Festival Hub

TICKETED EVENTS

DUNGEON DOODLE

  • Who dares to enter Lismore Castle’s dark and eerie dungeon? Join the Lismore Castle Arts Team to draw your own glow in the dark monsters, ghouls and ghosts on the walls of the castle’s creepiest place.

10 a.m., 12.30 p.m., 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. | Lismore Castle Dungeon | €5 | for age 6+

SKETCH AND STROLL

  • Illustrators Olivia Golden and Jennifer Farley take you on a creative sketching journey around the magical Lismore Castle Gardens where you can discover the wonder of the petals, trees and grassy banks.

12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3 p.m.|Lismore Castle Gardens | €5 | for age 6+

STORIES, SONGS & SILLINESS | PÁDRAIG WALLACE

10 a.m. | Lismore Library | €5 (Carers free) | for age 0-4

12 p.m. | Lismore Library | €5 (Carers free)| for age 4-7 

  • Join musician and super fan of books Pádraig Wallace on a musical adventure with stories, songs and silliness. Compose your very own diddle or dum and hear stories of famous musicians and song birds from the world of picture books.

NATURE TALES | TALLEST SMALLEST THEATRE

  • Join Aaran Towers and Niamh Geoghan for nature inspired story and crafts. Welcome to the land where forest school meets Castle gardens and step into the world of Irish wildlife tales and crafting of creative clay creatures.

11 a.m., 1.45 p.m. & 3.45 p.m. | Lismore Castle Gardens Pergola | €5 | All ages

Festival Hub

FREE EVENTS

ONLINE REGISTRATION

CASTLE COURTYARD WORKSHOPS | THE GLUCKSMAN 

Creativity & Play

  • Explore the right to play in this creative workshop that invites children to create imaginative artworks. This workshop will encourage participants to take inspiration from Niamh Sharkey’s illustration Creativity & Play before creating unique drawings and collages that celebrate the importance of play.

10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. | Castle Courtyard | Free Online Registration | Age 6-8 years

Your Story, My Story

  • In this creative workshop that takes inspiration from Chris Judge's artwork Migrants and Refugees we invite children to create a small illustrated book that tells a positive story of solidarity and welcome. Participants will learn techniques to amplify their message using images and text before presenting their creations at the Glucksman Festival Hub.

11 a.m. and 2 p.m. | Castle Courtyard | Free Online Registration | Age 9-12 years

Festival Hub

FREE ALL DAY EVENTS

BOOK SWAP | WATERFORD CITY AND COUNTY LIBRARY SERVICES

  • Bring a book, pick a book! The library team will be on hand to help, and will be offering free library membership all day.

All Day Event | Castle Courtyard | Free 

INSPIRATION STATION | LISMORE CASTLE ARTS

  • Join Lismore Castle Arts on the Gallery Lawn and enter the wonderful world of creativity. Let your imagination run wild on an arts and crafts adventure.

All Day Event | Gallery Lawn | Free

BOOK SHOP | EASON

  • Pick up a book from your favourite festival artist.

All Day Event | Stable Yard

THE DOODLE WALL | FESTIVAL ARTISTS

  • Festival artists can be found at the doodle wall drawing during the day. Make your own mark and create your own characters on our giant doodle wall.

All Day Event | Woodshed | Free

KNOCK FOR A STORY

  • The most intimate event of the festival. Only 6 people at a time enter the front porch and enjoy readings throughout the day from festival artists and some special guests.

All Day Event | Front porch | Free | 6+

CHILDVISION CAMP

  • Come and join the Childvision team and learn a new way of experiencing the world.

    Take part in fun games where you can ‘crack the code’ using Braille, complete puzzles while in the total darkness of a blindfold and enjoy sensory stories that will ignite your imagination.

All Day Event | Castle Courtyard | Free Event | All Ages

“NOW AND THEN” | PITCH’D PRODUCTIONS

  • "Now and Then" is a hilarious circus street show exploring the clash between generations and their lifestyles in today's tech-obsessed world. Our duo, Nancy (the easy going grandma) and Pookie (the social media influencer), find their paths unexpectedly intertwined, creating a whirlwind of comical chaos. With a unique blend of clowning, aerial acrobatics, and even a bit of social commentary, "Now and Then" is a playful and engaging performance for audiences of all ages.

    1 p.m. & 3 p.m. | Castle Courtyard & Gardens | Free Event | All Ages

    An accessible juggling workshop will be hosted by circus expert Cormac Mohally at 2 p.m.

1 p.m. & 3 p.m. | Castle Courtyard & Gardens | Free Event | All Ages

SONG TALES SA SPÉIR |
CEOL CONNECTED

  • Get ready for a live music extravaganza like no other with SongTales sa Spéir. Join Ceol Connected in the treetops where a toe-tapping, tale-telling, hip-shaking hooley awaits! With mesmerising music and songs by some of Ireland’s finest musicians, you can look forward to a wonderfully interactive show that will have audiences of all ages hooked. SongTales sa Spéir is full of imagination, magic and beautiful songs that transports each and every child and young person to a brand new exciting world.

12 p.m. & 2 p.m. | Stable Yard | Free | All Ages

BOOK CLINIC | CHILDREN’S BOOKS IRELAND 

  • Are you a young reader? Looking for a new series to delve into? Feeling uninspired by your bookshelves at home? Then pop along to Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic! Chat to the Book Doctor, consult on your favourite reads and leave with a prescription for your next book which you can take to your local bookshop or library!

    Children’s Books Ireland Book Doctors give guidance about books to children and their families. Based on an informal chat, the white coat-clad Children’s Books Ireland Book Doctors recommend excellent books for any age of young reader, supported by Children’s Books Ireland’s many reading resources. All families are welcome to the Book Clinic, regardless of ability, need or barriers to reading. Every child leaves the Book Clinic with their own individual Book Prescription and a Children’s Books Ireland’s reading guide.

    The Book Clinic operates on a drop-in, first come first served basis. Each Book Doctor consultation will be 10 or 15 minutes in duration. 

    An léitheoir óg tú? Sa tóir ar shraith nua? An bhfuil cuma leamh ar an leabhragán sa bhaile? Buail isteach chuig Clinic Leabhar Leabhair Pháistí Éireann! Labhair leis an Dochtúir Leabhar, faigh comhairle uathu maidir leis na leabhair is fearr leat agus tabharfaidh siad oideas duit leis an gcéad leabhar eile ar cheart duit a léamh, ar féidir a thabhairt leat chuig an siopa leabhar nó leabharlann áitiúil! 

    Tugann Dochtúirí Leabhar Leabhair Pháistí Éireann treoir maidir le leabhair do pháistí agus do theaghlaigh. Bunaithe ar chomhrá neamhfhoirmeálta agus a bhuí leis na cotaí bána, molann na Dochtúirí na leabhair is fearr don léitheoir óg, is cuma cén aois atá acu. Bíonn áiseanna léitheoireachta Leabhair Pháistí Éireann mar chúnamh do na dochtúirí agus do na teaghlaigh araon. Bíonn fáilte roimh gach teaghlach ag an gClinic Leabhar, beag beann ar chumas, riachtanais nó bacainní léitheoireachta. Fágann gach páiste an Clinic Leabhar le hoideas léitheoireachta pearsanta agus cóip de threoirleabhar léitheoireachta Leabhair Pháistí Éireann.

    Beidh tús áite ag na daoine a thagann chuig an gClinic Leabhar ar dtús. Maireann gach coinne leis an Dochtúir Leabhar 10 go 15 nóiméad.

12 p.m. - 4 p.m. | Castle Courtyard |
Free on-the-day Registration | All Ages