Inish Festival – Thursday 28th May to Sunday 31st May

Inishbofin festival promises a wealth of poetry, music and ‰Û÷Island Conversations’

An innovative cultural festival, featuring the best in literature, poetry, film and music will take place on the island of Inishbofin from Thursday 28^th to Sunday 31^st May next. The inaugural Inish Festival – subtitled “Island Conversations”- will see international musicians, writers and artists convene in this special, secluded place for performances, talks, and conversations based around themes of insularity, isolation and the role of the arts in society. The island of Inishbofin itself has inspired a host of writers, including the poets Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and Richard Murphy, and its strong musical and cultural traditions make it the ideal venue in which to examine what makes islands such special places, and examine what it is live on, or be culturally inspired by, Ireland’s offshore islands. The programme for the festival will appeal to a wide range of tastes, featuring as it does readings from writers such as Kevin Barry, Bernard O’Donoghue and Moya Cannon, concerts with Declan O’Rourke, The Voice Squad, musicians Renaud Garcia-Fons, Zoe Conway and John McIntyre, and films by Directors Pat Collins, Kieran Concannon and Alec Moore. Leading academics, such as Prof. Lee Morrissey, Prof. Daniel Carey, Dr. Adrian Paterson and Dr. Rebecca Barr will address subjects such as ‰Û÷Literary Islands’ and the concept of ‰Û÷Citizenship, Identity and the Irish Archipelago’. A highlight of the festival will be an examination of the poetry of Richard Murphy, whose ‰Û÷Sailing to an Island’ is the poem most people associate with Inishbofin. Murphy, now eighty-eight, currently lives in Sri Lanka, but a recorded interview with him by festival organiser, filmmaker and Inishbofin native, Peadar King will be a rare opportunity to hear the poet talk about his work, and the inspiration behind it. A full programme for the festival can be found at inishfestival.com. As accommodation on the island is limited, early booking is advisable.

For further information log in to www.inishfestival.com or email inishfestival@gmail.com