Summer Stars Reading Adventure, Monaghan Libraries

Summer Stars, the national free reading programme for children, is running in every Monaghan branch library through the summer holidays, having started locally on 26 June and continuing to 31 August 2026. Any child can join for free at their local library branch, whether that is Monaghan Town, Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Ballybay or Clones, and take part at their own pace over the summer.

What to expect

Children pick their own reading, whether picture books, graphic novels, audiobooks or longer fiction, and there is no set list or reading level to hit. Each child gets a Summer Stars Reading Card at registration, and library staff add a stamp to the card for every book finished, building toward small rewards and incentives as the summer goes on. The national programme also runs online games and activities alongside the in library card and stamp system, so children who are travelling or between library visits can still take part. It is designed to keep reading part of the school holidays without turning it into homework, and Monaghan’s five branch libraries all run the same format, so a child can register at one branch and drop into stamp collecting at another while on holiday elsewhere in the county.

Getting there

Monaghan Town Library is on the ground floor of the Peace Campus on Plantation Road, a short walk from Monaghan bus station and from Glaslough Street. The other four branches, in Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Ballybay and Clones, are all in their respective town centres.

While you’re in Monaghan

The Peace Campus also houses Monaghan County Museum, so a library visit for Summer Stars pairs easily with a free look around the museum on the same trip. There is more to see in Monaghan and across Co. Monaghan.

Good to know

• Runs: 26 June to 31 August 2026, self paced, drop in during normal opening hours
• Venue: All five Monaghan County Library branches, anchored here at Monaghan Town Library, Peace Campus, Plantation Road, Monaghan
• Price: Free, open to all children
• How to join: Register at any Monaghan branch library to get a Summer Stars Reading Card
• Recurrence: Runs every summer; this is the 2026 edition