January at the National Library of Ireland
Dublin 2

The National Library of Ireland has announced its events and exhibitions for January 2012 along with details of some interesting courses that will take place over the coming months.

For more information please contact the National Library of Ireland on 01 6030200 or email info@nli.ie

Wednesday 11 January at 7.00pm. FREE EVENT

History Ireland Hedge School 

'The War of Independence in the South: "Four glorious years" or squalid sectarian conflict?'

David Fitzpatrick (TCD), John Regan (Uni. Of Dundee), Eve Morrison (TCD) and John Borgovono (UCC). All welcome. No booking required.

Wednesday, 25 January at 7.30pm FREE EVENT

Window and Mirror: RTE Television 1961-2011

Dr John Bowman, broadcaster and historian, will give an illustrated lecture about the challenges of writing his recent history of RTE television’s first fifty years. John Bowman will be available to sign copies of the book. All welcome. No booking required.

UCD Adult Learning Course

Writing Rebellion: Easter 1916

Eight Tuesdays: 31 Jan, 7, 14, 21, 28 Feb, 6, 13, 20 March

10.00am to 12.30pm

€175

This course looks at the literary, cultural and social responses to Easter 1916 from the event up to the present day.  To book a place, contact UCD Adult Education Centre: 01 7167123. Email: adult.education@ucd.ie Web: www.ucd.ie/adulted

UCD Adult Learning Course

Irish War of Independence, 1919 - 1921

Eight Wednesdays

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Feb, 7, 14, 21 March

10.00am – 12.30pm

€175 

This course explores the events, impact and legacy of the Irish War of Independence. It discusses key aspects of the political and military campaigns both at a national and a regional level. To book a place, contact UCD Adult Education Centre: 01 7167123. Email: adult.education@ucd.ie Web: www.ucd.ie/adulted.

EXHIBITIONS

Small Lives FREE

Richly dressed 19th century children gaze out of studio portraits, while images of children making fishing nets in West Cork industrial schools, or learning lace-making in Donegal hang side by side with 20^th century boys and girls praying, acting out war games or getting ready for a day at the beach. These are just some of the many photographs in the exhibition Small Lives where captivating views of Irish childhood between 1880 and 1970 juxtapose children’s lives with the broad sweep of Irish social and political history. 

Small Lives runs at the National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar until June 2012.

Discover Your National Library: Explore, Reflect, Connect FREE

Celebrate Ireland's rich history and heritage with the free multimedia exhibition Discover Your National Library at 2/3 Kildare Street, which brings you some of our most precious treasures, and allows you to hear from the curators who take care of them.

A new selection of treasures is now on display in Discover, including 700 year-old manuscripts, 19th century eviction photographs, a letter from war artist William Orpen, illustrations from some of Ireland's best illustrators of children's books, and a special display on our "throw-away treasures". This phase of the exhibition, which runs through 2011, includes a special focus on the history of the Irish Texts Society.

Free public tour: Thursdays at 2.30pm.

Yeats: the life and works of William Butler Yeats FREE

This award-winning exhibition is a must see for all Yeats fans.

Free guided tour available on Wednesdays at 1pm and every Saturday at 11am and 3pm.

February at The National Library of Ireland
Dublin 2

Writing Workshops

Beginning Saturday 4 February for ten weeks from 10.00am to 12.00pm

€240

Yvonne Cullen is now taking bookings for her next series of Saturday Writing Workshops, starting in February. These will provide developing writers with support, feedback and guidance. Bookings should be made directly with Yvonne Cullen. Email: writingtrain@gmail.com or call 086 170 1418.

‘Start to Write Mondays’

Beginning Monday 6 February for eight weeks from 3.00pm to 5.00pm

€175

Café Joly at the National Library of Ireland is the venue for Yvonne Cullen’s new “literary café”-style creative writing classes and workshops. She is offering an energising ‘Start to Write’course at a specially reduced rate, commencing on Monday 6 February. Bookings should be made directly with Yvonne Cullen. Email: writingtrain@gmail.com or call 086 170 1418. 

Second Friday FREE

Second Friday of each month, beginning Friday, 10 February from 7.00pm to 10.00pm

Café Joly hosts an evening of informal talks, new writers showcasing excerpts of their work, music and poetry readings, complemented with good food and wine. All welcome. No booking required.

Small Lives Lecture Series FREE

Wednesday, 15 February at 7.00pm

'It's not the past that matters, it's the way you see it': Childhood, Ireland, and Children's Fiction.

Dr Pádraic Whyte, Assistant Professor of English, TCD. All welcome. No booking required.

Mid-term Family Workshop FREE

Thursday, 16 February at 2.00pm

Join us for an afternoon of story-telling and artwork. All ages welcome. No booking required.

Adult Learners’ Festival 2012 FREE

Monday, 20 February – Friday, 24 February at 11.00am

Ever wondered how to use the NLI? Join us every day this week on this free workshop where we will show you how to get a Reader’s Ticket, how to search the catalogues, how to order materials and much more. All welcome. No booking required.

Particles of the Past Lecture Series FREE

George Petrie: Artist and Antiquarian

Wednesday, 29 February at 7.00pm

Peter Murray, Director of the Crawford Gallery will lecture on the antiquarian George Petrie known as ‘the father of Irish archaeology’. All welcome. No booking required.

