Whole Wild World Bus Tour

Join Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde and a bus of artists on their journey down the Wild Atlantic Way!

In April 2024, Patricia will bring a bus full of the very best Irish children’s authors and illustrators for a trip down the Wild Atlantic Way, from Donegal all the way to Cork.

The bus will stop at schools, libraries and bookshops, working with young readers to imagine new worlds in words and pictures.

‘I want to bring together my two favourite groups of people – the children of Ireland, and the writers and illustrators we have in such abundance – to shape new stories, and share old ones. Simply put, we’re bringing books and their creators to an audience that doesn’t often get a chance to meet them. The spark for a new story is never very far away, and with the Whole Wild World Bus Tour, we’re hoping to bring it that little bit closer.’

– Patricia Forde, Laureate na nÓg

The theme for Patricia Forde’s laureateship, Samhlaigh! Samhlaigh! Making it Up as We Go Along, seeks to spark wild creativity across the country – bringing children and artists together to inspire one another, to imagine new worlds, and most of all, to have fun along the way.

The Whole Wild World bus tour will form a central part of her Laureate term.

The Whole Wild World bus tour route is as follows:

Monday, April 15^th

Wednesday, April 17^th –

Sligo – Event at Hawk’s Well Theatre, 10am. Booking for school groups direct with theatre at boxoffice@hawkswell.com

Easky – Owenbeg NS

Thursday, April 18^th

Belmullet – Event as Gaeilge at Áras Inis Gluaire / Belmullet Library, 10am. Booking for school groups by contacting info@childrenslaureate.ie.

Newport – Newport NS

Louisburgh – Books at One

Westport – Tertulia Books

Friday, April 19^th

Leenane – Leenane National School

Furbo – Scoil na bhForbacha

Saturday, April 20^th – Galway City

2pm – Live, free family event in conjunction with Cúirt festival, 2pm. Book via www.cuirt.ie from March 6th.

2pm-5pm CBI Book Doctors on Middle Street

3pm, 4pm Monster Doodle on Middle Street

6.30pm – Artist event at An Taibhdhearc, #Properbook: Making It Up as We Go Along: How to Write and Illustrate for Children and Young People. Tickets €25 with access fund available. Booking via Eventbrite.

Monday, April 22^nd

Ennistymon – ‘Whole Town Event’ with Banner Books, Ennistymon Library and Scoil Mhainchín, Ennistymon

Tuesday, April 23^rd – Limerick City

School event at the Irish World Academy in University of Limerick

Illustrator event at Limerick Gallery of Art

Illustration Masterclass with PJ Lynch at Limerick Gallery of Art

Wednesday, April 24^th

Tralee – Siamsa Tíre, 10am. Bookings for school groups via https://siamsatire.com/

Cloghane – Scoil Náisiúnta an Chlocháin

Kilorglin – Kilorglin Library

Thursday, April 25^th

Cahersiveen – Aghatubrid NS

Kenmare – Kenmare Library

Friday, April 26^th

Bantry.- Bantry Library

Schull – Schull Community College

Skibbereen – Skibberreen Bookshop

Saturday, April 27^th

Sherkin Island – Community event with neighbouring Oileán Chléire/Cape Clear

Sunday, April 28^th

Kinsale – Kinsale Library

Artists joining the Whole Wild World tour

We are delighted to announce the names of the brilliant authors and illustrators who will be joining us on the Whole Wild World adventure this April. Along the Wild Atlantic Way you’ll find …

Bridget Breathnach, Alan Nolan, Ashwin Chacko, Sadhbh Devlin, Dave Rudden, Paddy Donnelly, Malachy Doyle, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Leona Forde, Patricia Forde, Chris Haughton, Karen Harte, Kim Sharkey, Shane Hegarty, Olivia Hope, Máire Zepf, Paul Howard, Pádraig Kenny, Tarsila Krüse, Tristan Rosenstock, Clara Kumagai, PJ Lynch, Olivia Hope, Jane Mitchell, Jennifer Farley, Sinéad O’Hart, Siobhán Parkinson, Eve McDonnell, Méabh McDonnell, Isla McGuckin, Jane Mitchell, Mary Murphy, ER Murray, Serena Molloy, Sarah Webb, Muireann Ní Chíobhaín and Áine Ní Ghlinn.

Read more about these artists here.

Follow the journey on your favourite social media channels using the hashtag #WholeWildWorld.