Carlow County Childcare Committee

16/10/2026

National Childminding Week 2026 will be held from the 19th to 23rd October, to celebrate the important role Childminders play in the lives of children, families and communities right across Ireland.

For so many families, Childminders are a trusted partner, offering a welcoming home from home environment where children can learn through play, build confidence and develop meaningful relationships.

National Childminding Week aims to raise awareness of childminding, recognise your professionalism and commitment, and encourage greater understanding of the unique benefits that childminding offers.

16/10/2026

🇮🇪 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝘁!

Whether you have a cúpla focal, haven't spoken Irish since school, or are starting from scratch, a new online resource is making it easier for families to bring more Irish into everyday life.

𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 (𝗚𝗮𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗶𝗿í) is a new online hub launched by Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton to help parents and guardians support their children's learning and use of Irish at home.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱?

The website brings together practical resources for families of all language abilities, including:

🗣️ Everyday Irish phrases you can use at home

🎵 Songs, rhymes and activities to enjoy together

📚 Resources to help with Irish homework

🔊 Audio and pronunciation supports to build confidence

🎲 Games, videos and interactive learning resources

🚗 Simple ways to practise Irish during car journeys, bedtime and everyday routines

💙 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘆!

The resource is designed for families across all educational settings, including English-medium schools, Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools.

You don't need to know all the answers or speak perfect Irish. Even introducing a few words and phrases into everyday conversations can help children become more familiar with the language.

Developed by 𝗚𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀, with support from 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗲 and funding from the 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵, the hub aims to make learning Irish together more accessible, enjoyable and part of family life.

🔗 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

🇮🇪 English: https://irishforparents.ie/

🇮🇪 Gaeilge: https://ga.irishforparents.ie/

💬 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲?

Share it in the comments! 👇

16/10/2026

16/10/2026

We are delighted to have Helena Byrne - Storyteller & Singer for upcoming BABIES & TODDLERS STORYTIME & SONGS in all four library branches over the next couple of months, see poster for details!, Join Helena for a magical morning of interactive stories, nursery rhymes, fun & games.

*LET'S GO TO THE ZOO!*
Lions and Tigers and Bears! On this week's adventure, we're going to meet all our favourite zoo animals. Bring all your little monkeys along as we explore the sights and sounds of the zoo, from the cuuuutest penguins to the biiiiiggest elephants! Stories, songs, games and play abound!

BAGENALSTOWN LIBRARY - 10.30am Thurs Oct 15th
TULLOW LIBRARY - 11am Fri Oct 16th
CARLOW LIBRARY - 10.30am Sat Oct 17th

🥳📚📚👶🍼 Carlow County Council Libraries Ireland All About Carlow Carlow Parent Hub Carlow Public Participation Network - PPN Healthy Carlow Develop Tullow Association Clg. Carlow Mental Health Association Borris Town Hall Bagenalstown Family Resource Centre Carlow County Childcare Committee Bagenalstown / Muine Bheag Community Local Enterprise Office Carlow Bagenalstown Improvement Group Bagenalstown Swimming Club

16/10/2026

👉Musical Stories with Ali 🎶🎶
🗓️Saturday 17th October
📍Bagenalstown Library
⏰10am &
📍Borris Library
⏰11.30am
All Welcome, no booking required!
Suitable for 0 to 5yrs & their grown ups!
County CouncilLibraries IrelandAll About CarlowCarlow Parent HubHealthy CarlowBorris Town HallBagenalstown Family Resource CentreCarlow County Childcare CommitteeBagenalstown / Muine Bheag CommunityMini Musicians Ireland Ireland

16/10/2026

We are holding Always Children First Designated Liaison Person (DLP) Training for DLP and DDLP of ELC and SAC Services.
To book email: [email protected]

16/10/2026

Use this poster on numbers to prompt discussion and exploration with the children in your setting.

15/10/2026

National Childminding Week 19th - 23rd October 2026

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

✨ FREE CPD OPPORTUNITY – Discover the Magic of Storytelling & Puppetry!

📖 The Story of Sweet Porridge – Exploring the Wonder of a Fairy Tale

Join Ulrike Farnleitner and Heike Stenzel for a creative and inspiring CPD session exploring the magic of storytelling in early childhood.

Discover how to bring stories to life through beautiful story scenes, simple puppetry techniques and the wonderful power of imagination.

This engaging session will offer fresh ideas, practical inspiration and creative approaches to making storytelling a magical and meaningful part of every child's day.

🌈 Come along, be inspired and rediscover the wonder of storytelling!

Book here: https://ncn.ie/events/