An annual award made in recognition of outstanding contribution to children’s books.
The yearly conference also includes the presentation of the annual Children’s Books Ireland award. This award is made to an individual or organisation in recognition of an outstanding contribution to children’s books. The recipient is nominated by the members of Children’s Books Ireland in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the reading lives of children in Ireland. In 2019 this award was given to The Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project, led by Kathleen Moran.
Previous recipients of this award include: Volunteer School Librarian, Eve Moloney, Eason bookseller, children’s and young adults book buyer and programmer of Deptcon, David O’Callaghan, lecturer and co-founder of TCD’s mPhil in Popular Literature Amanda Piesse, author and Dun Laoghaire Writer in Residence Sarah Webb, Jane O’Hanlon of Poetry Ireland, author, frmer Laureate na nÓg and publisher Siobhán Parkinson, children’s books journalist and enthusiast Robert Dunbar, retired teacher Irene Barber, Fighting Words, retired teacher Liz Morris, publisher and author Colmán Ó’Raghallaigh and retired librarian Rosemary Hetherington.
CBI Award Winners (Former Summer School Award for Services to Children’s Literature)
1992 Mary Carroll
School librarian in Holy Faith School, Glasnevin, Dublin and activist with the Irish Association of School Librarians
1994 Eilís Dillon
Author, chair of the board of The Irish Children’s Book Trust and chair of the Irish Children’s Book Trust
1996 Rena Dardis, Carolyn Swift and Tony Hickey
Publisher, authors and founders of one of the first publishing houses for children in Ireland, The Children’s Press, Dublin
1998 Pat Donlon
Former librarian of the National Library of Ireland, children’s literature advocate and a founder member of the Children’s Literature Association of Ireland
2000 Robert Dunbar
Lecturer in English at the Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin, a founder member of The Children’s Literature Association of Ireland, and commentator on children’s books
2002 Valerie Coghlan
Lecturer in children’s literature, librarian, founder member of various children’s literature organisations.
2004 Liz Morris
Primary school teacher, editor and facilitator for children’s book activities
2006 AWARD OF THE DECADE: Michael O’Brien
Publisher at The O’Brien Press, Dublin, founder member of iBbY Ireland and Children’s Books Ireland
2006 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Robert Dunbar
Lecturer in English at the Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin, a founder member of The Children’s Literature Association and commentator on children’s books
2007 Clodagh Corcoran
Former children’s books bookseller, founder member of The Irish Children’s Books Trust
2008 Celia Keenan
Lecturer in English at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, established the first Masters degree in Children’s Literature in Ireland
2009 Rosemary Hetherington
Librarian with Dublin City Libraries with special responsibility for children’s books
2010 Irene Barber
Primary School Teacher, facilitator for children’s book activities
2011 Fighting Words
Creative writing centre for young people established by Roddy Doyle and Seán Love
2012 Colmán Ó Raghallaigh
Publisher with Cló Mhaigh Eo, teacher
2013 Siobhán Parkinson
Author, inaugural Laureate na nÓg 2010-12, publisher with Little Island Books
2014 Jane O’Hanlon
Education officer with Poetry Ireland, teacher
2015 Sarah Webb
Author, children’s book event programmer, bookseller
2016 Amanda Piesse
Senior Lecturer in English, Trinity College Dublin, co-established an MPhil in Children’s Literature in TCD
2017 David O’Callaghan
Easons bookseller, children’s and young adults book buyer and programmer of Deptcon
2018 Eve Moloney
Eve Molony, a volunteer school librarian from Scoil Ailbhe in Thurles.
2019 The Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project
The Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project, led by Kathleen Moran, was the winner of the 2019 Children’s Books Ireland Award, given at the 2019 Children’s Books Ireland Conference.