Farmleigh Family Fun Day

Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland’s most successful and dynamic book festivals, running since 2006 in the heart of Ireland’s capital with its rich literary history. ​This annual public festival is a celebration of Ireland’s writers and publishers. It showcases, supports and develops Irish writers and publishing by programming and promoting Irish books and their authors, editors and contributors, all in an entertaining, festive, friendly and accessible environment.Dublin Book Festival 2026 will take place across Dublin City from 4 - 8 November  2026For general queries please emailinfo@dublinbookfestival.com

Dublin Book Festival

A fun-filled summer day of literary and creative events for all the family to enjoy at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park.

Farmleigh House & Estate

Dublin Book Festival, in collaboration with the OPW, is delighted to present a fun-filled summer day of literary and creative events for all the family to enjoy, all taking place in the beautiful gardens of Farmleigh House and Estate in the Phoenix Park.Hear author Erika McGann read from her latest book, let illustrator Clive McFarland show you how he created the illustrations and then try your own hand at drawing some of the characters! Join a fun and interactive event with author Shane Hegarty. Take to the mat and throw some yoga shapes with The Aquatic Yogi Paul Donnelly, with rest breaks to enjoy readings from author and storyteller Oein DeBhairduin’s latest book. Explore the surrounds of Farmleigh House with wildlife artist and author Aga Grandowicz as she leads you on a scavenger hunt and workshop. Get your next book recommendation from the Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic Doctors, then try your hand at several musical instruments at the Music Generation Dublin City workshop, before a performance for all the family to enjoy and join in.We’ll also have plenty of drop-in activities, including a self-led family scavenger hunt to enjoy in your own time, bookshop browsing, our children’s book swap stand, and our creative doodle station. So come on down to Farmleigh on Sunday August 6th for our festival events and a stroll around the beautiful grounds, not forgetting to pay a little visit to the resident Farmleigh animals!1 ticket must be booked per person attending. This is a FREE event. Alternatively you can register for a Donation ticket should you wish to donate to DBF at the time of your booking. P﻿lease note we will be capturing candid imagery at this event for use on our social media.Please visit the Farmleigh website for further information to help <a href="https://www.farmleigh.ie/how-to-find-us/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">plan your visit.</a>*﻿**Full Event DetailsProse &amp; Pose Yoga and Storytime: Animal Capers Family Edition with Paul Donnelly (The Aquatic Yogi) and Oein DeBhairduinThis is a limited capacity event and additional booking is required <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/prose-pose-yoga-and-storytime-tickets-671387105907?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">HERE</a>11am - 11.45amAge guideline: 5 -10 year olds (adults can join in)Let your inner lion roar? Can you walk like a seal? Spend an afternoon finding your inner warrior through a fun interactive yoga storytime for all the family to get involved. Mark your territory and throw some shapes on the mat with author and storyteller Oein DeBhairduin reading from his new book The Slug and the Snail, encouraging you to step inside your imagination. Just bring your ‘litter’ and a mat.Dress code: Come as your favourite animal - Fancy Dress Encouraged!*﻿Standing on One Leg Reading and Draw-along with Erika McGann and Clive McFarland11.45am – 12.30pmAge guideline: 4yrs+Join Erika McGann and Clive McFarland as they read and draw from their new book, Standing on One Leg is HARD. With fun animal facts and games, you’ll learn to draw some cute characters from the book, including your very own little heron chick!*﻿The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams with Shane Hegarty 12.40pm - 1.25pmAge guideline: 7+Join author Shane Hegarty for a fun and interactive event, with the audience creating their own magical ideas, as he takes you on a rip-roaring adventure with The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams: Perilous Pineapple Plot, his third book in a comic, heart-warming illustrated series. It’s the Festival of Pirates in Splottpool, and Limpet is looking after his evil little sister, Eve, whilst his mum helps out with the festival. Mrs Cricket has also asked the kids to mind the fairy garden in the middle of the roundabout while she goes away for a week – to avoid all the piratey chaos.Trouble is brewing as they discover Mr Fluffy’s super-healthy sister has opened a smoothie palace, whose healthy fruit smoothies seem to have amazingly magical effects on the customers. But not all is as it seems with the super healthy smoothies and it’s up to Limpet to save the day, the shop – and even his evil little sister – if he must.*﻿Deer Discovery: Art Workshop &amp; Scavenger Hunt for Children at Farmleigh House with Aga Grandowicz, a Wildlife Artist and Author This is a limited capacity event and additional booking is required <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/deer-discovery-art-workshop-scavenger-hunt-for-children-tickets-671405430717?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">HERE</a>.1.30pm – 2.30pm Age guideline: 6 – 9 year oldsCalling all young nature enthusiasts and budding artists! Embark on an extraordinary art workshop and scavenger hunt at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Young artists will dive into the captivating world of deer, while also enjoying an exciting quest based on Aga Grandowicz&#x27;s book Remarkable Creatures: a guide to some of Ireland’s disappearing animals.During this workshop, children will unleash their artistic talents as they learn to draw deer and discover fascinating facts about these magnificent creatures. But the adventure doesn&#x27;t end there! Participants will also embark on a scavenger hunt inspired by Aga Grandowicz&#x27;s book. Explore Farmleigh and its surroundings, following clues and searching for hidden treasures related to Ireland&#x27;s disappearing animals. This interactive activity will enhance knowledge and engagement, making the experience more memorable.Note: Participants are encouraged to bring a copy of Remarkable Creatures: a guide to some of Ireland’s disappearing animals by Aga Grandowicz, but it is not mandatory for participation.*﻿CBI Book Clinic In partnership with Children’s Books Ireland12pm – 4pmAge guideline: 5 – 11 year oldsAre you a young reader? Looking for a new series to delve into? Feeling uninspired by your bookshelves at home? Then pop along to the Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic! Chat to the Book Doctor, consult on your favourite reads and leave with a prescription for your next book which you can take to your local bookshop or library!Children’s Books Ireland Book Doctors give guidance about books to children and their families. Based on an informal chat, the white coat-clad Children’s Books Ireland Book Doctors recommend excellent books for any age of young reader, supported by Children’s Books Ireland’s many reading resources.All families are welcome to the Book Clinic, regardless of ability, need or barriers to reading. Every child leaves the Book Clinic with their own individual Book Prescription and a copy of Children’s Books Ireland’s Reading Guide. The Book Clinic operates on a drop-in basis. Each Book Doctor consultation will be 15 minutes in duration. The Book Doctor will have time to meet a maximum of 16 children over the course of the clinic so places are strictly limited and will be offered on a first-come, first served basis.*﻿Music Generation Dublin City Workshop 2.30pm – 4pmAge guideline: All the familyLet the music begin! Join us to try a range of instruments alongside tutors from Music Generation Dublin City. This workshop will allow children to move around and explore different instruments with the guidance of professionals. Followed by a musical performance for all the family to enjoy. *﻿Farmleigh Family Scavenger Hunt 11.30am- 3.30pmAll the FamilyPick up your clues at registration and get exploring the grounds at Farmleigh then return for your prize!Doodle Station 11.30am- 4pmAll the FamilyBring your imagination for inspiration and get drawing at our doodle hang-out where you can use leaves and other nature items to add to your artwork! Or get creative and design your own bookmark.Children’s Book Swap 11.30am- 4pmAll the familyBring an old book to swap for one from our book swap stand!

