Celebrate the magic of Mayo through children’s books for Cruinniú na nÓg

DID you know County Mayo has over 50 children’s books either written by Mayo authors, illustrated by Mayo artists, or inspired by Mayo’s people and places? Now, thanks to a new map, you can discover the magic of Mayo through these children’s books.

The Children’s Books of Mayo Map will be launched on June 7 as part of Cruinniú na nÓg. The launch event takes place at 2 p.m. in the National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, with a range of other creative activities and book readings to enjoy throughout the day from 11.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The initiative is led by Mayo County Library and Mayo County Council’s culture and creativity team, with the support of local authors, illustrators, publishers and booksellers. Their combined efforts have made the map possible and are helping to celebrate the unique literary landscape of Mayo and inspire children to visit their local libraries, discover new books, and explore the places that sparked these works of art.

Cruinniú na nÓg, a national day celebrating the creativity of young people, provides the perfect backdrop for the launch of the Children’s Books of Mayo Map.

Local artist Melanie Whelan was commissioned to design and illustrate the Children’s Books of Mayo Map. A key highlight of the event will be an exhibition called ‘Islands of Imagination’ which showcases the characters created by children during a series of workshops led by Melanie in the lead-up to the launch.

These workshops, held across Mayo - from Inishturk to Ballycastle - focused on sharing Melanie’s illustration techniques and tips for character development. At the event, attendees will have the chance to create their own characters, inspired by the workshop experience. Additionally, a mini version of the workshop activities will be included in the printed map, allowing children to engage in the same creative process and bring their own characters to life.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Melanie Whelan said: “This has been a dream project. I’ve had the opportunity to highlight the creative talent of these incredible Mayo authors and illustrators. It has been an honour to share that creativity with the next generation of budding artists and authors and create this Children’s Books of Mayo Map.”

Austin Vaughan, county librarian and Creative Ireland coordinator, Mayo County Council, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to unveil the first-ever Children’s Books of Mayo Map. This beautiful and imaginative project celebrates the rich literary and creative landscape of County Mayo. It’s a great way to celebrate the stories inspired by Mayo, and talent from Mayo.

“We can’t wait for families, schools, and book lovers of all ages to join us for the launch or pick up a copy in their local library over the summer.”

The launch event is being hosted by the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park.

Tom Doyle from the Education and Learning Department said: “We are delighted to support this exciting new project by Mayo County Library and Mayo County Council’s culture and creativity team by hosting this special event at the National Museum at Turlough Park. We look forward to seeing our visitors engage with this great initiative throughout the galleries on June 7.”

The event is also supported by Mayo County Council’s local authority integration team and Castlebar Primary School.

The Children’s Books of Mayo Map features a diverse selection of books, ranging from illustrated storybooks to graphic novels, available in both English and Irish. A complete list of the featured books is provided on the back of the map.

For full event details, see Mayo County Library on Facebook or visit www.museum.ie.