Dromineer Nenagh Literary Festival

This opening event brings together lyricism and music from Helen Hutchinson, Linda McKenna, Michael Dooley and Bríd Kenny.

Diarmaid Ferriter’s new book The Revelation of Ireland demonstrates how we live in a very different country now to the one it was in the mid-1990s. Dramatic economic, social and cultural changes, including the Celtic Tiger boom and increasingly secular debate about abortion, the status of women and same-sex marriage underlined the scale of the transformation.

In this event 3 brilliant contemporary Irish writers will discuss their recent debut novels.

To mark his 70th birthday, Michael Harding took a holiday in Spain, walking a short part of the Camino de Santiago in the early summer of 2024. But as he set off on this pilgrimage, Harding wasn’t alone. Accompanying him was his father, who passed away when Michael was just twenty-two. A man who was distant and aloof, but who had a profound effect on the writer’s life. In his new memoir, Harding travels back in time to the Ireland of his youth, to the Holy Wells and pubs he visited in a search for a sense of connection and he begins to unpack the long ago trauma of losing a father he never really knew

Dilemma and Delusion: An introduction to the short story form with Writing Coach Niamh Mulvey, Saturday, 12th October at 10am-1pm, Nenagh Tourist Office, Tickets €30 This workshop is for anyone who wants to learn more about how to write a short...

Fred & Alice is a quirky love story about 2 amazing mischievous characters who meet in a home. It wasn’t really a home but Fred always called it a home because that was where he lived, and if you are not living at home then where are you? It was love at first sight for Alice. Fred didn’t talk to her again for years but then eventually Fred got used to her and it was love at first sight for him too.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” – Rachel Carson, Silent Spring Poet Jane Clarke will lead a workshop exploring how poetry helps us fine-tune our senses and pay attention to the wonders and realities of our threatened world.

For 25 years, Gay Byrne received thousands of letters from listeners all over Ireland. Some of these were lighthearted and innocent, but others were more challenging. While many people didn't feel comfortable sharing their issues with their closest family and friends, they felt that they could trust Gay. And, so, they wrote in droves... Lovingly compiled by Gay's daughter, Suzy, Dear Gay is a sweeping handwritten history of a radically changed Ireland and a fitting Suzy will be in conversation with Evelyn O'Rourke.

Hector is known for his informal, candid, irreverent style which has won him legions of fans all over the world! In his new book The Irish Words You Should Know, Hector tells stories about Irish words in a way that will give you a new perspective on the land, the weather, relationships, feelings and even the body. Hector will be joined by 6 time Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann champion musician/composer Laoise Kennedy.

Mark Moriarty has been an inspiration to many home cooks with his books, TV shows and Irish Times Columns. Denis Cotter has been at the avant garde of vegetarian and seasonal cooking since he opened his acclaimed Cork restaurant PARADISO in 1993. In this event both chefs will discuss food, recipes, the best way to eat and their latest books with Peter Ward of Nenagh's Country Choice.