Festival of Literature, Art, Myth History, Music & Fun!
WELCOME TO THE AE GEORGE RUSSELL FESTIVAL 2024
Welcome to the Annual AE
George Russell Festival of Literature, Art, History, Myth, Music, and of course, Fun! This year is our biggest yet.
As ever, the AE Russell Festival features a wide range of events catering for all ages and interests. These include an AE exhibition in 12 William Street, Lurgan - AE’s birthplace - as well as expert talks and panels, along with bus and walking tours, mystical explorations and lots of poetry, song, music and art. One highlight this year will be the Lurgan Town Centre crosscommunity Festival Parade where
everyone is welcome to take part or to just come along and join the fun. While most events are in Lurgan or Armagh City, a new feature this year is a trip to Slieve Gullion – AE’s mystical mountain which he climbed with writer, George Moore among others. This event along with the ABC Literary bus tour have to be booked in advance – but nearly everything else is FREE –just turn up and enjoy!
WHY HOLD THE AE RUSSELL FESTIVAL?
Although Lurgan boasts many distinguished sons and daughters, George Russell ‘AE’, in the opinion of many people, is the most accomplished
of them all. His remarkable life as writer, poet, artist, thinker, reformer and mystic as well as his overall contribution to improving the lives of others is very much worth celebrating. His exemplary life and legacy can serve as a means of bringing communities together and instilling civic pride.
FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
THURSDAY 4th APRIL - VINTAGE BAR, LURGAN
Open Mic Night 8pm - Late
FRIDAY 5th APRIL - AONACH MHACHA, ARMAGH CITY
Festival Opening 2.30pm - 3pm
Discussion Panel: AE and Sacred Mountains 3pm - 3.30pm
Talk: Seeking the Summit: AE, Simone Téry and George Moore 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Talk: AE and The Irish Theosophists (James North) 5pm - 6pm
Presentation: A Collection of Rare Books and Paintings 6pm - 6.30pm
Performance: AE Russell from Lurgan Town (By Finbar Magee) 7pm - 8pm
Flash Fiction - “Sacred Mountain” theme 8pm - 10pm
SATURDAY 6th APRIL - LURGAN TOWN CENTRE
AE Russell Lurgan Heritage Walking Tour 10am - 11.30am
Festival Parade - Lurgan Town Centre 12.15 - 1.15pm
Family Fun Day 2pm - 3.30pm
AE Russell-Themed Painting Workshop 4pm - 5pm
Quiz and Music Night - AEon Community Arts building 8pm - Late
SUNDAY 7th APRIL - SOUTH ARMAGH
‘The Mystic and the Mountain’ Guided Hike - Slieve Gullion 12pm - 2.30pm
Talk: AE & Donegal’s Sacred Mountains - Tí Chulainn, Mullaghbawn 3.30 - 4.30pm
Talk: Introduction to AE Russell - Tí Chulainn, Mullaghbawn 4.45pm - 5.15pm
Talk: The South Armagh Literary Trail - Tí Chulainn, Mullaghbawn 5.15pm - 6.15pm
Performance: Traditional Arts Partnership (TAP) - MC Larkin’s pub 6.30pm - 8.30pm
MONDAY 8th APRIL - ARMAGH COUNTY MUSEUM
Presentation: AE and Ella Young 8pm - 9pm
Interview: The Influence of AE and Ella Young today 9pm - 10pm
TUESDAY 9th APRIL - LURGAN
Guided Tour: The Druid’s Walk - Oxford Island Discovery Centre 11am - 12.30pm
Talk: Building Cooperation, AE’s Influence - 12 William Street, Lurgan 7pm - 8pm
WEDNESDAY 10th APRIL - LURGAN
AE Russell Lurgan Heritage Walking Tour (Repeat) 10am - 11.30am
AE’s 157th Birthday Bash at 12 William Street, Lurgan 1pm - 2pm
SUNDAY 14th APRIL - STARTING IN ARMAGH
Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon Literary Bus Tour 10am - 2.45pm
THURSDAY 4th APRIL - SUNDAY 14TH APRIL
AE Russell Exhibition 10am - 6pm
WHO IS AE?
George Russell ‘AE’ is one of the most accomplished figures in all of Irish History. He was known best as ‘AE’, a handle he picked up when a printer mistakenly shortened his favourite pen name ‘Aeon’ at the foot of an influential published article. There was much subsequent discourse about the ‘Article by AE’ and Russell allowed the abbreviation to stick. It appears most famously in Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ where James Joyce acknowledges his indebtedness to Russell by declaring “AEIOU”. Born in William Street Lurgan in 1867 in the era of a booming linen industry and the famous greyhound, Master McGrath, George Russell was christened in Shankill Parish Church and attended the Lurgan Model School to the age of 11. Although his family moved to Dublin thereafter, Russell maintained his connections with Armagh. From around 1890 to 1930, AE was a leading figure in every aspect of Irish life leading the cultural
revival, spearheading rural reform and, as a pacifist, coaxing Ireland out of the era of turbulence toward a new peaceful State. Russell was also a champion of womens’ rights - one of the few major male figures to support the vote for women - and he championed the cause of workers both urban and rural. Beyond these campaigns, the confirmed vegetarian and teetotaller delighted the cultural world with his unique poetry and paintings. Alongside all of this, AE held down a busy day job working for the Cooperative Movement first as an organiser of agricultural cooperatives all over the country and then as editor of the Movement’s influential journals “The Irish Homestead” and “The Irish Statesman”. In these organisations, he was first to publish James Joyce, Patrick Kavanagh and the author of ‘Mary Poppins’ Pamela L Travers and many others.
