May 2016 Inish: Island Conversations Festival

The Inish: Island Conversations festival will take place on Inishbofin from 2-5 June and will feature the best in literature, poetry, film and music. Now in its second year, the cultural festival will see world-class performers, writers and artists convene in this special, secluded place for performances, talks, and conversations.

Leading academics from NUI Galway speaking at the event will include Professor Daniel Carey, Dr Philip Dine and Dr Brendan Flynn. Dr Rebecca Barr will be moderating a session on “Identity in transition”, a discussion about the nature of identity and the movement of people.

Author Kevin Barry said: “The Inish Festival is one of the most innovative, original and downright entertaining events I'd been to in a long time. It uses the place of Inishbofin itself as a springboard for all sorts of musical, literary and intellectual escapades.”  Barry returns this year to perform, and to host, with Olivia Smith, a series of featured artists and writers from their Winter Pages Irish arts anthology.

Others writers, poets and artists who will feature include Michael Longley, Theo Dorgan, Bernard O’Donoghue, Vincent Woods, Andrew McNeillie, Claire Kilroy, Alan McMonagle, Edna Longley, and actor Olwen Fouéré. Legendary English artist Norman Ackroyd will be on hand to talk about an exhibition of his work which will be on display at the festival.

Musical treats throughout the festival will be a concert by Martin Tingvall, acknowledged as one of the world’s top jazz pianists, and musicians such as Steve Wall, Jack L., Larry Beau, Doug Paisley, and Elisa Rodrigues. The multi-instrumentalist Poppy Ackroyd will also perform and one of the festival highlights will be a performance by Máirtín Ó Connor, Garry Ó Briain, Cathal Hayden, and the ConTempo String Quartet.

For Film lovers there will be a screening of Paula Kehoe’s Deargdhil: Anatomy of Passion, a critically acclaimed study of the Irish poet Máire Mhac an tSaoi, and the multi-award winning A Turning Tide in the Life of Man, as well as Atlantic, winner of the Best Documentary category at the Dublin International Film Festival in 2016.

Returning to perform at Inish this year, poet and academic Bernard O’Donoghue, said: “Surely there is no better place for a festival of music and writing than Inishbofin in June, the light of the summer evenings, the corncrakes crexing by every roadside, the foam-washed shorelines and the quiet roads, and the best of cultural company and friendship. It was the best weekend of everyone’s year in 2015.”

Full programme and details are available at www.inishfestival.com. Accommodation is limited so early booking is advised. For further information contact festival organiser and NUI Galway graduate, Peadar King at 087 2171146 or peadarking@hotmail.com.

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