COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 14, 2011

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor E. Higgins

To ask the Manager for a detailed report on planned family activities in South Dublin in the lead-in to Christmas?

REPLY:

LIBRARIES:-

The Library service is organising a range of family activities for the Christmas season. The activities range from a Christmas Craft Fair in the County Library to special Christmas story sessions for pre school children in each branch library. The larger libraries are holding carol services in conjunction with local schools and community choirs and the County Library is playing a significant role in Unwrapped – the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at County Hall on the 3^rd December.

Outlined below is a listing of confirmed events at each branch library:

County Library, Tallaght

·        Unwrapped and the lighting of the Christmas tree 3^rd December at 1pm

·        Christmas Craft Fair 8^th-10th December (including craft stalls, carol singing, Christmas music live and much more)

·        Christmas Art and Craft sessions for children 12^th and 19^th December

·        Christmas Decorations from recycled materials workshop 1^st December

Clondalkin Library

·        Christmas Carols with groups from Lucan, Dodsborough and Adamstown, 20^th December

·        Musical Tots (Christmas music for pre school children and parents) with a visit from Santa

·        Christmas Craft and Ceramic exhibition 14^th-23^rd December

·        Traveller’s Tales for Christmas with Clondalkin Traveller Project 5^th December

·        It Was the Night Before Christmas – family story time 21^st December

Castletymon Library

•  December 1st, 8th & 15th Christmas Arts and Crafts for children
• Christmas Musical Tots for pre school children and parents 19th December
• Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer - a Christmas storytime for children and parents with the staff of Castletymon Library 14th December

ARTS SECTION, COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT:-

“Unwrapped”

The Unwrapped Event on Dec 3^rd 2011 will bring the community together for a participatory arts event involving music, visual arts and performance.

This event will start at 3.45pm and end at 6pm and will involve all venues in the cultural quarter, starting with the book awards in the library and culminating with the lighting of the Christmas tree in Chamber Square, Tallaght. There will be 3 choirs performing between the steps at County Hall & in the Civic Theatre. The Armagh Rhymers will set the scene for the ‘Holly & Oak King’ story in the library and visual art will be projected onto the outside wall of Rua Red. This is the second year for this family event and we would expect to build on the success of 2010 where over 300 people were in attendance.

 A Christmas event was held in 2010 which was arranged by the Parks Section with assistance from the Community and Corporate Services Departments. Preliminary work has begun in relation to the feasibility of running a Christmas event this year and exploring all of the options for such an event including the private sector opportunity and having regard to the logistical and financing arrangements of such an event.