Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter would like to invite interested individuals or groups to a meeting to discuss the eighth Annual Literary Festival.
The meeting will take place in the Kitchen room in Blake’s Bar on Monday, 8th May at 8pm.
A spokesperson for the Cathedral Quarter said: “We are delighted to be planning for our flagship event. Last year’s festival was our first in-person festival since the ending of the Covid-19 restrictions and it was a tremendous success with over 500 people attending various events. However, we recognised the importance of keeping the momentum going and building upon last year’s success.
“The theme of this year’s Festival is ‘Behan 100’ where we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Irish writer Brendan Behan. We are delighted to announce that Blanaid Behan Walker, daughter of Brendan will be returning to Letterkenny and will be our special Guest of Honour for the Festival.”
The spokesperson added: “Our Literary festival origins came from the area’s unique links with Jane Austen and we will continue to cement our connections with one of the giants of English Literature.
The festival will be held on the weekend of Friday, 20th October.
“Besides Austen and Behan, the festival is all about celebrating local talent. Groups like the Elusive Theatre, Donegal Chamber Orchestra and Raphoe Diamond Writers have been regular contributors to the festival. Last Year, we were delighted that award-winning writer Brian Walsh brought our weekend to a closed with an affectionate account about his grandfather Louis J. Walsh”
As the Cathedral Quarter is run on a voluntary basis, the spokesperson has appealed to anyone out there who would like to offer sponsorship to please come forward.
They explained: “We are a community-based organisation. Funding is always an issue. We have secured funding of €2500 under the Regional Festivals Fund but every cent counts. Finding accommodation for participants and paying their expenses – hotels, meals etc – all cost money. In addition, paying for venues, transport and all sorts of other sundry expenses can be a massive drain on our limited resources. Any financial help would be gratefully appreciated. Very gratefully appreciated!”
Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter hopes that the meeting in Blakes Bar will produce a strong sub-committee that will help to bring the Cathedral Quarter Literary Festival to the next level.
If any group or individual would like to participate in the meeting, please contact Secretary Donnan Harvey on (086) 345 2457. Alternatively, contact can be made through the Cathedral Quarter social media pages. All are welcome to the meeting on Monday, 8th May at 8pm in Blakes.
