Ireland

West of Ireland Tourism Businesses Invited to List on new ‘Ireland’s Literary West’ App

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Spot-lit.eu has developed a digital app for literature associations, organizations and SME’s to showcase their literary tourism products and services.

The ‘Ireland’s Literary West’ app will offer visitors and locals alike a new way to discover the literary landscapes and places that continue to inspire Ireland’s greatest writers, poets and playwrights.

Integrated maps in the app will enable users to see local interest points that are relevant to tourism or culture, such as hotels, museums, restaurants, public transportation, tours, trails and more.

The App will be available free for download through the Google Play Store or Apple iOS store to everyone.

We are now asking tourism businesses along Ireland’s West Coast to create a listing on the ‘Ireland’s Literary West’ app by completing this Short Form Here.

Your listing will be promoted on the app and via the Spot-lit.eu digital campaign.

Create ‘Ireland’s Literary West’ App Listing

 

 

Literary Tourism Products Developed in Ireland.

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Cairde Sligo Arts Festival have developed two literary strands to their arts festival, Cairde Word hosted online in 2020 is a series of high-quality literary performances and a literary trail incorporating poetry, readings and performance art, details HERE. This year the festival have commissioned landscape theatre specialists LUXE to create an illuminated processional spectacle between the waters of Rosses Point and the shifting sands of Cumeen Strand. This event will also feature newly commissioned work by writer Annemarie Ní Churreáin, with sound and visuals by Laura Sheeran in collaboration with The Lighthouse Project. The event will take place on 4th September 2021.

LUXE Landscape Theatre

LUXE Landscape Theatre

Tertulia ‘A Bookshop Like No Other’.

Tertulia have been very busy during the last year in developing their Literary Tourism offering in Westport. Through Spot-lit, a new experiential product offering is being developed for visitors to Westport; half and full-day “Literature and Philosophy” events throughout the year. These events will involve speakers, workshops and debates based on the model of a mini Citizen’s Assembly, using experts and informed debates.  Tertulia have also launched a Short Story Competition for Teens. More Here.

Brid and Neil ‘Terulia a bookshop like no other’

Thoor Ballylee Development CLG.

Rooted in the fourteenth-century hiberno tower just outside Gort, Co. Galway, Thoor Ballylee Development CLG is a literary and cultural organisation with a track record of over 25 years delivering educational and artistic infrastructure, attracting visitors seeking literary and cultural tourism experiences in South Galway. Through Spot-Lit, the group contunue to work towards developing a new network connecting local people and visitors to locations and sites of international literary and artistic importance in our region.

Thoor Ballylee

Artisan House, Connemara, Galway.

Connemara has an abundance of literary and artistic associations extending over many decades and even centuries. Through the Spot-lit programme, the publishing company plans to develop a series of literary tourism guided tours in Connemara including package holidays, printed materials and maps.

Image of Gurteenacloch Renvyle by Artisan House.

Mayo Celtic Holidays Ltd./Kiltimagh Tourism Association.

The Spot-lit supported Raftery Returns Arts Festival is set to take place in Kiltimagh, between 26th September and 3rd October, celebrating the life and work of Anthony Raftery, the last Irish Bard. Included in the programme of events are creative writing and performance skills with children in the area, readings and workshops as well a literary tour through Cill Aodain and a programme to reach out to the visually impaired community. Raftery Returns Arts Festival  are also running a Poetry Competition.

Short Story Competition for Teen Writers.

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Paper Lanterns & Tertulia present: Short Story Competition for Teen Writers.

Open to entrants from the island of Ireland.

Two categories: 13-15 and 16-18

Theme: Waves.

Competition closes on August 1st, at 6 PM.

Submit your short story to: competition.paperlanterns@gmail.com

In the body of your email, please include:

Your name.
Your age.
Your county of residence (you must live on the island of Ireland).
Your school (if applicable).
A little bit about yourself!
Our guest judge will read and select the winning pieces (one from each age group) from the shortlist.

The winners will be published in Issue 6 of Paper Lanterns.

The winners will receive a cash prize sponsored by Tertulia in association with Spot-Lit.eu.

The winners will also receive a copy of Issue 6.

Read The Guidelines Paper Lanterns Website.

Find Out More About Tertulia Bookshop HERE.

LUXE Landscape Theatre

Cairde Sligo Arts Festival 2021.

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Cairde Sligo Arts Festival is delighted to have commissioned landscape theatre specialists LUXE to create an illuminated processional spectacle between the waters of Rosses Point and the shifting sands of Cumeen Strand. This event will also feature newly commissioned work by writer Annemarie Ní Churreáin, with sound and visuals by Laura Sheeran in collaboration with The Lighthouse Project and will take place on 4th September 2021.

With the support of Spot-Lit.eu

Image: LUXE Landscape Theatre

Courtesy of  Cairde Sligo Arts Festival.

Terry McDonagh – Raftery Returns Arts Festival.

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Terry McDonagh, poet and dramatist, writing about the Raftery Returns Festival in Live Encounters Magazine.

