Day of great owl stories at Oranmore Library!
Young primary pupils enjoyed a day of great owl stories at a special World Book Day event took place at Oranmore Library, where the Second and Fourth Class students at Scoil Íosa enjoyed a reading of Golden Wings – A Tale of an Irish Barn Owl.
The event was a joint initiative of the Galway County Council Biodiversity Office and the Galway Public Library Service and was delivered by the book’s author, Susan O’Donohoe, as part of World Book Day celebrations.
The young pupils also brought along their own beautiful drawings of barn owls, which they proudly shared during the event, adding a creative and personal touch to the morning.
As part of the celebrations, County Librarian, Elizabeth Kane presented prizes to the pupils, while Aisling Mitchell of Oranmore Library, along with library staff, welcomed the children and school staff to the library, helping to create a warm and engaging experience for all involved.
Golden Wings – A Tale of an Irish Barn Owl is a children’s book that uses storytelling to introduce key ecological themes in a way that is accessible and engaging for children, with a dedicated barn owl facts section at the end that is particularly popular with older primary pupils.
A powerful way to introduce children to the barn owl and to Ireland’s biodiversity more broadly
Older pupils were particularly interested in the barn owl facts section at the end of the book, which provides additional detail on the species, its behaviour and the challenges it faces in the Irish landscape.
The World Book Day event at Oranmore Library was a joint initiative of the Galway County Council Biodiversity Office and the Galway Library Service, delivered in collaboration with Scoil Iosa, Oranmore.
Rosina Joyce, Biodiversity Officer with Galway County Council, described Golden Wings as ‘a powerful way to introduce children to the barn owl and to Ireland’s biodiversity more broadly’.
“Seeing pupils engage with the story and share their own barn owl drawings shows how storytelling can spark curiosity and care for wildlife. We also encourage the public to support conservation efforts by reporting barn owl sightings to BirdWatch Ireland.”
The book was illustrated by Robert Vaughan and designed by Sara Sirtoli, whose artwork and layout help bring the story to life and support children’s understanding of the natural world.