Approximately 70 children from all classes in Dunderrow National School have been busy painting their favourite book character on canvas and their masterpieces will be displayed for the month of September in Kinsale Library, marrying art and literature. This will be a beautiful showcase of local talent and the inspiring power of reading, not to […]
Weekend pass covers all events except John Spillane's songwriting masterclass, Regina Crowley's workshop, children's events, Bonfires of Remembrance and the Irvine Welsh interview.
Come and join us for an evening of readings, curated by poet Matthew Geden. We will be showcasing work by new and established writers. This will be a relaxed and intimate event and everyone is welcome. Readers to include Lauren O'Donavan, whose chapbook Taxidermy Heart won the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award, and Mona Lynch, author […]
By invitation, a number of local bookclubs have come together to read the chosen book, Greener, by local writer, Gráinne Murphy. What would you do if you went to visit your father in your childhood home, walked up the path and knocked on the door, only to have it opened by your ex-best friend from […]
Set in Paris in 1898, Will Govan plays an exiled Oscar Wilde looking back on his extraordinarily colourful life and ruminating on love, fame, family and misfortune with his infamous wit and irreverence in this hilarious but ultimately tragic story. The play draws on Wilde’s letters, essays and anecdotes to bring this literary genius to […]
Sponsored by Kinsale Mead Co. Paddy Doyle, poet and storyteller, is joined by singer and actor Rosie McCarthy, with both performers holding space, representing both the Traveller and settled community, and the ties that bind us. The result is a potent mix of story, poem and song. Patrick Doyle is a poet, writer and storyteller […]
Martin Doyle, Ken Murray & Eugene Reavey in conversation with Mary Wilson A discussion on how identity, religion and politics divided communities in Northern Ireland and how cover up and silence impede recovery. Martin Doyle is the books editor of The Irish Times. A former editor of the Irish Post, he has worked in journalism […]
Join us for a morning of fun and story-telling in our award-winning library in Kinsale. There might even be a special guest! Suitable for children aged 4 - 8. Please note that ALL children attending this event MUST be accompanied by an adult. We have a policy of no photography at children's events.
This masterclass with RTÉ Folk Awards Album of The Year 2024 recipient and Meteor award-winning songwriter John Spillane will get to the heart of songwriting and storytelling. John will focus on helping participants to lose whatever inhibitions and fears they may have about writing songs, while also sharing tricks of the trade on verse, chorus, […]
Lara Marlowe was born in California and studied French at UCLA and the Sorbonne, then International Relations at Oxford. She started her career as an associate producer with CBS’s 60 Minutes programme, then moved to print media with the Financial Times and TIME magazine. She was a staff foreign correspondent, based in Paris and Washington, […]
Claire Adam and Neil Tully in conversation with Mairéad Hearne The two authors discuss exploring recent history in fiction, including when and how the social, political and legal standards of the past still reverberate today. Claire Adam was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. She was educated in the US and now lives in […]
***** SOLD OUT ***** Barry Moloney has been a tour guide in Kinsale for the last 20 years, and recently published An Illustrated History of Kinsale for children. He will lead a special hour-long tour of Kinsale for children. This is a free event, but places are limited and booking is essential. Please note that […]
Family relationships, how they are shaped and how they shape us, is the topic of discussion between two authors whose work addresses intertwined lives and secrets that cast long shadows. Born in India, Cauvery Madhavan moved to Ireland 40 years ago, and her first book, Paddy Indian was published in 2001. Her novel, The Tainted, […]
Niamh Hargan and Tanya Sweeney in conversation with Tara Flynn Part of the joy of fiction is the exploration of unfamiliar worlds. The books of Niamh Hargan and Tanya Sweeney introduce us to characters living very unusual lives, from Tanya's unsettling portrait of the underbelly of obsessive fandom to the glamour of film-making and high-end […]
Irvine Welsh was born in the great city of Edinburgh and matured in the housing schemes of Leith, West Pilton and Muirhouse. Neither school nor conventional employment appealed, but he was inspired to write after experiencing the explosions of punk and rave first hand. Trainspotting, Welsh's debut novel, was rejected from the Booker Prize shortlist, […]
Learn a series of physical and imaginative exercises that will awaken the expressive potential of your voice. Drawing on the work of world-renowned voice specialist Kristin Linklater, author of Freeing the Natural Voice, these exercises will give you a clear understanding of the elements involved in developing your voice and finding more freedom and release […]
Jennifer Horgan is a Cork poet. Her debut collection, Care, was published in 2025 with Doire Press. More recent work appears in Cyphers, Poetry Ireland Review and The Stony Thursday Book. In 2025, she was shortlisted in RTE's Prompt series and her poem Crossing over Barrack Street won Best Irish Poetry Film at O Bhéal's […]
Sharing is caring and what better thing to share than a love of books! Bring your fiction, non-fiction and children's books to our bookswap and exchange them for something new to you.
Vincent Browne has been a journalist since 1968 and founded Magill in 1977. In 1983 he revived The Sunday Tribune and edited the paper until 1994. Over the years he […]