Laureate na nÓg, Áine Ní Ghlinn, today (March 1st) celebrated the launch of her flagship project, An Bosca Leabharlainne, by Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD. Produced in partnership with Foras na Gaeilge and the Arts Council, the project has delivered 55,000 books to over 1,800 schools this month.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Foley TD said,

' There are few greater pleasures in life than reading, and we must do everything we can to instil a passion for reading in our young people. This is why I am so happy to launch this project today in partnership with Foras na Gaeilge and the Arts Council. 

With thanks to the excellent work and commitment of Laureate na nÓg Áine Ní Ghlinn children across the country can enjoy the creativity and colour of Irish storytelling though our native language.'

Áine’s vision as Laureate na nÓg is to promote reading for children as Gaeilge as a hobby, and not simply as homework. Now that a selection of high-quality, original books as Gaeilge have arrived into schools, children in every county in Ireland will have that exact opportunity. The launch was followed by a workshop with children at Gaelscoil Lios na nÓg in Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Áine Ní Ghlinn, Laureate na nÓg, said,

‘I am delighted An Bosca Leabharlainne is on its way to schools across the country. A huge amount of work has got the project to this point, and I would like to extend my thanks to Children's Books Ireland, the Arts Council and Foras na Gaeilge for giving me, and for giving the project, the opportunity and the support needed to bring An Bosca Leabharlainne to fruition. 55,000 high-quality books have been sent to schools around the country, and I hope children and teachers will benefit from, and enjoy, An Bosca Leabharlainne.’

Support for the project, which is on a much larger scale than first envisaged, came from the Arts Council and from Foras na Gaeilge.

Seán Ó Coinn, Príomhfheidhmeannach Fhoras na Gaeilge said,

‘Foras na Gaeilge recognises the vital importance of reading in the promotion of the Irish language. Foras na Gaeilge supports both writers and publishers to ensure that high quality books are available as Gaeilge. We are delighted to be supporting Áine Ní Ghlinn's flagship project as Laureate na nÓg. An Bosca Leabharlainne contains a wonderful selection of books which will inspire children to read, while the additional resources included will support teachers in fostering a love of reading into the future.’

Stiúrthóir na Comhairle Ealaíon, Maureen Kennelly, said,

‘Since the Arts Council initiated Laureate na nÓg in 2010, we have been blown away by the generosity of spirit that each Laureate has demonstrated through their public programmes. Through her magnificent work as a creative artist, Áine Ni Ghlinn has already embedded a love of language and story with generations of readers. Now, with this ambitious programme, Áine will further enable a passion for reading as Gaeilge for children across the country, on a scale that is inspiring and far-reaching.’

From March until June, An Bosca Leabharlainne will extend its impact with an artist-in-residence programme across 21 schools, along with an online resource booklet and video resources for classrooms available to all at childrenslaureate.ie.

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