In the week, September 26th to October 3rd we will be celebrating the life and work of the blind poet, Anthony Raftery, of Cill Aodáin (Killedan), Kiltimagh. Previous generations kept the memory of the poet alive and now it’s our turn to honour his life and work. We will begin by symbolically returning him to his birthplace when a group of cyclists will travel the one hundred kilometres from Raftery’s grave to Cill Aodáin, Kiltimagh where he will be paraded through the streets in style.
Visitors will be welcomed and treated to a whole week of events that include creative writing workshops in English and Irish. Readings with writers Colette Nic Aodha, Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Ger Reidy, Terry McDonagh and others. Tertulia bookshop will provide us with a pop-up bookshop for the week. Publisher Alan Hayes of Arlen House will talk about publishing. There will be open-mic sessions and a poetry competition with a first prize of Euro 500-00. In addition, the winning poem will be unveiled, as part of a poetry trail, on March 30th 2022 (Raftery’s birthday). There will something for everyone: talks, music in pubs, a concert with Sean Keane, creative writing in schools, theatre and a literary walk through the townland of Cill Aodáin.

Download The Free Online Magazine from Village Earth HERE.

Find Out More About Raftery Returns Festival HERE.

Courtesy of  Live Encounters.

The Lighthouse Project – Literary Performance Model.

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In May 2020, the Western Development Commission circulated a tender call for a creative partner to develop a Literary Tourism Performance Model for the Wild Atlantic Way. Following their successful application, curator/producer Dani Gill and partner Brendan MacEvilly are developing the model with two strands.

Literary Performance Model Strand 2: To The Lighthouse Project Creative Director Dani Gill: Inspired by one of my favourite books, To the Lighthouse, I felt drawn to exploring these outposts around Ireland, their origins, and stories, and how they are beacons, to both those at sea and on land. I decided to focus on mapping inland, the mirrored distance of each lighthouse’s nautical miles to sea, drawing a circle around each one, and creating a ‘zone’, within which, an artistic project will exist.– ‘Dani Gill, Project Curator’. 

Watch The Lighthouse Project YouTube Videos and subscribe to the channel to see more as they are developed. 

Commissioning partners involved with the project include Cairde Arts Festival, (Sligo), Creative Ireland, (Mayo), Meath County Council, Droichead Arts Centre, (Louth) Cúirt International Festival of Literature (Galway), and Earagail Arts Festival (Donegal).

Find Out More About The Literary Performance Models HERE.

Find out more about the The Alphabet of Birds HERE.

The Lighthouse Project YouTube Videos.

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In May 2020, the Western Development Commission circulated a tender call for a creative partner to develop a Literary Tourism Performance Model for the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Lighthouse Project, developed by curator/producer Dani Gill, is an exploration of space and environment, and takes place in six counties in 2021, beginning in Galway. The Lighthouse Project is supported by The Western Development Commission through the Interreg Northern Periphery & Arctic Programme Spot-lit Project, The Arts Council of Ireland and Galway City Council and is curated by Dani Gill. Cúirt International Festival of Literature is the Commissioning Partner of the Galway site.

‘’The concept works with the nautical miles out to sea of each lighthouse. By turning the outward radius inland, we create an internal zone where a project emerges…we want to take people on a journey, giving everyone a chance to be creative and explore an area in a new way’’.

To Access the Digital and Printed ‘Inland Radius Mutton Island Route’ Packs visit: https://www.danigill.com/mutton-island-route/

Watch The Lighthouse Project YouTube Videos and subscribe to the channel to see more as they are developed. 

Find Out More About The Lighthouse Project Literary Performance Model HERE.

Yeats, Gregory, Martyn in online revival.

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In these unsettled times the cultural and historical life in Galway is thriving.

At Thoor Ballylee itself, while always abiding by government public health guidelines, work on rethatching the cottage, restoring the mill wheel and other ventures at continues apace, to be ready for visitors whenever they arrive. Updates and images follow in subsequent posts.

But there’s no better evidence than the wealth of films, drama adaptations, exhibitions and writings available online. But perhaps more than ever before local cultural happenings can make international waves. WB Yeats, himself a pioneer of radio broadcasting and treasuring the odd intimacies of long-distance technologies, would no doubt be one of the first to be involved. Here are just a few interesting recent and upcoming events and resources related to Yeats and associated authors like Augusta Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn. All are strongly connected to south Galway, and most are available in one way or another to audiences or readers online.

Read the full story https://yeatsthoorballylee.org/2021/05/25/yeats-gregory-martyn-in-online-revival/

Courtesy of https://yeatsthoorballylee.org/2021/05/25/yeats-gregory-martyn-in-online-revival/ .

Yeats Day Festival 2021.

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10th Annual Yeats Day Festival takes place from Wednesday June 9th to Sunday June 13th 2021.  

Online events will be streamed on Yeats Society Sligo Facebook Page and a live event will take place outside the Yeats Building on Saturday 12th (adhering to covid regulations).

Download the timetable of events here: Yeats day 2021 Brochure

Find Out More HERE.

Image Credit: Coole Park

The Literary Revival in South Galway, Carved in a Living Tree.

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As you travel to South Galway, make your way to the heritage town of Gort Inse Guaire. You will see a sign directing you to ‘Coole Park’.  Coole Park is now a nature reserve with walking trails, woodlands and the famous Coole Lake immortalised by W.B. Yeats in his poem, “The Wild Swans of Coole”.

Coole demesne is an area of 1,000 acres with parklands, forests, and walkways and in the late 19th century became the home of Lady Gregory.

Guaire Magazine Staff  Writer Hannah Rushe, has written an introduction to the area of South Galway with her article on the famed Autograph Tree, included in Guaire Magazine latest edition.

 

Guaire Magazine Available in local stores, You can order your copy by emailing: guairemagazine@gmail.com .

 

Courtesy of Guaire Magazine.

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