Now in its 41st year, the oldest literary fest in Europe has a long-standing commitment to Irish and the Connemara Gaeltacht, with seven events offered as Gaelige between April 21 and 26 for its 2026 outing in two Galway city venues.
At An Taibhdhearc
On Friday, April 24, at 7pm, Filíocht ó Bhéal & Ceol na nGael will be a celebration of spoken word and traditional Irish music from Ciara Ní É and Amano De Londra Miura, with accompaniment from traditional Irish musicians Leatsa.
Named one of the Irish Examiner’s ‘100 Women Changing Ireland in 2022’ Ní É is an Irish-language writer, performer and filmmaker working across poetry, theatre and screen. Her bilingual work is rooted in contemporary Irish culture, with a particular focus on language, identity and queer experience. She discusses her work on Friday, April 24, at 5pm.
De Londra Miura is a singer, poet, songwriter and arts facilitator expanding the boundaries of stories told by Irish traditional art forms, through a multi-ethnic, animist, folkloric and ecological lens.
Ní É and De Londra Miura are both recipients of Taibhsín, An Taibhdhearc’s artist development programme.
On April 23, explore Dinnseanchas, the lore of place, in contemporary Irish-language literature, Cork writers Lorraine Ní Chathasaigh and Seán Óg Ó Duinnín discuss the importance of place in their work and share selected readings. This event is hosted by Cló Iar-Chonnacht founder Micheál Ó Conghaile, supported by Ealaín na Gaeltachta.
Poet, playwright and prose writer Celia de Fréine will explore her page-to-stage process on April 23 at 7pm. Her play Cóirín na dTonn is currently recommended as a text on the Leaving Certificate syllabus.
At 2.30pm on April 24, hear from Ola Majekodunmi, Amano De Londra Miura and Seoirsín Bashford, the recipients of the Taibhsín Seed Bursary, An Taibhdhearc’s artist development programme for writers, theatre makers and performance artists working in Irish.
At Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop
Join two of An Taibhdhearc’s An Sparánacht Síol artists, Amano De Londra Miura and Ola Majekodunmi for a bilingual edition of The Cúirt Poetry Sessions on April 23, in association with Poetry Ireland/ Éigse Éireann.
Ola was born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Dublin, Ireland. She is a broadcaster, writer, Gaeilgeoir, creative producer and a workshop facilitator. Amano is a singer, poet, songwriter and arts facilitator expanding the boundaries of stories told by Irish traditional art forms through a multi-ethnic, animist, folkloric and ecological lens.
For more info see www.Cuirt.ie/whatson/
