Library Service

Summer Stars Reading Adventure starts Tuesday, June 4^th and will run until August 31st, 2024.

This free national programme, held in all Waterford Libraries encourages children to keep reading over the summer months.

Ragnall, Waterford Libraries extremely popular mascot paid a visit to St. Mary’s National School in Ballygunner to encourage children to join the Summer Stars Reading Adventure 2024.

Tracy McEneaney, Executive Librarian with Waterford City and County Council said, “It is important for children to keep reading over the summer if they want to maintain their reading skills or better still improve. Waterford Libraries offers free membership for all, and you are never too young to start reading.”

Each child can register for the adventure at any library and will receive a Summer Stars Reading Card to record and track their progress.

At the end of the adventure, children return their reading card to their local library.  A range of events for children will be held in Waterford Libraries throughout the summer, and during Children’s Book Festival in October Waterford Library staff will visit schools to present the children with their Summer Stars medal and certificate of achievement.

For information on events and Waterford Libraries’ services see www.waterfordlibraries.ie

-ends-

Images – Free to use:  Mary Browne

Ragnall, Waterford Libraries mascot meeting the pupils of St. Mary’s National School, Ballygunner.

Join us for a captivating exploration of LGBTQ+ history with esteemed speakers Dr. Mary McAuliffe and Dr. Anthony Delaney on Tuesday 28th of May in WCQ Barker Place on O’Connell Street. Waterford Libraries are delighted to be collaborating with Pride of the Deise for this event.

Book your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/lgbtq-history-talk-at-pride-of-the-deise-2024-registration-904856579387

Dr. McAuliffe, a historian and lecturer at Gender Studies UCD, will delve into “Having no time for men at all”; Histories of Irish suffrage and revolutionary queer women. Drawing from her extensive research and latest publications, Dr. McAuliffe offers insights into the lives of remarkable individuals and their contributions to Ireland’s rich tapestry of gender and sexuality.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Delaney, an actor, author, and historian, will shed light on “The Queer South East in the 18th and 19th centuries.” His discussion will focus on figures like Eleanor Butler, Sarah Ponsonby, and Edward De Lacy Evans, unraveling stories of resilience and identity in historical contexts.

Don’t miss this enlightening journey through Ireland’s queer past.

Join us for a captivating exploration of LGBTQ+ history with esteemed speakers Dr. Mary McAuliffe and Dr. Anthony Delaney on Tuesday 28th of May in WCQ Barker Place on O’Connell Street. Waterford Libraries are delighted to be collaborating with Pride of the Deise for this event.

Book your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/lgbtq-history-talk-at-pride-of-the-deise-2024-registration-904856579387

Dr. McAuliffe, a historian and lecturer at Gender Studies UCD, will delve into “Having no time for men at all”; Histories of Irish suffrage and revolutionary queer women. Drawing from her extensive research and latest publications, Dr. McAuliffe offers insights into the lives of remarkable individuals and their contributions to Ireland’s rich tapestry of gender and sexuality.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Delaney, an actor, author, and historian, will shed light on “The Queer South East in the 18th and 19th centuries.” His discussion will focus on figures like Eleanor Butler, Sarah Ponsonby, and Edward De Lacy Evans, unraveling stories of resilience and identity in historical contexts.

Don’t miss this enlightening journey through Ireland’s queer past.

Join registered Dietitian, Aoife McDonald where she will share her knowledge on how to incorporate sustainable, nutritious eating into your life on tomorrow, Thursday 16th November at 7pm in Carrickphierish Library.

This presentation is free but places are limited. Click here to reserve a place.

The following topics will be covered in this free presentation:

• What is sustainable eating and why is it important
• Building balanced & nutritious meals
• How food production impacts the environment
• The benefits of sustainable eating
• Practical tips on how to eat more sustainably
• Reducing food waste
• Tips on how we can be more sustainable at Christmas
• Q & A

This presentation is part of the Waterford Healthy Ireland at your Library initiative. For more information, please go to our website, here.

