County Clare Events Calendar

Ennis will host the second annual Ennis Book Club Festival from 29th February to 2nd March 2008. The three-day programme of events, supported by Clare County Library, is expected to attract hundreds of book club members and book lovers and will feature author visits, readings, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, cookery demonstrations, musical entertainment and chocolate tasting in various venues around Ennis.

Contributors will include British author Joanne Harris, who wrote the best seller ‘Chocolat’; Roddy Doyle, a Dublin dramatist, screenwriter and award winning author of ‘The Commitments’, ‘The Snapper’ and ‘The Van’; Hugo Hamilton, winner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature; Morgan Llywelyn, an esteemed author of historical fantasy, fiction and non-fiction books; Dermot Bolger, the author of eight novels and winner of the Samuel Beckett Award; and Nuala O Faolain, Irish Times columnist and author of ‘Are You Somebody?’

Other festival participants will include Neven Maguire, an award winning celebrity chef; Lorna Landvik, actor, playwright and author of the best selling novels ‘Patty Jane's House of Curl’ and ‘The Tall Pine Polka’; Thomas Lynch, a Michigan-based essayist and poet; Meda Ryan, historian and author of ‘Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter’; bilingual writer Nuala Ní Chonchúir; West of Ireland-based author David Rice; and poet Mary O’Donnell.

Besides various workshops and readings by the principal participants, the Festival’s programme of events will include workshops on how to set up and maintain book clubs; two presentations by Trinity College Dublin lecturer Dr. Darryl Jones on the work of Jane Austen; a presentation on the papers of Maurice Walsh (author of the Quiet Man) by archivist Martin Morris; a poetry session and CD launch by the Clare Three-Legged Stool Poets; the story of the West Clare Railway by famed folklorist Eddie Lenihan; and a speed dating-style networking session for book club members to get to know one another and exchange views.

Elsewhere, there will be a presentation entitled ‘10 Books You Must Read’ by Ms. Marion Coy, Director of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology; a walking tour of the historic streets and buildings of Ennis; a talk by University of Limerick English lecturer Dr. Michael Griffin on the 18th century Ennis poet Thomas Dermody; a talk on the 19th century’s most famous folk healer, Feakle-native Biddy Early; and an ‘Author Identification Parade’ fun competition featuring author effigies designed and constructed by local artist Jean Regan.

Kate Bateman of the School of English and Drama and the School of Education and Lifelong Learning in UCD will host a workshop entitled ‘How to Read a Novel’. ‘How to Read Poetry’, meanwhile, is the title of poet Mary O’Malley’s workshop where she will share valuable insights into exploring poetry.

Irish language readings will be also held to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge 2008, while RTE’s Rachael English and broadcaster/journalist Caimin Jones will chair the Festival’s two main symposiums.

Tickets for all events are now on sale at Glór Box Office (065 6843103/info@glor.ie). For further details on the Ennis Book Club Festival 2008 see ennisbookclubfestival.com. Alternatively email info@ennisbookclubfestival.com or frances.ogorman@clarelibrary.ie
Phone 00353 87 2262259 or 00353 85 7758523.

Draft Programme: Ennis Book Club Festival 29th February – 2nd March 2008

Friday 29th February
15.00-18.00 Information Office and Ticket sales Festival office, Clare Museum
18.00 Chocolate tasting at “Chocolat” Barrack Street Free Event
19.30 – 23.00 Festival launch To be confirmed Free Event
including;
Reception and Welcome address
Cantare Chamber Choir recital
Lorna Landvik author of “Angry Housewives eating bon bons”
Dr. Darryl Jones on “Proposals in Jane Austen”
Book Clubs “Speed-dating style” - an opportunity for readers to chat about the book club experience.

Saturday 1st March
9.30 – 10.15 Archivist Martin Morris DeValera Library Free Event
- a talk on the papers of Maurice Walsh (author of the Quiet Man)
9.30 – 10.30 David Rice - author reading and discussion Clare Museum €6
10.00 – 11.30 Neven Maguire - Cookery demonstration Glor Theatre €25
10.00 – 11.00 Lorna Landvik – a reading Old Ground Hotel €10
10.30 – 11.30 Chocolate tasting at “Chocolat” Barrack Street Free Event
11.45 – 13.00 Walking Tour of Ennis Meet at Clare Museum €8
11.45 - 13.30 Kate Bateman Old Ground Hotel €10, Workshop on “how to read a novel”
12.00 – 13.30 Mary O’Donnell Clare Museum €10/€8, Workshop on “how to read poetry”
12.00 – 13.00 Dr. Michael Griffin DeValera Library Free Event, - a talk on the 18th century Ennis poet Thomas Dermody
12.00 – 13.00 Clare Three-Legged Stool Poets Clare Museum €6, poetry session and CD launch
14.30 – 15.30 Dr. Darryl Jones, Trinity College Dublin, a talk - “Reading Pride and Prejudice” Old Ground Hotel (Maguire Suite) €8
14.30 – 16.00 Austin Vaughan - “Running a book club” Old Ground Hotel €10, Sarah Binchy - “Invigourating your book club”
14.30 – 15.30 Mary O’Donnell Clare Museum €8/€6, reading from her new short story collection
15.45 – 16.45 Audio Books/NCBI Clare Museum Free Event
16.10 – 17.00 Chocolate tasting at “Chocolat” Barrack Street Free Event
16.15 – 17.30 Marion Coy Clare Museum €10 - 10 books you must read
16.15 – 18.00 Nuala Ní Chonchúir – bilingual poetry Old Ground Hotel €10/€8, Thomas Lynch– a poetry reading
16.30 – 17.30 Morgan Llywelyn – a reading Old Ground Hotel (Maguire Suite) €8
20.00 – 22.00 Joanne Harris and Roddy Doyle Glor Theatre €15/€12, interviews and readings, chaired by RTE’s Rachael English

Sunday 2nd March
10.00 - 12.00 Sunday Symposium on “Memoir” Old Ground Hotel €12, Nuala O Faolain, Thomas Lynch, Hugo Hamilton. Chaired by Caimin Jones, broadcaster and journalist.
10.30 – 11.45 Meda Ryan – a talk on Biddy early (30 mins.) Clare Museum €6
Eddie Lenihan – the West Clare Railway (30 mins.)
12.00 – 12.45 Chocolate tasting at “Chocolat” Barrack Street Free Event
12.00 – 13.00 Ken Bruen – a reading Old Ground Hotel (Maguire Suite) €10
13.00 – 15.00 Dermot Bolger, lunchtime reading Old Ground Hotel €18 (lunch included)
15.00 – 16.00 Ré O Laighléis Scéal Eile Bookshop Free event

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