Long-established Oliver Goldsmith Literary Festival returns this weekend
The 39th annual Oliver Goldsmith Literary Festival kicks off this weekend with a deep exploration into Ireland’s rich history of emigration and immigration in store for audiences in south Longford and south Westmeath.
Dr Diarmaid Ferriter, Professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin, Anna Sochańska, Ambassador of Poland to Ireland, and former RTÉ midlands correspondent Ciarán Mullooly will open proceedings at The Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule, Co Longford, on Friday, June 2.
A series of talks, live theatre, and musical performances will take place in Ballymahon and Tang on Saturday (June 3) featuring Dr Liam Chambers, Head of the Department of History at Mary Immaculate College, Liam O’Dwyer of the Irish Red Cross, preeminent Goldsmith scholar Professor Michael Griffin of the University of Limerick, Longford councillor Uruemu Adejinmi, acclaimed actor Michael J Ford, musicians Tony Dunne and friends, and many more.
On Sunday (June 4) the popular 'Miscellany Session' at Goldsmith Library will hear special contributions from many well-known local speakers and writers, while the winning entrants of the heavily subscribed Goldsmith children and adult poetry competitions will be announced at Poetry in Pallas in the afternoon adjudicated by award-winning poets Gerard Smyth of The Irish Times and Mary Melvin Geoghegan.
For more information on the festival programme, tickets, and this year’s theme – ‘Citizens of the World: Ireland’s Emigrants and Immigrants – log onto: https://olivergoldsmithfestival.com/