KERRY
THE MAIN EVENT
Every year, readers, writers and those in love with words head to Listowel for the annual literary fest. Author Colm Toíbín is a regular – he extols the pleasures of Listowel Writers’ Week.
PHOTOGRAPH BY TREVOR HART
T
he literary heritage of north Kerry is rich and vibrant. The town of Listowel alone has produced two of Ireland’s bestknown writers of the 20th century – the playwright John B Keane and the short-story writer Bryan MacMahon. Listowel Writers’ Week happens, then, in a place where the written word is treasured. For writers or students or visitors who come each year, the town has a welcoming air; the town’s people respond to new writing with appreciation and knowledge. The festival is intimate and easy-going; thus in years past Nobel prize-winners such as Seamus Heaney and JM Coetzee could walk the streets of Listowel and be left in peace to savour the atmosphere and enjoy themselves. But when they did readings or gave workshops, the venues were packed to hear them. Listowel has a record also of inviting not only such famous writers, but also young writers at the start of their careers and introducing them to a wide audience. This is where you hear new work before it is published. I have a vivid memory of hearing Neil Jordan read from his novel Dream of a Beast in Listowel when it was still in his handwriting. The book is now recognised as a masterpiece. I also have a memory of reading difficult new work of my own that I was unsure about, and finding a response in Listowel that gave me encouragement to continue.
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In Ireland now we need inspiration, and this has come not only from individual writers, poets, painters and musicians; it has also come from organisations such as Writers’ Week. The festival has maintained standards and made sure that expansions and improvements have not undermined the warmth of the welcome and the sense of community involvement. Listowel is a place for people who love reading or who want to write themselves. The workshops and the literary events in Listowel are food for the soul and the brain. The great thing, the special thing, is that while all this is serious and important, it is not ever solemn. And this can be proved by the atmosphere when the readings are over, the lovely early summer night has come down, and the pubs are full of talk and laughter. That too is part of the charm of the festival, part of the reason why people come back to Listowel Writers’ Week year after year and why it is an essential part of our literary calendar. Writers’ Week takes place from May 30 to June 3, 2012 and will feature such authors as Patrick DeWitt, Germaine Greer, Jeremy Strong, Anne Enright, Carol Birch, Simon Armitage, Julian Gough, John Lanchester, Peter Taylor, Belinda McKeon and many more and also includes art, music, launches, theatre and a full children’s festival. Full details on writersweek.ie
Above, the view back to the mainland from Valentia Island, above, right, fishing boats line the harbour in Portmagee. Right, Kerry perennials – sheep on a boreen.
reintroduction five years ago. “The sight is absolutely incredible,” O’Grady says. “Even as chicks, you’re talking about a bird bigger than your average Christmas turkey. The last sighting I had was two of them on the thermals, soaring up and up and up, without so much as a feather-flap, defying gravity.” Then you have Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, incorporating Carrauntoohil – Ireland’s highest mountain at 1,038 metres (3,406 feet). If Muckross House is all manicured detail, this is pure wilderness, a landscape of barren ridges and bird’s eye views. The Reeks should not be undertaken lightly – certainly not without a map and compass, and preferably in the company of a guide. The weather is notoriously unreliable in these parts, and wind and low cloud can quickly turn narrow ridges treacherous. Hardy hikers will know Macgillycuddy’s Reeks as an early feature of the Kerry Way – a lengthy route that few visitors are fit enough
fancy WHERE TO STAY IN LISTOWEL? If you The Listowel picking up writing tips, book a room at rati relaxing Arms Hotel where you may find the lite m. over a pint in a firelit bar, listowelarms.co