Cork City Council Introduces Éanna the Owl to Help Children Embrace the Magic of Night

Cork City Council has launched Éanna the owl, a friendly character designed to help children and families discover the wonder of nighttime in the city. The initiative forms part of the council's broader Night-Time Economy Strategy and includes stargazing events, educational resources, and Halloween activities throughout October.

Éanna, a barn owl character, aims to transform how young people view darkness in urban life, encouraging curiosity and connection with nature after sunset rather than fear. The initiative arrives as autumn nights draw in across Cork.

In the downloadable storybook, Éanna lives in a busy city nestled between rolling hills and sea, with feathers as soft as moonlight and eyes that sparkle like stars. The wise owl's special job is helping children who are afraid of the dark by showing them the magic that lives in the night.

Through the story, Éanna takes a young girl named Lily on a journey above the city, revealing the nocturnal world below: bats catching midges, hedgehogs cleaning up gardens, moths pollinating flowers, and foxes moving silently through the grass. The gentle tale explains how darkness helps nature thrive and gives children's bodies time to rest and grow.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, welcomed the character's introduction.

"Éanna is a great example of how Cork is reimagining its night-time spaces to be inclusive, educational, and inspiring. By helping children feel safe and curious about the night, we're not only nurturing young minds but also strengthening our community's connection to the natural world. This is a thoughtful initiative, which reflects the spirit of innovation and care that defines our city."

The council has partnered with Munster Technological University's Blackrock Castle Observatory to launch a Stargazers' Club, with pop-up events allowing children to explore the night sky. The first event takes place on Saturday, 11 October, from 7pm to 8pm at the observatory, where children can bring their own telescopes.

Additional Stargazers' Club events will pop up across other locations in the coming weeks, with details announced on Cork City Council's social media channels.

Cork City Council's Night-Time Economy Advisor, Fiona Collins, explained the initiative's broader purpose.

Ms Collins said:

"Living in a city means finding harmony between light and dark. Éanna helps us reframe how we think about nighttime, not just as a space for adults or nightlife, but as a time full of potential for learning, creativity, and community."

The initiative includes free downloadable resources such as the storybook introducing Éanna's adventures, colouring pages, and materials for teachers and parents to discuss the importance of darkness for biodiversity, sleep and emotional wellbeing. The storybook teaches children that the night isn't empty but full of life, with many creatures needing the quiet and cool to thrive.

Cork's Night-Time Economy team is also supporting the Dragon of Shandon's Spooky Strolls as part of this year's Halloween celebrations, giving families another way to embrace the season in a positive light.

The council has chosen a barn owl as the character because these nocturnal creatures are rarely seen during the day and appear ghostly white at night. Their presence reminds us that much of Cork's wildlife is nocturnal and requires dark spaces to thrive.

Free resources and Éanna's story are available at Cork City Council's website.