A national celebration of reading.
Throughout February and especially on Ireland Reads Day, February 22nd, we’re calling on people across Ireland to get lost in a good book. It doesn’t matter what you read, where you read or how well you read, as long as you read.
Because taking time to relax and do things you enjoy is important and reading is good for you. It relaxes your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. Studies have even shown that reading boosts your mental health by reducing stress by up to 68%.
Ireland Reads is an initiative of the Government of Ireland to celebrate the joy of reading. It is funded by Healthy Ireland and supported by public libraries and many organisations that promote reading, literacy and the arts.
To celebrate Ireland Reads Day, Offaly Libraries have scheduled a host of events around the county. Take a look at some of the highlights below!
An Evening with Donal Ryan:
Tullamore Library, Tuesday, February 25th at 6.30pm.
Join us for an evening with award-winning author Donal Ryan as part of our Ireland Reads programme at Offaly Libraries!
Donal’s book, ‘Heart, Be at Peace’ was recently awarded An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024.
His work has been published in over twenty languages to major critical acclaim.
To book your place, please contact Tullamore Library on 057 9346832 or e-mail tullamorelibrary@offalycoco.ie
An Evening with Patricia Gibney:
Birr Library, Wednesday, February 26th at 6.30pm.
Join us for an evening with best-selling author Patricia Gibney as part of our Ireland Reads programme at Offaly Libraries!
This event will be held in Birr Library where Patricia will visit to talk about her books and have a chat.
Patricia Gibney is an Irish author of crime fiction who sold 100,000 copies of her first crime thriller as an e-book and had total sales exceeding 500,000 copies in 2018. By 2019, total book sales had passed one million.
To book your place, please contact Birr Library on 057 9124950 or e-mail birrlibrary@offalycoco.ie
An Evening with Anne Griffin:
Edenderry Library, Wednesday, February 26th at 6.30pm.
Join us for an evening with best-selling author Anne Griffin as part of our Ireland Reads programme at Offaly Libraries!
Anne Griffin is the author of the novels, The Island of Longing, Listening Still and When All is Said.
She was awarded the Irish Book Awards Newcomer of the Year Award, 2019. Her work has been shortlisted for the John McGahern Annual Book Prize, the Kate O’Brien Award and the Christopher Bland Prize amongst others.
She has been longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award.
Anne’s work is published in in twenty-five territories including twenty-three foreign languages.
To book your place, please contact Edenderry Library on 046 9731028 or e-mail edenderrylibrary@offalycoco.ie