About fifteen readers took a chair at Wexford Town Library on Thursday 30 July 2026 and read for an hour while Thunderclap Murphy played. The events room is at the front of the building, glazed floor to ceiling on two sides, with the street on one and the garden on the other. The library supplied books, including staff picks, and the invitation was to bring one or pick one off the shelves. Phones stayed away for the hour.
Thunderclap Murphy played throughout, improvising and looping live from acoustic and electronic instruments, including flute, saxophone, guitar and keyboard. Four speakers stood at the corners of the space, so the sound arrived from all sides rather than from a stage. It ran continuously for the hour: sparse at the start, gathering through the middle, settling back toward quiet at the end.
Everyone who came was invited to write on a feedback card afterwards. What follows is what they wrote, published with their permission.
What readers said
I like to read in silence but the music made me more immersed in my book, like in a bubble, like I was nowhere else, and fully present.
Sara, Wexford
Plenty of substance without being intrusive in any way.
Terry, Dublin
Music sat so well with reading — almost created a cinematic experience in the mind merging the book content and music composition.
Paula, Wexford
Relaxing, enjoyable, interesting mix. I was pleased that we couldn’t use our phones — are constantly distracted by it!
Tina, Wexford
This is a wonderful event idea! No commitment to a book club, easy to drop in.
Katie, Castlebridge
It provided a lovely ambience, helped focus on the book more and just ‘zone out’.
Anonymous
What they asked for next
The request that came back most often was for another one.
Excellent idea to do this. Again please.
Mark, Wexford
Would love this hosted again — in the evening so more accessible.
Paula, Wexford
Please do more of this.
Anonymous
Yes, the minute break, I thought hurry up and start again please!
Karen, Wexford
Thanks
To Wexford Town Library and its staff, who took this on at short notice, helped carry the equipment in and set the room up, and were welcoming and helpful throughout.
Wexford Town Library ran this as a free pilot. If your library is thinking about something similar, there is more on how a reading hour works in a library, or you can get a plan and a fee within the week.