[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-donegal-libraries-tour-2018":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"This month has been a real whirlwind! Reeve & McIntyre went from \u003Ca href=\"https://jabberworks.livejournal.com/814339.html\">Tuttestorie Festival\u003C/a> in Sardinia to County Donegal in Ireland for a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.wainfest.ie/\">Wainfest\u003C/a> library tour. Fortunately, just like the new TARDIS, Philip Reeve is built with an automatic custard cream biscuit dispenser, so Kevin and I were sustained on the journey. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/556851_original-bc9291375c.jpg\" alt=\"ballyshannon flipchart poster\" title=\"ballyshannon_flipchart_poster_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd we needed it, for just as our roly-poly flying pony in \u003Ci>The Legend of Kevin\u003C/i> was blown into the town of Bumbleford on a magical storm, Reeve & McIntyre were blown across magical Donegal on the winds of Storm Callum. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/558261_original-22765f294e.jpg\" alt=\"Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre\" title=\"Reeve and McIntyre\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more photos under the cut!-->\\r\nAnd we had excellent company! Most notable was our first driver, Grace, who took us all the way from Belfast to Bundoran (two and a half hours). Locals might recognise her as one of the stars of the TG4 Gaelic channel's \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://youtu.be/YkeGddTd3u0\">Turas Bóthair\u003C/a>\u003C/i> show (translated as \u003Ci>Road Trip\u003C/i>), where she's filmed having conversations about life, the universe and everything with her passengers. And we did have a good craic!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://youtu.be/YkeGddTd3u0\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/556685_original-bff65fd011.jpg\" alt=\"grace_turasbothair_LJ.jpg\" title=\"grace_turasbothair_LJ.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nAnd we got to see some lovely places! Here's the beach at \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundoran\">Bundoran\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/556419_original-ba196f9350.jpg\" alt=\"Bundoran_seafront_LJ.jpg\" title=\"Bundoran_seafront_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd who did we run into at breakfast but fellow road tripper \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jonathanmeres.com/\">Jonathan Meres\u003C/a>!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/556186_original-911e72782b.jpg\" alt=\"bundora_jon_meres_LJ.jpg\" title=\"bundora_jon_meres_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nJonathan was also on the Waifest circuit and tweeted this when he got back: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/561744_original-c7e9fcb4f4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe place certainly had a lot of sofas. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/562148_original-946666be8d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWe got to explore a coastal path that led to a place called the Fairy Bridges...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/555715_original-73d4de57d3.jpg\" alt=\"bundora_fairytunnel_LJ.jpg\" title=\"bundora_fairytunnel_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n...which were as magical as anyone could hope for! The beach is hugely popular with surfers, and quite a few had alerady gathered for the approaching winds. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/555314_original-660346483f.jpg\" alt=\"bundora_fairybridge_LJ.jpg\" title=\"bundora_fairybridge_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd a lovely storybook cottage: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/555009_original-792769050d.jpg\" alt=\"bundora_cottage_LJ.jpg\" title=\"bundora_cottage_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are Kevin from the Wainfest library team, Ballyshannon librarian Colin Drummond, Donna from Wainfest, and David and Liam from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.easonletterkenny.ie/\">Eason Letterkenny\u003C/a>. (If you're quick, they might have some signed copies of our books in their shop!) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/557209_original-86457387bb.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWe taught school children in Ballyshannon Community Library how to draw Kevin the roly-poly flying pony, and quite a few of them took off and added lots of story elements (many containing biscuits).\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/557391_original-e44c91cb24.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n \\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/557780_original-7b09fa061f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/557933_original-88579ef17c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOur driver on the second day, Michael, took a slight detour on the way to \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilcar\">Kilcar\u003C/a> so we could see the gorgeous cliffs and beaches of the coastal road:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/558397_original-19971a2096.jpg\" alt=\"easons_ballyshannon_library_LJ.jpg\" title=\"easons_ballyshannon_library_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.aislann.ie/\">Aislann Chill Chartha\u003C/a> library is quite remote, and we ditched the regular \u003Ci>Legend of Kevin\u003C/i> stage show for a cosy comics making session with the kids who turned up. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/559079_original-9b5eccd615.jpg\" alt=\"ballyshannon_kidpics2_LJ.jpg\" title=\"ballyshannon_kidpics2_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThese Comic Jams really made me laugh! Each panel is created by a different person, and you can find out more about Comic Jams in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/writing-tips/writing-tips-for-teens/authors-tips/sarah-mcintyres-writing-workshop-making-a-comics-jam/\">some videos I made for Booktrust here\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/560361_original-6576b37791.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/559418_original-e8cbe74693.jpg\" alt=\"Kilcar_cliffs_ReeveMcIntyre_LJ.jpg\" title=\"Kilcar_cliffs_ReeveMcIntyre_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/558654_original-261a237e4d.jpg\" alt=\"ballyshannon_kidpics_LJ.jpg\" title=\"ballyshannon_kidpics_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/559848_original-0578f8721f.jpg\" alt=\"kilcar_cliffs_LJ.jpg\" title=\"kilcar_cliffs_LJ.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBundoran library was in a lovely converted church building and had this beautiful boat hanging from the ceiling:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/560665_original-da34354dc1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nProbably our most enthusiastic crowd came to us at Cardonagh Community Library, where librarians Gerard and Belinda had lots of our books on the shelves and the kids were eager to draw. But not just the kids! Local artist \u003Ca href=\"http://timstampton.com/\">Tim Stampton\u003C/a> heard about our visit and made a special trip in to talk with us. He's created an absolutely beautiful book of woodcut prints, called \u003Ci>The Hobby Horse\u003C/i>, exploring the origins of the hobby horse, then taking the form off into flights of fancy. He very kindly let me have a copy of the book, which I shall treasure. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/561182_original-f705f62ddd.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd then we had a mad sea monkey drawing session! And lots of other things, like magical pets, all picking up on themes from \u003Ci>The Legend of Kevin\u003C/i>. The kids did a great job singing the Sea Monkey Song, and really lifted our spirits!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/561140_original-9176ccdb93.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to the \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DonegalLibrary\">Donegal County Library Service\u003C/a> Wainfest team for bringing us out, and particular thanks to those librarians along our way who made an effort to spread the word, and were able to connect children with our books after we'd got them excited about reading them. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/561419_original-91784e660e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2018-10-15T11:00:00.000Z","donegal-libraries-tour-2018",[],"donegal libraries tour 2018",1776628729824]