A fun day out for all the family! My Tabletop Museum at dlr LexIcon

Marianne McShane

Fairy Tales and Magic Charms

Saturday 17 February 2024

12.30-1.30pm

Level 4, Childrens' Library

Family Event

Children Under 6 MUST be accompanied by a parent/guardian

Eily’s father is the Fog Catcher and once a year he must collect magic from the fairy mist that covers the island of Lisnashee. But this year the fairy wind snatches away the beaded charm that protects him. How can Eily rescue her papa from the fairy spells?

Enter a world of enchantment with author and storyteller Marianne McShane as she tells her original fairy tale, The Fog Catcher’s Daughter. After the story, Marianne will lead a charm making workshop so you can make your very own charm to take home. Maybe it will be the start of a new collection for you!

Biog:

Marianne McShane is a children’s author and storyteller from Bangor, Co. Down. Her debut picture book, Rónán and the Mermaid, was named a Best Book of 2020 by the Arts Council of N. Ireland. Her recent book, The Fog Catcher’s Daughter, was longlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2023. Marianne is a frequent visitor to schools and libraries and delights in seeing children (and grown-ups!) caught in the spell of stories. www.mariannemcshane.com

Sinéad O’Hart

Let's Fill Our Fairy Forest!

Level 4, Childrens' Library

1.30-2.30pm

Age 6+

20 children

How many different kinds of fairies can you think of? Sparkle fairies, rainbow fairies, slime fairies, dinosaur fairies? Let's make a collection of as many different fairies as we can and fill our fairy forest! Come and join Sinéad O'Hart to talk about: collecting ideas and story-seeds, getting inspired by things in nature, and creating the fairies for her stories about Lola and Larch. Design and draw your very own fairy (you can make it as weird and wonderful as you want!) and help to fill up our fairy forest! 

Biog:

Sinéad O’Hart is the author of The Ravens’ Call for readers 6+, the Lola and Larch series for readers 7+, and The Eye of the North, The Star-Spun Web, Skyborn, The Time Tider, and The Silver Road, for readers 8+. When not writing or reading, she’s the co-host of Storyshaped Podcast, where a new children’s author or illustrator is interviewed weekly about the stories that shaped them. Find it at www.shows.acast.com/storyshaped. Her Linktree: www.linktr.ee/sinead.ohart

Dr. Siobhán Doyle

Telling GAA Stories Through Objects

Level 4, Childrens' Library

2.30-3.30pm

Age 12+

All are welcome!

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) plays an influential role in Irish society that extends far beyond the sports. In popular imagination and experience, the GAA is often evoked through objects: medals passed down from generation to generation, jerseys worn in All-Ireland finals, Cúl Camps backpacks.

This talk explores fascinating objects and their stories, which were uncovered by Siobhán Doyle when researching and writing her book A History of the GAA in 100 Objects. This talk highlights the challenges and the charms of telling stories through objects and how even the most ordinary, everyday objects can tell remarkable stories.

Biog:

Siobhán Doyle is Curator of Glass, Ceramics and Asian Collections in the National Museum of Ireland. She holds a PhD in Museum Studies from Technological University Dublin. Siobhán’s research interests include Irish history, sports history, sociology and material culture. Her first book, A History of the GAA in 100 Objects, was published by Merrion Press in 2022 and has since been developed in a multi-media exhibition in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. Siobhán has studied and worked in museums in Dublin for over ten years and joined the National Museum of Ireland in 2020. Her next book, A History of Irish Sport in 100 Objects will be published in autumn 2025. Twitter: @thekickart Instagram: siobhandoyleart

Merrion Press Link:

https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/a-history-of-the-gaa-in-100-objects/

Alan Nolan

Monster Treasure Doodle

Level 4, Childrens' Library

2.30-3.15pm

All ages

Join renowned author and illustrator Alan Nolan in making a massive Monster Treasure Doodle! What kind of treasures will you draw? Alan will be on-hand to help you take part in a huge collaborative drawing on a giant roll of paper. Grab some colours and join in. You’ll have as much space as you want to let your imagination run wild!

Alan is also our Magnificent Museum MC on the day. Catch him in the exhibition area on Level 3 interviewing some of our amazing My Tabletop Museum curators about their fascinating collections!

Biog:

Alan Nolan is the author and illustrator of Fintan’s Fifteen, Conor’s Caveman and the Sam Hannigan series, and he is the illustrator of the popular Gordon’s Game books written by Gordon D’Arcy and Paul Howard, as well as Animal Crackers by Sarah Webb. His new ‘hysterically historical’ book, Molly Malone & Bram Stoker in Double Trouble at the Dead Zoo, the follow up to his popular novel The Sackville Street Caper, is out now, and his book for World Book Day 2024 Molly Malone & Bram Stoker in the Curious Case of the Irish Yeti is released on 7th March. www.alannolan.ie