Strokestown International Poetry Festival is now in its thirteenth successful year. It takes place over the first weekend in May and aims to provide a forum for excellence in poetry, of different types and in both English and Irish, and to create new audiences for poetry. The weekend consists of readings from poets across the spectrum, well-known and new voices - approximately twenty-four readings over three days.

Bigger and better than ever, not only will our line-up feature the best of Irish and International authors, we will also be hosting very special events to celebrate Dublin’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature joining Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa as Cities of Literature.

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The Flat Lake festival is a sumptuous weekend of creativity set in the glorious Hilton Park Estate in Co. Monaghan. It offers just about everything including film screenings, theatrical debuts, literary and historical talks, heated debate, poetry recitals, eccentric discourse, children's entertainment, sticks of rock, campfire camraderie and delicious food and drink.

For more information and to book tickets:

Telephone:+353 (0)47 38 162
www.theflatlakefestival.com

Events that mark the day that James Joyce's Ulysses takes place. Performances, discussions, readings, walking tours, film screenings and fancy dress parties in various locations around Dublin, Ireland and worldwide.

For more information about events happening throughout Ireland and around the world click here>>>>

Established in 1970 with the first festival taking place in 1971, this festival is recognised by those in the know as one of the most important literary events in the country. The reason for its success over the years is that the festival takes place in a unique atmosphere of learning and celebration which gives new and established writers an opportunity to discuss their work before a national and international audience.

Full details on www.writersweek.ie or email info@writersweek.ie Tel: 068 21074

Enjoy superb storytelling and music in Cape Clear’s spectacular scenic surroundings. Situated off the South West Coast of Ireland, this renowned weekend is now in its 17th year, each year gaining remarkable success. 

September marks the second anniversary of VISUAL & The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow and to celebrate The GB Shaw Theatre will present a week-long theatre festival, The Irish Stage. The festival will present some of the most significant figures in Irish Theatre alongside Carlow’s own local offerings. To begin the celebrations, the Town Hall Theatre, Galway will present Faith Healer by Brian Friel. Following Faith Healer , the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, tours to The GB Shaw Theatre with their production of B for Baby by Carmel Winters. Winner of The Irish Times Best New Play award in 2010, B for Baby has been described by The Sunday Times as “a solid evening’s entertainment” and by The Telegraph as a “wonderful bundle of perturbing laughs”. B for Baby was Carmel Winters’ first play at the Abbey Theatre and her first full-length play to be professionally produced.  Her debut film Snap , which she wrote and directed, received its world premiere at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York and went on to collect the prestigious Variety Critic’s Choice Award at the Karlovy-Vary International Film Festival. The festival also features a host of other activities such as theatre workshops, post-show discussions with the cast, a talk by the Abbey Theatre Literary Department, a Lunchtime Storytellers session ‘Irish Writing Special’ and a pre-theatre performance of ‘The Life of a Sofa’ by Carlow Little Theatre Society.

This year at our festival we have poets from eight countries. From Ireland we have poets writing in Irish such as Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, and Irish poets writing in English such as Kerry Hardie and Thomas McCarthy, as well as many others, both established poets and some with their first book published.The United States is represented by senior poet Gregory Orr from Virginia, not only a great poet and teacher of poetry but a veteran activist of the Civil Rights movement. From America comes also ethnic Palestinian Nathalie Handal and Cork exile, now US citizen, Greg Delanty. From the UK we have poets and industry luminaries Fiona Sampson and
Neil Astley who will be making a special presentation from his Being Human anthology - the latest in a phenomenal best-selling series. Poets from Canada, Croatia, Italy, New Zealand and Slovenia are also represented. Emerging poets will be given a chance through the PreBookedEvent. We will have a reading by the prizewinner of the third Gregory
O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize and poets wishing to hone their skills
can sign up for the four day Masterclass Workshop with Greg Delanty.

To download a festival programme click here>>>>