Children’s Books Ireland is the national books organisation of Ireland. Through their many activities and events they aim to engage young people with books, foster a greater understanding of the importance of books for young people and act as a core resource for those with an interest in books for children in Ireland. One of their missions is to champion every child’s right to excellent books and live literature events and support the artists who make that goal possible across the island of Ireland.Oein de Bhairduin is from Galway in the west of Ireland. He loves stories, new and old, long shared and freshly told. It brings joy to his heart to read and tell tales from and about his community, the Mincéirí. He works in the National Museum of Ireland where he collects the objects and their stories that connect our past to our present and hopeful futures. Yoga has been a constant in Paul Donnelly’s life for the past 10 years and recently he decided to become a yoga teacher to help bring yoga to the wider community, highlighting the benefits of it on both physical and mental well being. Yoga should be accessible to all. Since starting to teach he has found his interest lies in community yoga, from mens groups to trans and non binary yoga for the LGBT community but his love of The Arts has helped him approach yoga with a twist creating Prose &amp; Pose Yoga Poetry to make the experience a more deeper connecting immersive experience. An all year round sea swimmer he is determined to find some way to bring yoga upon the waves. But let’s not hold our breaths for that, or maybe we should hold our breath just in case.Aga Grandowicz is a multi-award-winning art director, graphic designer and wildlife artist based in Dublin, Ireland. Aga’s first wildlife book created together with Rob Maguire – ‘Dr Hibernica Finch’s Compelling Compendium of Irish Animals’ (published by Little Island in 2018) – was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards 2018, Literacy Ireland Children’s Book Award 2019, and won Aga the Honour Award for Illustration in CBI’s Book of the Year Award 2019. Her second, extremely well-received book – ‘Remarkable Creatures: a guide to some of Ireland’s disappearing animals’, was published in 2021 by Natural World Publishing. Since the book’s publication, Aga has been involved in working on wildlife - and biodiversity- related projects.Clive McFarland was raised in Omagh, Co. Tyrone and graduated from Liverpool School of Art and Design. He is an author and illustrator of several picture books, including A Bed for Bear, Caterpillar Dreams and The Fox and the Wild. He lives in Northern Ireland.Erika McGann grew up in Drogheda, Co. Louth, and now lives in Dublin. She is the author of several children’s books, including the ‘Cass and the Bubble Street Gang’ series, and picture books Where Are You, Puffling?, Wee Donkey’s Treasure Hunt, Cá Bhfuil Puifín Beag? (translated by Muireann Ní Chíobháin), Puffling and the Egg, all illustrated by Gerry Daly, and The Night-time Cat and the Plump, Grey Mouse, illustrated by Lauren O’Neill. Her children’s novels include Tabitha Plimtock and the Edge of the World and The Strange World of Barnabus Kwerk.Music Generation Dublin City provides a variety of music programmes for children and young people around the Dublin City area. Professional musicians facilitate learning on a wide range of instruments, voice and music technology across all styles of music. Through partnerships across the city we aim to offer rich and diverse musical opportunities to young people. Music Generation Dublin City is managed by the Dublin City Music Education Partnership, led by the City of Dublin Education and Training Board in partnership with Dublin City Council.

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Farmleigh Family Fun Day

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