Letterkenny successfully hosted its eighth Literary Festival last week, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Brendan Behan.
The organisers were delighted to have Brendan’s daughter, Blanaid Behan Walker, as their Guest of Honour. There were a number of Behan themed events celebrating his works.
This began before even the Festival began as Highland Radio aired the Elusive Theatre production’s of Behan’s Radio Plays ‘Moving Out’ and the ‘Garden Party’. Next up was their opening event in Donegal Central Library where the Newland Choir along with Ukrainian performers from Dungloe and Errigal College.
Then on Friday, the official opening was performed by Sheila Friel, co-producer of the film ‘The Laughing Boy /An Buachailll Gealgháireach/ Το Γελαστό Παιδ in the Regional Cultural Centre. There was then a special screening of the film which tells the powerful story of how Behan’s poem about Michael Collins ‘The Laughing Boy’ became of huge cultural significance in modern Greece.
On Saturday morning, there was a discussion on the ‘legacy of Behan’ in Dillons Hotel where Gareth Wilkinson led out the conservation with Blanaid Behan, broadcaster and poet Frank Galligan and Donnan Harvey.
The Raphoe Diamond Writers performed in Himalayan Cafe with Celine McGlynn, Seamus McDermott and Adam O’Neill reading some of their work. Poetry was really the order of the day as the winners of our inaugural poetry competition were announced. A massive congratulations to Caroline Bracken on winning the first prize of €150 sponsored by Bookmark Letterkenny. Ciara Earley was the runner up and highly commended was Emily Murtagh, Trish Bennett and Paul Williams.
The last event of the Saturday was also in Dillons where Jean Curran was in conservation with Paul Charles. He talked about his recently acclaimed memoir ‘Adventures in Wonderland’.
Sunday began with 100 Years of Behan as Donal Fallon and Fergus Whelan explored Behan’s Republican activities and how it influenced his writing. Fergus’ father and Brendan were interned in the Curragh together and were lifelong friends.
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