Mayor of Cork Cllr Danny Collins, Peggy and Donnacha Mitchell-Hehir and Hugo Coll at the launch of Cork County Council’s Cruinniú na nÓg programme.Photo: Anna Groniecka

A day of free creativity

Children and young people are being encouraged to let their creative juices flow as Cork County Council has finalised its 2023 Cruinniú na nÓg programme.

Cork County Council Library and Arts Service has almost 40 events planned across Cork count for Cruinniú na nÓg, a day of free creativity for children and young people taking place this year on Saturday 10 June.

A wide range of activities including storytelling, songwriting, and spinning plates will take place across the county from Sherkin Island to Ballynan Woods. Events will be held in libraries, GAA clubs, schools of art, and arts centres in Carrigaline, Cobh, Clonakilty, Passage West, Bandon, Dunmanway, Farran, Fermoy, Kanturk, Killeagh, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, Mitchelstown, Millstreet, Newmarket, Passage West, Schull, Skibbereen and Youghal. All events are family centred and are suitable for a range of ages, from birth to 18 years old.

In Carrigaline, a disability-inclusive disco at Carrigaline GAA Club will offer a night of music, dancing, and disco fever. Young people with disabilities aged between 12 and 17, and their important adults, are invited to come along to hang with friends, bop to great tunes, and party the night away. Whether it’s superheroes, or telling a story, comic making workshops, Kanturk Library will guide young people on the basics of designing characters, coming up with ideas, and putting pen to paper to make comics.

Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Danny Collins said: “Following the success of previous years, we are really looking forward to this year’s Cruinniú na nÓg events, which are taking place right across Cork county. We are delighted to see an increase in the number of events, organisations and participants this year and look forward to celebrating the creativity of our children and young people.”

In the lead up to Cruinniú na nÓg, a series of song writing workshops will take place in Skibbereen Library. The workshops encourage participants to reconnect with nature through the joy of music and percussion.

Participants will write songs using voice, guitar, violin, and a huge variety of percussion instruments from djembes to bodhrans. Suitable for 13-18 year olds, the workshop takes place from 1.45-2.45pm on Wednesday 24 May, 31 May and 7 June. A special event on 10 June at O'Donovan Rossa Park will see participants perform the songs that they have written for family and friends.

Details on the programme are on creativeireland.gov.ie. For further information on events in Cork county, contact creativeireland@corkcoco.ie.