For more information on any of the above events go to www.nli.ie

February in the Irish Writers Centre
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1.00pm      10.02.12      Lunchtime Readings at The Irish Writers' Centre - Paul Murray

 Paul Murray will be reading as part of the Lunchtime Reading series at the Irish Writers' Centre on Friday 10th February. The Lunchtime Readings will run on Fridays throughout February and March in the Irish Writers' Centre and are organised in association with Poetry Ireland. The readings will be alternating between prose and poetry, offering audiences the chance to experience a wide-range of literary talent.

7.00pm       16.01.12      Evening of Estonian and Irish Contemporary Music and Poetry

 Poetry by: Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Doris Kareva, FS, Triin Soomets
Music by: Helena Tulve, Tatjana Kozlova, Tõnu Kõrvits Andrus Kallastu and others

Ensemble Resonabilis (Estonia):
Iris Oja (voice)
Kristi Mühling (kannel)
Tarmo Johannes (flute)
Aare Tammesalu (violoncello)

1.00pm     17.02.12        Lunchtime Readings at The Irish Writers' Centre - Paul Grattan

Paul Grattan will be reading as part of the Lunchtime Reading series at the Irish Writers' Centre on Friday 10th February. The Lunchtime Readings will run on Fridays throughout February and March in the Irish Writers' Centre and are organised in association with Poetry Ireland. The readings will be alternating between prose and poetry, offering audiences the chance to experience a wide-range of literary talent.

7.30pm     21.02.12       Opening Night of the Peregrine Reading Series with Ulick O' Connor, Geraldine Mills, Ferdia MacAnna

Ulick O' Connor, Geraldine Mills, Ferdia MacAnna will read at the Irish Writers’ Centre, kicking off our series of prose readings, Peregrine Readings. The readings will commence in the Centre and be taken afterwards to the County Library and Boyle Library in Roscommon.

1.00pm     24.02.12      Lunchtime Readings at The Irish Writers' Centre - Shane Connaughton

Shane Connaughton will be reading as part of the Lunchtime Reading series at the Irish Writers' Centre on Friday 10th February. The Lunchtime Readings will run on Fridays throughout February and March in the Irish Writers' Centre and are organised in association with Poetry Ireland. The readings will be alternating between prose and poetry, offering audiences the chance to experience a wide-range of literary talent.

7.30pm    28.02.12       Peregrine Reading Series with Christine Dwyer Hickey, Chris Binchy, Ed O' Loughlin

Christine Dwyer Hickey, Chris Binchy, Ed O' Loughlin will read at the Irish Writers’ Centre, as part of a series of prose readings, Peregrine Readings. The readings will commence in the Centre and be taken afterwards to Sligo Yeats Memorial Building and Ballymahon Library, Co. Longford

For more details go to www.writerscentre.ie or tel: 01 1 872 1302

Bringing It All Back Home with Peter Sirr
19 Parnell Square Dublin 1

This is one of a series of events being organised by Poetry Ireland under this title. Poets are invited to give readings in a location that has a particular significance for them. Peter Sirr was the Director of the Irish Writers' Centre for many years, so it is particularly appropriate that he should return to the Centre for this event. The evening, which will feature traditional musician, Colm Mac an Iomaire, and poet Michael O'Loughlin, will be structured as follows:

 From 7.00 pm       Reception

                              Music by traditional musician Colm Mac an Iomaire

                              Poetry Reading by Peter Sirr

                              Interview:  Michael O'Loughlin interviews Peter Sirr

Sponsored by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and Poetry Ireland

www.writerscentre.ie

Ennis Book Club Festival
Ennis, Co. Clare

 The Ennis Book Club Festival is a wonderful social and literary gathering bringing together book club members and readers from all over Ireland and beyond. Supported by Clare County Library, the festival includes author readings, discussions, workshops and walking tours through the narrow streets and lanes of Ennis. They offer sessions on running book clubs, advice on reading lists, poetry, events as Gaeilge, and an opportunity to compare notes and meet with other Book Club members.

For full programme and booking details please go to http://www.ennisbookclubfestival.com

Dublin: One City One Book 2012
Dublin

A month long festival, Dublin One City One Book Festival takes place in April every year. Organised by Dublin City Libraries in association with libraries, galleries, churches, cafes and theatres in the city, this festival encourages citizens and visitors to engage with activities which celebrate a book which is connected with the city.

James Joyce's Dubliners has been chosen for this year's festival. Details of events will be posted to this website and to www.dublinonecityonebook.ie

Strokestown International Poetry Festival
Co. Roscommon

Strokestown International Poetry Festival, a literature festival with readings by poets, both internationally renowned and emerging, takes place every year in the exquisite and otherworldly Strokestown Park House and the Percy French Hotel. Competitions, witty verse, workshops - and all events are FREE.

BookCrossing Convention
Dublin 2

The annual BookCrossing Convention 2012 will take place from the 13th to the 15th April in the Camden Court Hotel. To purchase a ticket for the event log on to www.bcdublin2012.com

Listowel Writers' Week
Co. Kerry

Since it's inception in 1970 Listowel Writers' Week has been recognised as a major cultural event in Ireland's literature festival calendar. North Kerry is the birthplace of many of Ireland's most prominent writers past and present including Dr. John B Keane, Dr Bryan Mac Mahon, Professor Brendan Kennelly, Gabriel Fitzmaurice, George Fitzmaurice, Maurice Walsh and Robert Leslie Boland. Writers' Week Festival was established to celebrate those writers and to provide an opportunity for emerging Irish writers to develop their talents and meet new audiences.

Dublin Writers Festival
Dublin

Dublin Writers Festival offers the city a chance to draw strength and inspiration from the best of the nation's contemporary writers. A literature festival with playwrights, poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, as well songwriters and composers giving voice to a living heritage that marks Ireland as the richest of nations