Cruinniú in the Castle: Fingal Libraries Day of Youthful Creativity

Ireland was the first and only country in the world to have a national day of FREE creativity for children and young people, under 18 years. Following the huge success of last year, Cruinniú na nÓg’s second outing which occurred on Saturday 15th June, saw young imaginations fired up.

Ireland was the first and only country in the world to have a national day of FREE creativity for children and young people, under 18 years. Following the huge success of last year, Cruinniú na nÓg’s second outing which occurred on Saturday 15th June, saw young imaginations fired up as it celebrated and encouraged children and young people to explore creative activities in their local communities.  A flagship initiative of Creative Ireland’s Creative Youth plan, Cruinniú na nÓg aims to unleash the creative potential of children and young people and Fingal Libraries were delighted to be involved in this very successful and inspiring event.   Over 2, 500 children and their families joined the successful Cruinniú Trail across Fingal, with each library hosting an activity ranging from coding workshops to origami workshops.

The main Fingal Cruinniú was held in the beautifully restored, Swords Castle situated in the heart of Swords town. There was something for all members of the family, with a jam packed programme of fun events. The Silver Tree Sensory story time with Cliodhna Noonan was a calm and reflective experience for children on the Autism spectrum or those with sensory issues. An interactive mobile education programme showing a variety of exotic creatures was provided by the Animal Roadshow and gave children the opportunity to interact with lizards, snakes, owls and tortoises.  Measuring in at over 35ft in height, the mammoth inflatable climbing wall acted as a beacon in the Castle as it enticed  both young and old to climb in a safe and fun space. The Dublin Circus Project brought circus art to life as they showcased a variety of circus skills throughout the day such as juggling, stilt walking, acrobatics and hula hooping. And Mechatrons, the best in robotics education, had a selection of their robots including Rascals, Cyclextrics, R2D2, Dalek, Creeper and AL-1X and the exciting Robogeddan arena also make an appearance at the event.

Fingal Cruinniú also hosted a showcase of creativity from children in the Dublin 15 area who worked with creative facilitators Make, Create & Innovate’ over 6 weeks in Blanchardstown Library. They displayed their exciting creative projects on the theme of ‘Climate Change’ in the Chapel Room of Swords Castle which included musical instruments, mini-speakers, motion motors, wearable tech, and stunning LED artwork.

Fingal Cruinniú and the Creative Ireland initiatives are both opportunities to embed a broader STEAM programme in Fingal Libraries. In the last number of years, STEM or STEAM, has become the new buzzword and it’s not hard to see why. It has been widely acknowledged that in order for Ireland to thrive in today’s knowledge-based economy, their workforce needs a strong Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills base. Fingal Libraries successfully runs engaging and fun STEAM based activities for children across their network of Libraries. Their aim is to develop skills and knowledge which will inspire early scientific exploration, discovery and learning. Our events are a great way to get children in the community excited about these areas, by enabling the creative potential of children to underpin these skills in a safe and supportive environment.

To discover more of what we have to offer, visit our “Fingal Library Events” page on our website, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook.

By Linda Larrigan, Blanchardstown Library