Offaly town hosts inaugural Brontë Festival this weekend

THE Banagher Brontë Group’s inaugural Brontë Festival will be held this coming weekend Friday to Sunday April 19th-21st.

The weekend will open on Friday April 19^th at 7pm with a premiére of An Evening with Charlotte Brontë devised specifically for the Banagher Brontë Group by Michael & Christine O’Dowd. The venue for this event is the Back Lounge of Corrigan’s Corner Pub.

This presentation uses colourful slides to look at the works of Charlotte’s favourite writers, particularly Tom Moore and Robbie Burns. Scripts and lyrics will recall the songs and poems of her great favourites, many of which are familiar and still resonate in our ears today. As this is something of a gala occasion those choosing to come in their vintage finery are encouraged to do so. Registration is from 6.30pm, costs €10 and covers admission to all events over the weekend.

All events on Saturday will be held in Crank House starting at 11am with Joanne Wilcock’s talk called Falling in Love with Arthur. Joanne will explore the different opinions and feelings people had and still have about Charlotte Brontë’s husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls.

At midday Pauline Clooney will present Currer Bell's Silent Years 1852-1855, an examination of Charlotte Brontë's paths to publication and her attitude to a writing life.

After lunch, at 2.30pm Maebh O’Regan will present The Art of Branwell Brontë. Branwell showed great promise as a portrait artist but he felt his true vocation was in literary composition. This will be followed by The Early Days of the BBG, a short film by created by Maebh and Seanie O’Regan (Táin Bó Productions), capturing some historic (and otherwise) moments of the early days of the Banagher Brontë Group.

The day’s events will conclude with a short amble from Crank House up the Main Street to view the various works of art and displays in local shop windows which have been created by local artists and Brontë enthusiasts finishing with a close look at Sheila Hough’s marvellous portraits in Johnny Hough’s musical pub.

Proceedings will resume on Sunday morning at 11am with a short walk from Saint Paul’s Church on the Hill to Cuba to look at the remains of the Royal School of Banagher. Matters will draw to a close with coffees and teas in Nicola Daly’s guest house, Charlotte’s Way, at 12.30pm.

Further enquiries to James Scully (085) 710 7569, Nicola Daly (087) 689 2462, or Seán Corrigan (087) 221 0067.