Programme

10:30am

Seán Ronayne

Nature Boy – Illustrative talk with Seán Ronayne

Seán will bring you on a striking journey through Irish birds, sharing their sounds, stories and struggles.

11am

Various Poets

Poetry Ireland Review Issue 145

Join us as we launch Poetry Ireland Review Issue 145, Ireland’s pre-eminent poetry journal. Edited by Kerry resident, poet Victoria Kennefick, the launch will feature readings by some of the contributors including Victoria herself. 

12pm

Fergal Keane, Lindsey Hilsum, Conor Brosnan, Gail McConnell and Julian Borger

The Frank Hayes Memorial Lecture: Memory and Forgetting – The Use and Abuse of The Past

Fergal Keane and his guests consider whether memorialising the atrocities of the past makes any difference in preventing such events in the present.

1pm

Seán Farrell and June O’Sullivan

Daily Debuts: Seán Farrell and June O’Sullivan in conversation with Neil Hegarty

Frogs for Watchdogs is a dark, funny, tender and raw read from Seán Farrell.

June O’Sullivan’s The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife is a heart-breaking story of motherhood, survival and resilience set on the isolated island of Skellig Michael.

1pm

Lianne O’Hara

BABY

BABY is a dark comedy about baby envy and unsolicited advice from strangers.

2:30pm

Various Poets

Cúirt Filíochta

Irish Language Poets read their work

2:30pm

Christine Dwyer Hickey

Our London Lives with Christine Dwyer Hickey

Multi-award winning author, of six novels including Tatty, which was chosen as UNESCOs Dublin One City One Book, Christine Dwyer Hickey will discuss her latest epic literary novel, Our London Liveswith Niall MacMonagle.

3pm

Tony Guerin

Tony Guerin a Retrospective & Launch

A reflection on the life and writings of Listowel author Tony Guerin.

4pm

Nathan Thrall

Nathan Thrall – A Day in the Life of Abed Salama

In 2024, he received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for A Day in the Life of Abed Salama. An international bestseller, it was translated into more than two dozen languages, selected as a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and named a best book of the year by over twenty publications, including The New Yorker, The Economist, and Time. 

5pm

Eileen Sheehan, Dr. Paddy Bushe & Lorraine Carey

Celebrating Kerry Voices

A celebration of the Kingdom’s rich literary tradition featuring esteemed writers rooted in the cultural and creative life of Kerry.

6pm

Julian Borger

Julian Borger – I seek a Kind Person

As an esteemed international journalist with experience covering the Balkan wars and the Snowden files, work which won him a Pulitzer, Julian Borger discusses his second book, I seek a Kind Person which delves into his own family’s history.

7:30pm

Victoria Kennefic, Moya Cannon & Gabriel Fitzmaurice. 

Rita Ann Higgins at 70 with Moya Cannon and Victoria Kennefick

A special event celebrating decades of wonderful writing by poet Rita Ann Higgins with readings of her work from award winning poets Victoria Kennefick and Moya Cannon and moderated by Gabriel Fitzmaurice. 

8pm

Flavour of the Month Productions

The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Set in the mountains of Connemara, it tells the story of Maureen Folan, a plain and lonely woman in her early 40’s, and Mag, her manipulative, aging mother. 

9:30pm

Andy Irvine & Fergal Keane

Music and Memories: Andy Irvine with Fergal Keane

This special musical evening will feature Ireland’s greatest folk singer-songwriter. Andy Irvine will chat to Fergal Keane about his life and his life in music and perform some of his wonderful songs.