Oscar winner headlines Eigse Michael Hartnett in County Limerick town

NEWCASTLE West, in the heart of west Limerick, is Hartnett Country, where the poet Michael Hartnett is still remembered over a quarter of a century after his death.

It was the place that shaped him and where he first came to poetry, going on to become one of the most original and independent voices in Irish poetry and one of the great translators of Irish language poetry.

Every year since 2000, Michael’s legacy is recalled and celebrated at the arts festival named in his honour, Eigse Michael Hartnett. Over four days and nights, the town comes alive as locals and visitors gather for a wide-ranging programme of events that includes music, poetry, prose, film, debate, a poetry trail and, not least, humour.

This year’s festival runs from this Thursday, October 2 to Sunday, October 5 in a number of venues around the town. The headline act this year is Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Glen Hansard who will perform in a sell-out gig at the Longcourt House Hotel on Saturday, October 4.

READ MORE: Halloween in Limerick goes big with frights, folklore and family fun

Munster and Ireland rugby player, Keith Earls will be another guest at Eigse talking about his life and career with author and sports journalist Tommy Conlon on Sunday afternoon, October 5 while author and journalist Justine McCarthy will give her unique take on world affairs when she delivers the Hartnett Memorial Lecture.

One of Ireland’s best-loved living poets, Paula Meehan will be the guest speaker on the opening night of Éigse while poet and author Theo Dorgan returns for another visit and will mark 50 years since Hartnett’s iconic Farewell to English at a special event in Springfield Castle.

Other highlights will include the outstanding uilleann piper Louise Mulcahy, playing tunes and telling the story of women pipers. There will also be the chance to laugh out loud with The Six Marys.

This year’s line-up also includes author Roisin Maguire, poets Dean Browne, Natalya O’Flaherty, Robyn Rowland and Maire Saaritsa as well as singer Oonagh McMahon and food historian Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire.

In addition, there will be a Poetry Slam, a Poetry Trail, a screening of Blue Road, the film about Edna O’Brien, a Ceramics Exhibition and a number of events for children. Drum Dance Ireland will open the festival with a lively parade when scores of young and old take to the streets with drums and lights. Many events are free.

The Michael Hartnett Poetry Award will be presented on opening night to this year's winner, Aifric Mac Aodha for her third collection, Old Friends (Gallery Press 2024). The poems are written in Irish with translations by David Wheatley.

Aifric is the Irish-language editor of Poetry Ireland Review and her poetry has been translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish and Czech as well as English. She has taught in St Petersburg, New York and Canada and has lectured in Old and Modern Irish at University College Dublin. She lives in Dublin where she works for the Irish language publisher An Gúm.

For all details on Éigse or for bookings visit www.eigsemichaelhartnett.ie.