Aoife McDonald is a CORU Registered Consultant Dietitian from The Digestive Health Clinic.

For more information, please phone 051 849696 or email library@waterfordcouncil.ie

Almost 40 years after he first discovered his talent for painting, local artist Don Walker will hold his first solo exhibition in Waterford Central Library next month.

Born in Waterford in 1940, Don, at the age of 15 joined Waterford Crystal as an apprentice glass cutter and graduated to Work Study Officer within the organisation.

In 1975, he enrolled in art classes in the then Waterford Technical Institute (now WCFE) on Parnell Street and it was there that his love of and flair for painting with oil was realised.  That year he sold his first landscape painting and it featured at the Municipal Gallery Exhibition.  Having sold over 80 oil paintings to collectors in Waterford and the Southeast, Don will undertake his first solo exhibition on September 4^th.

The exhibition will feature a selection of local scenes that are sure to invoke a real sense of connection and familiarity.  Many of Don’s paintings feature local landmarks, such as Geoff’s, Meagher’s Quay, John Robert’s Square, hotels, hostelries, and popular local meeting points.

Cllr. Joe Kelly was delighted to assist his long-time friend with putting together the exhibition.  “Don has a wonderful talent, and he so accurately captures the everyday of Waterford.  Whether it’s popping into Penneys for a few bits or enjoying a large bottle in Walsh’s on George’s Street, these are the places that all of us in Waterford know and love.

“I’m delighted that the public will have the opportunity to view Don’s work and I’d like to thank the staff of Waterford Libraries for facilitating and supporting this event.”

Members of the public are invited to come along to the opening of Don’s exhibition at Waterford Central Library, Lady Lane on Monday, September 4^th at 4pm. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibition will run from September 4^th to September 16^th.

It’s going to be an exciting autumn at the Waterford Libraries as five highly esteemed writers, Megan Nolan, Kevin Barry, Claire Keegan, Russ Parsons and Ethel Crowley, joining Senior Executive Librarian Mary Conway to discuss their work and writing lives at Waterford County Libraries between August and November 2023. All events are free, but bookings must be made by calling the library directly.

Megan Nolan, Irish journalist and author from County Waterford, debut novel Acts of Desperation, was long-listed for the Dylan Thomas Prize and shortlisted for the Betty Trask Award for debut novels. Meghan will be speaking on 17 August at 7:00PM at the Carrickphierish Library about her work and latest novel Ordinary Human Failings. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849696.

Irish writer Claire Keegan is best known for her short stories which have been published in “The New Yorker”, “Best American Short Stories”, “Granta”, and “The Paris Review” and have been translated into 30 languages. “Antarctica” won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. “Walk the Blue Fields” won the Edge Hill Prize, awarded to the best collection of stories published in the British Isles. “Foster” won the Davy Byrnes Award, one of the richest literary prizes in the world, and was last year chosen by The Times as one of the top 50 works of fiction to be published in the 21st century.

The award-winning film The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) is based on the same story. Keegan’s novel, Small Things Like These, was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, and has been adapted for an upcoming film starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson. Claire will be speaking on 28 September 7:00PM, Dungarvan Library and discuss her work and latest short story So Late in the Day. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 058 21141.

Kevin Barry is the author of three collections of short stories and three novels. His debut novel City of Bohan was the winner of the 2013 International Dublin Literary Award. Beatlebone won the 2015 Goldsmiths Prize and was one of seven books by Irish authors nominated for the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award, the world’s most valuable annual literary fiction prize. His 2019 novel Night Boat to Tangier was longlisted for the Booker Prize. Kevin will be speaking on 14 September 7:00PM at Tramore Library. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849594.

