some of the most amazing and talented artists in literacy including Sara Baume, Zadie Smith, Séan Hewitt, Colm Tóibín and many, many more. To know more about the West Cork Literacy Festival please contact Bantry Library. Contact Us Call us on 027-50460 or email bantry.library@corkcoco.ie Bantry Library | Cork County (corkcoco.ie) Irish Astronomy Week at Schull Library Schull Library had a blast celebrating Irish Astronomy Week 2023 recently. Visitors were able to scope out a scale model of the Solar System; discover books on astronomy, scientists, and the Universe; and even create their very own planet! Make One Change - Tip of the Month