Celebrating International Women's Day 2016 at Carlow County Library Service

Carlow County Library

Carlow County Library Service teamed up with County Carlow Womens Network

This year Carlow County Library Service teamed up with County Carlow Womens Network to provide a full day of events for the Women of Carlow Town and County.

"The women of today are not only under pressure at work, but are juggling other commitments, such as caring for young children and elderly family members, not to mention household chores, when they get home after a busy day. It's worrying to learn that many don't seek medical help, as stress can have significant long-term impact on a person's health", says Sandra Nolan from Carlow County Womens Network.

"Our aim for International Womens Day 2016 was to provide some stress busting tools for women of all ages and background so we joined forces with Carlow County Library Service to ensure that the programme of events organised certainly provided that", she adds.

The Shaw Room at Carlow Central Library provided a beautiful setting for the days events which included:

Mindfulness with Karl Duffy.
Karl Duffy is the social inclusion officer for Carlow County Development Partnership and introduced the day with an overview of mindfulness and the necessity for practicing mindfulness in todays busy world.

Colouring for Mindfulness.
Ladies came together and combined creativeness and mindfulness in the form of Colouring. Mindful Colouring has become extremely popular and scientific research has proven that it provides relaxation, reduces stress and increases our ability to focus.

Films for females.
The Shaw room was transformed into a movie theatre and Carlows ladies relaxed and by watching the Judi Dench lead an all-star cast. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, is a sweet-natured film about British seniors in India who have made a bold decision: to spend their twilight years in the retirement hotel of the title a shabby, chaotic place in Jaipur, where their meagre pensions will go further.

Evening Meditation.
Well-known local business woman Bridget Price hosted an evening of guided meditation. Bridget, an acclaimed holistic practitioner and owner of Rainbow healing, created a peaceful environment and lead a beautiful guided meditation nurturing a sense of calm and providing a fantastic stress relieving atmosphere.

Carlow County Library Services organised an exhibition of their Mind Matters collection on the day. Visitors to the events explored the hundreds of titles available to them to encourage meditation, mindfulness and peace of mind.

"We were delighted to partner with a vibrant group like County Carlow Womens Network", says John Shortall, County Librarian, "and we are very grateful to the volunteers like Karl and Bridget who also joined us to ensure that the Women of Carlow were acknowledged and empowered on their International Day."