Location: The Heritage Centre

Tickets €25 including booking fee

Open to all. Participants are asked to bring and read a poem by another poet that sticks in their memory. We will ask why it is memorable, and draw on this to ask how to use and create memory when writing a poem.

Born in Cork, Theo Dorgan has just published his second novel, CAMARADE, with Mercier Press. He is an award-winning poet, novelist, documentary screenwriter, translator, essayist and editor, with ten collections of poetry published; the most recent, ONCE WAS A BOY, received the accolade of One City, One Book 2024 in his native city.

Location: Bere Island Hotel

Admission is free but ticketed – reserve your spot today!

A successful addition to the programme last year, and well attended by locals, this is a chance for all ages to try a cúpla focal in a comfortable and supportive environment. Take time to have a morning coffee / tea and scone while having a chat with fellow islanders and visitors to the festival. This event is suitable for all levels of Irish. Tea and scones will be provided. We are looking forward to seeing you on the day.

Location: Wild Atlantic Glamping

€30 including booking fee and materials

The pinhole workshop will explore the making of pinhole cameras, creating negative images and then producing a positive black and white photographic print. Some cameras will be available as well as the opportunity and details for participants to make their own cameras.

Location: The Drill Hall

Admission is free but ticketed – reserve yours today!

Born in Boston, John O’Leary lived in Allihies for thirty five years on a farm which his grandfather had bought. There John bred Irish draught horses and over many years was central to the cultural life of the area. He was a man of many and varied interests, an avid reader and a ground-breaking poet. John loved the sea and he always said that his ambition was “to write a wave”. He published two books of poetry, “Salt” in 2003 and “Sea” in 2004. John also spent time as a visiting Professor at the Wesleyan University of Illinois and Seattle University.

Location: The Drill Hall

€10 including booking fee

Amanda Coogan is celebrated for her compelling durational performance practice. Her works are immersive, non-verbal, embodied experiences. She explores contested sites and minority narratives, distilling these into urgent contemporary performances. Using gesture, context and time, Coogan’s multi-faceted works leave ghostly trails in the memory. Sign Language is a touchstone in her practice, born hearing to Deaf parents, this visual and manual upbringing deeply informs her work. Coogan stands at the forefront of some of the most exciting durational performances in contemporary art. 

'Coogan, whose work usually entails ritual, endurance and cultural iconography, is the leading practitioner of performance in the country'.  The Irish Times. 

Location: The Lecture Theatre

Tickets: €38 including booking fee

Icons, trailblazers, and legends of Irish music - Stockton's Wing, are embarking on a tour to launch their new live album 'Hometown'. Hitting every county on the island in 2024, they will be visiting venues in villages, towns, and cities in every corner of Ireland, from Dublin to Donegal, Antrim to Cork, Wexford to Clare. Stockton's Wing have a reputation for being one of Ireland's most exciting live bands, their shows are filled with energy and passion, as well as an incredible sense of fun.

Support act: Torcán