A successful literary festival
Packed programme for Dromineer Nenagh Literary Festival
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Dromineer Nenagh Literary Festival Committee - back row: Margaret Folan, Virginia O’Dowd, Geraldine Cronin, Kate McGrath. Front: Ellen Whelan, Geraldine McNulty, Catherine Lahiff. Odhran DucieImage 2 of 12
‘Celebrating Local Voices’ was the opening event. Featuring were Sean O’Connor (poet), Siobhan MacGowan (author), Eleanor Hooker (poet) and Colin Kenny (singer/songwriter). Odhran DucieImage 3 of 12
Nessan, Colette and Kate Heduan attending the ‘Paddy Goes to Petra’ event during the festival. Odhran DucieImage 4 of 12
Colin Kenny performing at the ‘Celebrating Local Voices’ event at the festival. Odhran DucieImage 5 of 12
Liam Moloney, Grainne McDonnell and Brian McLaughlin. attending the Paddy Goes to Petra event at DNLF 2023. PHOTO: ODHRAN DUCIE Odhran DucieImage 6 of 12
Enjoying the festival were Eimear Ryan, Joanne O’Riordan and Ciarán Murphy, who were part of a fantastic event about happenings in the GAA, which took place in the new tipi at the Abbey Court Hotel. Odhran DucieImage 7 of 12
Margaret Folan (Committee, DNLF), Melanie Scott (Arts Officer, Tipperary County Council) and Geraldine McNulty (Chairperson, DNLF) in Dromineer at the ‘Under Water on the Water’ event during the festival. Odhran DucieImage 8 of 12
All set to board the Ku-ee-tu in Dromineer for the ‘Under Water on the Water’ event at Dromineer Nenagh Literary Festival 2023. PHOTOs: ODHRAN DUCIE Odhran DucieImage 9 of 12
Stephen McNamara and Sinead Lee attending the ‘Guinness Girls & Kick Kennedy’ event at during the festival. Odhran DucieImage 10 of 12
Mary Slattery and Wendy Gallahue attending the ‘Guinness Girls & Kick Kennedy’ event at Solsborough House during the festival. Odhran DucieImage 11 of 12
Lia Hynes interviewed Emily Hourican at the ‘Guinness Girls & Kick Kennedy’ event hosted by Solsborough House. Odhran DucieImage 12 of 12
Margaret Mounsey welcomes Francis Brennan to Ashley Park House during the festival. Odhran DucieWith over a dozen events spread over four days (including children’s poetry prize giving) and a big rise in audience figures, this year’s Dromineer Nenagh Literary Festival was a great success. Local voices were very well represented with Siobhan MacGowan, Eleanor Hooker and Sean O’Connor whose packed event opened the festival. On her first visit to the festival, Emma Donoghue was thrilled to be there and the audience was delighted with both her readings and her interview with Sinead Gleeson.
Friday night saw the festival’s first writer in residence, Vona Groarke, take the stage at Nenagh Arts Centre with Kit De Waal and RTÉ Radio 1’s Paula Shields in the chair. Both discussed writing fiction, poetry and memoir. Both authors delivered very successful workshops on the Saturday morning.
The historic and beautifully restored Nenagh Castle was the perfect venue for Robert O’Byrne’s discussion of his book ‘Left Without a Handkerchief’ with Vona Groarke. Over the course of an hour the audience was treated to a great discussion about the destruction of big houses in Ireland during the 1920s and the historical impact this had. Beautiful music was provided by Cathy Ryan’s singing and Laura O’Sullivan on Irish harp.
Saturday afternoon also saw a lively debate/ discussion about the GAA with Moneygall author Eimear Ryan (The Grass Ceiling) and Ciaran Murphy of the Second Captains and author of This is The Life. Both were chaired brilliantly by the remarkable activist and sports journalist, Joanne O’Riordan. On the Saturday event, RTÉ ‘s Rick O’Shea expertly interviewed crime novelists Andrea Mara and Cathryn Ryan Howard about their writing craft and making a living from their writing.
The unseasonably warm day on Sunday (22 degrees!) started off in the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Ballycommon with a screening of Donal O’Ceallchoir’s beautiful meditation on Suantrí poetry sung by Fiona Kelleher. Environmental writer and broadcaster, Anya Murray, was at the screening and afterwards Donal interviewed her about her book, Wild Embrace - a gentle and effective antidote to eco-anxiety, as she awakens us to the unseen wonders of Ireland’s natural world.
The festival then headed to Dromineer Quay where the Ku-ee-tu set sail with free diver Claire Walsh and journalist Liadan Hynes on board with a packed audience. Having moored across the lake, the audience was treated to an on-board interview about Claire’s beautiful book, Under Water. As Claire said herself at that start of the talk: ‘If Carlsberg made venues . . . . . .’
The huge generosity of Willian and Emma Kennedy must be acknowledged. For the second time they have given over their beautiful home to the festival for an afternoon. This year – what could have been a more appropriate event than Emily Hourican describing the life and times of Kick Kennedy – houseguest of Chips Channon and Lady Honor Guinness in the 1930s.
The festival concluded with and evening in the company of Francis Brennan, the well-known hotelier and star of ‘At Your Service’ in the sumptuous setting of Ashley Park House. Interviewed by Emily Hourican, he delighted the packed out audience with his wit, anecdotes and wisdom.