An Bosca Leabharlainne: Read the Report / Léigh an tuarascáil
Read the report
An Bosca Leabharlainne, meaning The Library Box, was Laureate na nÓg Áine Ní Ghlinn’s flagship project during her tenure (2020–23) and was developed, delivered and supported by the team at Children’s Books Ireland. It was a hugely ambitious project, and we expected its impact to be felt proportionately by children all over the island of Ireland.
The project received funding from Foras na Gaeilge, and the Arts Council, and was supported by regular funding for Laureate na nÓg from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. 2,200 boxes of An Bosca Leabharlainne were sent to 1,831 schools, including every Gaelscoil and Gaeltacht school on the island of Ireland.
This is the first project of its kind, in terms of scale, implementation, number of artists work represented, and number of children accessed. There had been guidance on reading in Irish provided to schools before, but this is the first project to exclusively focus on reading in Irish for pleasure and to provide the books and resources.
‘For most of our pupils Irish is a subject they ‘have to do’ and it doesn’t exist outside the classroom. For them to see that there are books available in Irish that aren’t ‘school-y’ is a revelation.
‘We were doing free reading and one of our 3rd Class boys was reading his book. I asked him “an bhfuil sé go maith?” and he started to explain something from the book but did so in Irish without meaning to. He was lost in the story and in the language of the story.’
- Teacher in an English-language medium school, Monaghan
Laureate na nÓg is an initiative of the Arts Council. It is managed and delivered on the council’s behalf by Children’s Books Ireland, and also supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
By honouring an artist of exceptional talent and commitment, Laureate na nÓg champions and celebrates literature for children and young people, inspiring generations of writers, illustrators and readers.
We would like to offer our thanks to all of the schools who participated in the An Bosca Leabharlainne evaluation process, and in particular to the students and teachers who gave their time in focus groups and field work. Our thanks to the eleven Artists in Residence for their work throughout the project, and for the valuable feedback they contributed to this report.
Léigh an tuarascáil
Ba é An Bosca Leabharlainne tionscadal suaitheanta Áine Ní Ghlinn le linn a tréimhse mar Laureate na nÓg (2020-23) agus chuir foireann Leabhair Pháistí Éireann an tionscadal sin i gcrích.
Ba thionscadal uaillmhianach é agus bhíomar ag súil le go mothódh páistí ar fud an oileáin a thionchar i gcomhréir leis sin. Fuair an togra maoiniú ó Fhoras na Gaeilge agus ón gComhairle Ealaíon, chomh maith leis an ngnáthmhaoiniú do Laureate na nÓg ó Chomhairle Ealaíon Thuaisceart Éireann agus ón Roinn Leanaí, Comhionannais, Míchumais,
Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige. Seoladh 2,200 bosca den Bhosca Leabharlainne chuig 1,831 scoil, lena n-áirítear gach Gaelscoil agus scoil Gaeltachta ar oileán na hÉireann.
Is é seo an chéad togra dá chineál ó thaobh méid de, chomh maith le cur i bhfeidhm, líon na n-ealaíontóirí a raibh a saothar ann agus líon na bpáistí ar déanadh teagmháil leo.
Tugadh treoir maidir le léitheoireacht as Gaeilge do scoileanna cheana ach is é seo an chéad togra a dhírigh go sonrach ar léitheoireacht as Gaeilge ar mhaithe le pléisiúr agus a chuir na leabhair agus na hacmhainní ar fáil.
‘Don chuid is mó dár ndaltaí is ábhar í an Ghaeilge ar ‘gá dóibh a dhéanamh’ agus ní ann dó lasmuigh den seomra ranga. Is oscailt súl é dóibh a fheiceáil go bhfuil leabhair ar fáil as Gaeilge nach mbaineann le cúrsaí scoile.
‘Bhí léitheoireacht saor ar bun againn agus bhí duine de na buachaillí i Rang a Trí ag léamh a leabhair. Chuir mé ceist air “an bhfuil sé go maith?” agus thosaigh sé ag míniú rud éigin ón leabhar ach dúirt sé as Gaeilge é de thimpiste. Bhí sé sáite sa scéal agus i dteanga an scéil.’
– Múinteoir i scoil Bhéarla, Muineachán
Is togra de chuid na Comhairle Ealaíon é Laureate na nÓg. Déanann Leabhair Pháistí Éireann bainistíocht air ar son na comhairle agus tugann Comhairle Ealaíon Thuaisceart Éireann agus an Roinn Leanaí, Comhionannais, Míchumais, Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige tacaíocht don togra. Trí onóir a bhronnadh ar ealaíontóir le tallann ar leith agus atá tiomanta dá gcuid saothar, déanann Laureate na nÓg ceiliúradh ar litríocht do pháistí agus daoine óga, rud a spreagann glúnta úra scríbhneoirí, maisitheoirí agus léitheoirí.
Ba mhaith linn buíochas a ghabháil le gach scoil a ghlac páirt i bpróiséas meastóireachta An Bhosca Leabharlainne, ach go háirithe leis na daltaí agus múinteoirí a thug a gcuid ama i ngrúpaí fócais agus le hobair allamuigh. Ár mbuíochas leis an aon duine dhéag Ealaíontóirí Cónaithe dá gcuid oibre ar feadh an togra agus as an aiseolas luachmhar a chuir siad leis an tuarascáil seo.
