‘Buy less, play more’ with Toy Library

Established in 2020 in the town’s workhouse, Carrickmacross Toy Library is the first and largest facility of its kind in the country, with over 1,000 toys in stock. It has since moved to the old Carrickmacross Shopping Centre.

Dave Marron, Manager and Jill Kennon, CEO, met with the Celt recently to provide an extensive overview of the social enterprise, its mission, services, growth and impact.

Carrickmacross is the hub for Toy Libraries Ireland and a model of best practice.

Toy Libraries have been around for over a century and are really big in Australia, Jill revealed. The facility is all about reducing waste and encouraging sustainable consumption. “We’re just conditioned to consume,” Jill noted, but the toy library offers an alternative approach. The organisation’s slogan is ‘Buy Less, Play More.’

“Approximately 70% of our toys came via donation, all sourced second-hand, pre-loved,” Jill explained, while additional items are purchased to fill gaps in the collection. The organisation deliberately maintains high standards for the toys it accepts. They ask people not to leave items outside their door, but to email pictures with a description.

Annual membership of the toy library is €35. Dave explained: “It works like a book library ... except for toys.” Members borrow items for three weeks and can renew them if the toy has not been reserved by another family. Jill highlighted that children often learn valuable lessons in “sharing” from the borrowing model.

The collection serves children up to eight years, although older children continue to benefit from the board games and educational resources. Toys are organised digitally through the library’s online catalogue, allowing members to browse and reserve items in advance.

Dave spoke from personal experience as a parent. When his son was learning to walk, the family borrowed learn-to-walk toys rather than purchasing bulky items they would only use temporarily. Once developmental milestones were reached, they returned them and borrowed age-appropriate alternatives. This approach helped avoid clutter while ensuring access to suitable developmental resources.

The toy library serves grandparents too. Dave noted that many older members have grandchildren of different ages and interests. They can borrow suitable items for visits and return them afterwards. He also encouraged parents who were thinking of purchasing a toy to “try before you buy” at the toy library.

The organisation lends a wide variety of equipment too. Jill explained that members can borrow soft-play sets, which cost €10 a week. Other items include lightweight umbrella strollers, blackout blinds, baby equipment, fancy dress outfits and even a PA system for parties.

Stay and Play

The toy library also hosts stay-and-play sessions where parents actively engage with their children rather than dropping them off. The Toy Library offers sensory sessions and quieter pre-bookable periods too. A dedicated schools membership programme allows borrowing of educational resources for longer periods.

Education around sustainability forms a major component of the organisation’s outreach work. In partnership with Kingspan, staff deliver lessons on the circular economy. These lessons teach children where products come from, how they are manufactured, transported, used, and eventually disposed of. Jill explained that the goal is to help children understand environmental impacts and to encourage borrowing rather than buying.

Funding remains an ongoing challenge. Jill commented that the organisation is independent, operates as a charity and is dependent on grants. To support fundraising, the organisation operates a pop-up shop called ‘Cubs Conscious’ in Crafty Coffee, Castleblayney, selling curated second-hand clothing and toys.

Jill also runs ‘Monaghan Baby Child Free Cycle’ on Facebook, which has over 1,400 members. The group enables families to pass on children’s items free of charge, further supporting circular-economy principles.

For further information visit the website: www.cmxtoylibrary.ie.

Opening hours are: Mondays and Fridays: 9am–12 midday; Wednesday: 2–5:30pm; and alternating Saturdays: 11am–3pm.