County Mayor's Diary Cllr Mary Linehan Foley

I am glad to tell you that Cork County Council Library and Arts Service has announced a countywide programme of events to mark International Women’s Day 2026 that will run throughout March.

This will see libraries across Cork county host talks, workshops and cultural activities celebrating women’s voices, achievements and wellbeing.

The events began on 5 March with a Forest Bathing Meditation session in Mitchelstown Library and continued with a women’s poetry recital in Kinsale Library and Mindful Mending workshops with designer Alice Halliday in both Skibbereen and Dunmanway Libraries.

Healthy Ireland will also mark International Women’s Day by hosting free events in libraries with Registered Dietician and Gut Health specialist, Aoife McDonald, who will deliver talks focusing on Women’s Health in Carrigaline and Midelton Libraries. There will also be talks with Dr Sabine Eggers on the hidden cost of stress in Mitchelstown and Mallow Libraries.

All are welcome and events are free though booking is required for some. Further information is available from the respective library branches.

Another major event is also taking place during the month of March in Seachtain na Gaeilge. This is an international Irish language festival and one of the biggest celebrations of our native language and culture, and it takes place every year between 1-17 March.

Cork County Council will present more than 20 events for Seachtain na Gaeilge including a bilingual poetry reading and open mic session hosted by poets Bernadette Gallagher and Jeanna Ní Ríordáin and storyteller Paddy O’Brien will deliver events for schools and Ciorcail Cainte groups.

Various library branches will feature a brief introduction to the poetry and work of Seán Ó Riordáin, one of the most important Irish poets of the twentieth century. This will be followed by a performance by Kevin McNally that features live reading of poems in Irish and English, as well as a soundtrack and an improvised score using electric guitar, Javanese gamelan, and electronics.

Abair Amhrán (say a song) gave an opportunity in which to explore the deep tradition of Irish song and improve your Irish while doing it and Cúpla Focail is a fun, bilingual creative writing workshop that explores the creative space between Irish and English.

Finally, for younger gaeilgeoirí, Creative Beginnings is a bilingual (Irish English) and inclusive creativity and wellbeing event for children aged 0–6 and their parents or carers. Children and adults will explore art, music, movement, and sensory play together in various library branches. Musicians Alan Coakley and Aengus Kirakowski will

perform songs from ‘Throwing Time’, the new album of their traditional music group in various schools.

All events are free to attend, and more information can be found on the events section of our website.