A Celebration of Lighthouses and Stories for Cruinniú na nÓg

Young Storykeepers

Digital Magazine Vol. 1 Showcased June 13th

Launched last month as part of Cruinniú na nÓg’s 2020 programme, this year Ireland’s national day of free creative activities for children and young people under 18 takes place online on June 13th. Cruinniú na nÓg is a collaboration between the Department of Culture, Heritage and the  Gaeltacht, the Creative Ireland Programme, Local Authorities and RTÉ.

Volume 1 Showcased for Cruinniú na nÓg | June 13^th

Young Storykeepers from all around Ireland and overseas  submitted their imaginative creations in their droves!From swashbuckling stories to stop-motion animation, poems, illustrations and even a song or two, their efforts have been incredible.

Some of the feedback received from young authors and their parents:

“Please find attached my son’s lighthouse story. Thankyoufororganising this - it really caught his imagination. He could have written almost 5000 words he enjoyed it so much”

“I lovedwriting this story and learning about lighthouses.”

“With her writing she fights isolation, boredom, anxiety and who knows what in these exceptional times...please, consider, that (my daughter) is not a native speaker, she learns English only as a second language in school. We have never been in Ireland or seen a lighthouse, either. Keep up the good work, many greetings from Germany.”

With an impressive 1,249 entries submitted, these fantastic works will be showcased in a multi-volume digital magazine across the summer.

Volume One of the Young Storykeepers digital magazine will be live on both the Great Lighthouses of Ireland and the Fighting Words websites for Cruinniú na nÓg on June 13^th.

A number of stories have also been selected to be animated by the Fighting Words volunteer team of illustrators and animators and will be featured as part of the launch of Volume One.

All children who submitted a story will receive a family ticket to visit any one of Great Lighthouses of Ireland Visitor Attractions to be used in 2021.

Speaking about the collaboration, Yvonne Shields O’Connor, CEO, Irish Lights, said, “From the distant past to the present day, lighthouses play a vital role in ensuring safety at sea.

Lighthouses along with buoys and electronic aids are an important part of an interconnected system keeping our coasts safe and providing safe passage for local and international maritime traffic.   This is vital to our island ensuring that supplies like food, fuel, and medicine and so much more can reach us.

Lighthouses are evocative, powerful, and heroic and have inspired stories, poetry, and music.  We are delighted to now invite  our younger storytellers to bring their imagination to the fore and to capture the tale of a lighthouse in a way that is meaningful to them, and to allow them to become the next generation of young Storykeepers.”

For most of their history, lighthouses were run by lightkeepers, who ensured the guiding light was always on. While lighthouses are now automated, people can still visit them and learn their stories from the storykeepers who share the history, science, and technology of these special buildings.

Writers are also keepers of their stories that they create and share. In these uncertain times, creating stories keeps people interconnected and helps us all travel through life’s channels.”

Seán Love, Executive Director of Fighting Words, said, “For hundreds of years lighthouses have ensured the safety of seafarers by helping them find their way. Lighthouses are places of wonder that can provide safety and guidance on a journey through danger. Creating stories is another way that people help and guide each other. The symbolism of the lighthouse pushing us away to keep us safe is very apt right now as the nation contends with the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Great Lighthouses of Ireland and Fighting Words are extremely grateful for the media support provided by The Irish Times, our media partner for this initiative. 

For more about the initiative and to view Volume One of the Young Storykeepers digital magazine on June 13th, visit greatlighthouses.com/and  fightingwords.ie/

For further information, please contact: