Book Tickets Now
25 - 28 June 2026
He could be taciturn and enigmatic and, although his time as Taoiseach has been well raked over by others we have not heard much in the way of personal recollections from the man himself. Until now. Sean Lemass: the Lost Memoir contains 22 hours of interviews with one of Ireland’s few transformative political leaders. Historian and Irish Times journalist McGreevy offers an insight into one of the country’s most admired and consequential politicians.
Hear the fascinating story of the newly restored Victorian Printing Presses. Print your own personalised Tote Bag on the Albion Beam Press – the collection’s oldest press dating from 1832!
From Southgate to Skibbereen, via Hollywood and the House of Lords. David Puttnam, Oscar winner for Chariots of Fire (1981) had an extraordinary career as one of foremost independent film producers of his generation (Midnight Express, The Mission, The Killing Fields) long before he became head of Columbia Pictures in 1986. He is also a distinguished educationalist, a former Labour peer, recipient of more than fifty honorary degrees and a resident of West Cork. David will be in conversation with Myles Dungan.
Part of the Four Courts Press series on the War of Independence and the Civil War in every county in Ireland. The research and the writing of Meath and the Irish Revolution 1912-23 was entrusted to Ciarán Wallace, Deputy Director of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland who looks at the upheaval of these revolutionary years in the county, for the activists and volunteers, and the majority who tried to get on with daily life.
Former State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy reflects on fifteen years at the heart of some of Ireland’s most complex murder investigations and the evolution of forensic science. She explores how a lifetime studying real cases, evidence & human stories has provided the narrative fuel for her transition into crime fiction including her latest novel Deadly Evidence.
Marie will be in conversation with Deirdre Hurley.
Martin Doyle, as Books Editor of The Irish Times, has interviewed many of the most talented and successful of Irish writers. In A Hosting: Interviews with Irish Writers 1991-2025 (Lilliput Press, April 2026), he chats with, among others Sally Rooney, Claire Keegan, Roddy Doyle, Colm Tóibín, Claire Kilroy, and Donal Ryan. Martin will be in conversation with Myles Dungan.
Mary Cloughlan is Ireland’s greatest jazz and blues singer and, according to Hot Press, ‘one of our most openly raw performers’. Her career is fast approaching its 40th year and her legendary performances are as compelling as ever. She is Ireland’s chanteuse par excellence. Excuse our French!
Meet at the Church gates (Market Street end) and join the TypeTrail curator, Mark Smith, as he guides you around Kells to showcase, debate and discuss this year’s TypeTrail exhibits. These artistic interpretations of the theme “Process”, explore the journey behind creativity - highlighting the thinking, experimentation and craftsmanship that underpins design.
As a close friend of the Kennedy family, Dot Tubridy became an extended member of the powerful American political dynasty, attending gatherings and celebrations, receiving invitations to all the major events throughout their political careers, and becoming their main contact in their ancestral homeland. Journalist John Donohoe looks at the enduring relationship between the socialite and the Camelot clan.
Join the author of 'Unmasking Samantha Cookes: The Many Lives of a Serial Fraudster' for a conversation on the evolution of a remarkable investigation across media. From the RTÉ podcast The Real Carrie Jade to the documentary Bad Nanny, this event explores the craft of long-form storytelling and the new revelations uncovered while bringing this extraordinary story to the page. Alan will be in conversation with Cabrina Conaty.
The number 1 international bestselling, award-winning author of Snowflake returns with a luminous portrait of two families riven by one great secret. Told through the perspectives of three very different women, Everything That Is Beautiful unfolds the story of one complicated family in startlingly honest and witty prose. Louise will be in conversation with Gerry Foley.
Bestselling duo Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght, creators of the beloved Aisling series, join us to discuss their latest novel Our Deadly Summer, a sharply funny and heartfelt story of friendship, young women and the secrets that bind them. Drawing on more than twenty years of their own enduring friendship, Breen and McLysaght will talk about writing together, revisiting the early noughties, and crafting a tale that blends nostalgia, humour and a darkly compelling mystery. Sarah and Emer will be in conversation with Deirdre Hurley.
A poetry lover, a curator of joy, a wise woman with a deep sense of compassion (and mother of a cinema superstar) Dearbhla Mescal encourages her followers online to find the joy in everyday life and celebrate the little things. Now in her first book, Finding Joy, Dearbhla shares her own practice of finding joy in a beautiful and uplifting collection of thoughts, recollections and poems. Dearbhla will be in conversation with Cabrina Conaty.
Join author and illustrator Gerry Daly for an animal adventure of bravery and discovery in the woods from Gerry’s new book What’s That Spooky Sound? Plus even more fun with the wildlife of the Skellig Islands. Help the little puffling get back home in Puffling and the Stormy Sea, the latest of the bestselling Puffling picture book series. Children will love this draw-along session with puppets and interactive storytelling.
Exploring the journey between two languages and cultures, from the edges of exile and questions of identity, Abdallah Ahmad reflects on how fear and solitude can transform into possibilities for belonging and meaning. Through poetry and storytelling, everyday challenges become sources of reflection, creativity, and a wider human dialogue between cultures.
As part of our celebration of America 250 leading operatic baritone Owen Gilhooly-Miles, in the beautiful surroundings of Headfort House, takes us through more than 200 years of the best of American music, from some of the great folksongs and popular melodies, to the Broadway musical and Hollywood theme songs.
Glen Patterson discusses his gripping account of the 2004 Northern Bank robbery, a heist that shook Northern Ireland and remains one of its most audacious unsolved crimes. A leading Belfast novelist, screenwriter and co-writer of Good Vibrations, Patterson brings sharp insight, wit and deep local knowledge to a story that still reverberates. Glen will be in conversation with Sophie Grenham.
