Behind brace of artistic, cultural carnivals

Kit de Waal, Lionel Shriver, Olivia Laing, Caoilinn Hughes, Anne Enright and Tishani Doshi all in one place.” For some comedic fun, Ross O’Carroll Kelly comes home and Oliver Callan Kicks Dalkey. As the cultural carnival coincides with the celebration of our literary genius, James Joyce, on Bloomsday, June 16, there will be a lot of outdoor wining and dining in Dalkey too.

The following weekend (June 20-23) in Kerry’s lovely Waterville there is an entirely new literary event, the Amergin Solstice Poetry Gathering. Legend has it that Irish poetry first came ashore here. According to the Leabhar Gabhala (Book of Invasions) the Milesians landed in Iveragh and as Amergin put his right foot on the ground, he recited his poem to claim the country for his Goidelic (Gaelic) people. As the Milesians travelled from Galicia, events will include cel- ebrated poet and novelist Manual Rivas and Carlos Nunez, the great Galician piper and composer. Among the Irish bards taking part are Paula Meehan, Harry Clifton, Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill and Michael Longley, who will bring their own poems in honour of Amergin. The initiative of Jane Clare, triggered by the completion of her Masters in Poetry at DCU, Amergin is in memory of her late husband Anthony Clare, the celebrated clinical psychiatrist. Mental wellbeing and creativity is an integral part of the festival, and there will be at least five poetry workshops, in Irish and English, and a painting workshop. The festival will be opened by Olivia O’Leary and will have events with Marie Heaney, Theo Dorgan, and Professor Brendan Kelly who is currently working on a biography of Clare.

As Jane reflects: “Iveragh was our spiritual and emotional home, I can’t think of anything better to remember Tony; he would not have wanted a bronze plaque or a statue, but a poetry and wellness festival, yes that would delight him.” www.amerginpoetry.com; www.dalkeybookfestival.org