Waterford resident and The Irish Times food columnist Russ Parsons served as the food editor and columnist of the Los Angeles Times for more than 25 years. Among other honors, in 2008 Parsons was inducted into the James Beard Foundation‘s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage, the hall of fame of American cooking. His first book, How to Read A French Fry was a finalist for two Julia Child cookbook awards. How to Pick a Peach, published in 2007, was named one of the best 100 books of the year by both Publisher’s Weekly and Amazon. Russ will be speaking on 12 October, 7:00PM at Ardkeen Library. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849755.

Ethel Crowley, PhD and an Irish sociologist, is the author of Land Matters: Power Struggles in Rural Ireland, Daring to Dream and Your Place or Mine? Community and Belonging in 21st Century Ireland, as well as other journal articles, book chapters and newspaper articles. Over the years, she has combined university lecturing and academic writing with travels in Latin America, the Middle East and India. She is currently working on a book on Spain. Edith will be speaking about her friendship with Dervla Murphy and her forthcoming book Life At Full Tilt: The Selected Writings of Dervla Murphy on 28 November, 3:00PM at Lismore Library. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849755.

It’s going to be an exciting autumn at the Waterford Libraries as five highly esteemed writers, Megan Nolan, Kevin Barry, Claire Keegan, Russ Parsons and Ethel Crowley, joining Senior Executive Librarian Mary Conway to discuss their work and writing lives at Waterford County Libraries between August and November 2023. All events are free, but bookings must be made by calling the library directly.

Megan Nolan, Irish journalist and author from County Waterford, debut novel Acts of Desperation, was long-listed for the Dylan Thomas Prize and shortlisted for the Betty Trask Award for debut novels. Meghan will be speaking on 17 August at 7:00PM at the Carrickphierish Library about her work and latest novel Ordinary Human Failings. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849696.

Irish writer Claire Keegan is best known for her short stories which have been published in “The New Yorker”, “Best American Short Stories”, “Granta”, and “The Paris Review” and have been translated into 30 languages. “Antarctica” won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. “Walk the Blue Fields” won the Edge Hill Prize, awarded to the best collection of stories published in the British Isles. “Foster” won the Davy Byrnes Award, one of the richest literary prizes in the world, and was last year chosen by The Times as one of the top 50 works of fiction to be published in the 21st century.

The award-winning film The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) is based on the same story. Keegan’s novel, Small Things Like These, was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, and has been adapted for an upcoming film starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson. Claire will be speaking on 28 September 7:00PM, Dungarvan Library and discuss her work and latest short story So Late in the Day. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 058 21141.

Kevin Barry is the author of three collections of short stories and three novels. His debut novel City of Bohan was the winner of the 2013 International Dublin Literary Award. Beatlebone won the 2015 Goldsmiths Prize and was one of seven books by Irish authors nominated for the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award, the world’s most valuable annual literary fiction prize. His 2019 novel Night Boat to Tangier was longlisted for the Booker Prize. Kevin will be speaking on 14 September 7:00PM at Tramore Library. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849594.

Waterford resident and The Irish Times food columnist Russ Parsons served as the food editor and columnist of the Los Angeles Times for more than 25 years. Among other honors, in 2008 Parsons was inducted into the James Beard Foundation‘s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage, the hall of fame of American cooking. His first book, How to Read A French Fry was a finalist for two Julia Child cookbook awards. How to Pick a Peach, published in 2007, was named one of the best 100 books of the year by both Publisher’s Weekly and Amazon. Russ will be speaking on 12 October, 7:00PM at Ardkeen Library. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849755.

Ethel Crowley, PhD and an Irish sociologist, is the author of Land Matters: Power Struggles in Rural Ireland, Daring to Dream and Your Place or Mine? Community and Belonging in 21st Century Ireland, as well as other journal articles, book chapters and newspaper articles. Over the years, she has combined university lecturing and academic writing with travels in Latin America, the Middle East and India. She is currently working on a book on Spain. Edith will be speaking about her friendship with Dervla Murphy and her forthcoming book Life At Full Tilt: The Selected Writings of Dervla Murphy on 28 November, 3:00PM at Lismore Library. Free of charge but booking required. Call at 051 849755.