Donegal Libraries win Island of Ireland Library of the Year award

Donegal County Council’s Library Service has been named the Island of Ireland Regional and Country Winner of Library of the Year at the British Book Awards for its groundbreaking Frances Browne Storytellers: Seeing Beyond Sight project.

Developed through Twin Towns Library in Stranorlar, the project celebrates the legacy of Donegal writer Frances Browne while creating opportunities for blind and vision-impaired writers to share their work.

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Supported by Creative Ireland and developed in partnership with Vision Ireland and the Frances Browne Literary Festival, the initiative brought together writers from across Ireland to participate in creative workshops and contribute to a unique anthology published in multiple accessible formats.

The resulting collection, Frances Browne Storytellers: Seeing Beyond Sight is available digitally through the BorrowBox app for library members and in large print and braille through the Donegal Studies Collection in any Donegal Library branch.

County Librarian Maureen Kerr welcomed the recognition and praised the impact of the initiative: “This award is a wonderful recognition of the creativity, ambition and inclusive ethos that defines Donegal Library Service. The Frances Browne Storytellers project demonstrates the unique role libraries play in empowering voices, preserving cultural heritage and creating opportunities for people to share their stories. We are incredibly proud of the participants, partners and staff who helped bring this project to life.”

The project was inspired by the life of Frances Browne, the Stranorlar-born writer who, despite losing her sight to smallpox in childhood, became a celebrated poet and author in the 19th century. Through the Frances Browne Storytellers initiative, Donegal Libraries sought to honour her legacy by creating a platform for contemporary voices to share their own experiences, creativity and perspectives.

Executive Librarian Sinead Noonan, who developed the project, said the award reflects the collective effort behind bringing the anthology to life: “From the earliest conversations about how best to honour Frances Browne’s legacy, this project has been rooted in collaboration, courage and creativity. What began as an idea to celebrate blind and vision-impaired writers in the spirit of Frances herself became something far more meaningful because of the generosity, talent and belief of everyone involved.”

Anthology editor and author Isla McGuckin reflected on the impact of the project:“Sharing our diverse stories matters. It's how we learn about others' lived experiences, begin to empathise and form deep connections with each other. So working on the Frances Browne Storytellers project - to shape a series of workshops into a range of accessibility-first anthologies - was the biggest privilege.”

The award places Donegal Libraries among the most innovative public library services across Ireland and the UK, recognising the powerful role libraries play in supporting creativity, inclusion and community storytelling.