THURSDAY 4TH APRIL
FESTIVAL ‘OPEN MIC’ NIGHT
VENUE: Vintage Bar, Lurgan 8pm - LATE (Free Admission)
An evening of Music, Poetry and Song where alongside some professional and semi-professional entertainers,
anyone and everyone can participate and perform. A great night of fun and entertainment and everyone is welcome, both performers and those who just want to relax in the audience.
FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
FESTIVAL OPENING
VENUE: Aonach Mhacha, Armagh City 2.30pm
Jim Conway - Chair of the Lurgan & North Armagh AE Russell Festival Society. Marianne McGee - Chair of the AE George Russell Society.
DISCUSSION PANEL: AE & SACRED MOUNTAINS
VENUE: Aonach Mhacha, Armagh City 3pm - 3.30pm
The practical mystic, AE, found Ireland’s mountains to be places where the spirit of the land and the enchantment of the gods could be vividly experienced. These mountains were places of “unexplored mystery and infinitude” (“On an Irish Hill,” Imaginations and Reveries, 1915). Russell was a frequent visitor to the Wicklow mountains right on Dublin’s doorstep, but had a particular affinity with many of the most mystical mountainous places all over Ireland including the Hill of Tara and Newgrange in the East and such
Jim Conway is a well known and highly regarded historian and folklorist in the Lurgan area and is Chairman of the Lurgan & North Armagh George Russell Festival Society. A professionally qualified OCN tour-guide, Jim has been taking tours for many years, specialising in the Lurgan AE Heritage Walking Tour. He is an expert on the mythology of the South Lough Neagh.
mountains as Nephin and Ben Bulben in the West. He believed that here more than anywhere else it was possible to get really close to Mother Earth and the many-coloured land ‘beyond the veil’. He once described Nephin as ‘Thick with Faery’. AE visited Slieve Gullion in South Armagh along with his literary and artistic friend, the author George Moore.
Together they tried to tap into the mystical qualities of this unique landscape. This tradition is very much carried on into the present day.
Chaired by Marianne McGee, the panellists Patrick O’Donnell, Réamonn Ó Ciaráin and Jim Conway will discuss AE’s continued relevance, his mythic and poetic imagination, and his appreciation for the landscape of Ireland, particularly Slieve Gullion in South Armagh.
Réamonn Ó Ciaráin is Chief Executive Officer with Gael Linn, and was formerly Director of Education. He is a highly respected Gaelic scholar and expert on Irish mythology. He is author of three books on Cúchulainn. Réamonn is co-founder of Aonach Mhacha, the Irish language Cultural Centre in Armagh City which opened in March 2020 after a ten year Odyssey.
FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
TALK: SEEKING THE SUMMIT: AE, SIMONE TÉRY, GEORGE MOORE AND SLIEVE GULLION
VENUE: Aonach Mhacha, Armagh City 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Laura Ostertag will present her translation of the writing of Simone Téry who visited Ireland in the 1920s, writing two books on the War of Independence and the Irish Literary Renaissance. At last year’s festival, Laura delivered a unique lecture on AE as seen through the eyes of his close friend, the French journalist, Simone Téry. Laura constructed the lecture around her own translation of the chapter on AE – the very first time such a translation had been presented in Ireland.
This year Laura has translated another chapter from ‘L’Île des Bardes’ and is delivering it for the first time at this
Dr. Patrick O’Donnell, originally from Dublin, is Professor of English at Normandale Community College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He is also Director of Education at Celtic Junction Arts Center and an Irish Studies writer, editor, literary historian, and scholar who edits and writes for the quarterly online publication, Celtic Junction Arts Review. He is the founder/ co-director of the annual Irish Arts Week in St. Paul, and is the International ViceChair of the AE George Russell Society.
year’s festival. The chapter is on George Moore, a close friend of AE who, in turn, as Patrick O’Donnell will explain, wrote extensively about this mystic in his threevolume memoir, Hail and Farewell. Their friendship surprised many: here was the upright, exemplary and much-admired Russell in the company of the roguish gossip, Moore, who loved to embarrass his literary associates in his writings. AE and Moore were connected not only by literature but by a deep appreciation of art. They had travelled together to Paris to absorb the world of French Impressionism including the work of Moore’s good friend, Monet.
Laura Ostertag is originally from Minnesota in the United States, where she has been teaching French for 20+ years. Summers off, travel grants, and a Masters in French have allowed her to travel to a variety of French speaking areas. Of partial Ulster heritage, Laura is interested in the connections between French and Irish cultures which are highlighted in the works by French journalist and friend of AE Russell, Simone Téry, including L’île des Bardes (The island of poets), 1925.
TALK: AE AND THE IRISH THEOSOPHISTS
VENUE: Aonach Mhacha, Armagh City 5pm - 6pm
H. P. Blavatsky
Many people are aware of AE as a poet, visionary painter and cooperative organiser. But the spiritual philosophy that lay behind his outer achievements is less known. AE and his friends such as W. B. Yeats and Charles Johnston were fascinated by Indian wisdom and the remarkable H. P. Blavatsky, whose Theosophical Society brought it to the West in the late 19th century. This talk by James North discusses why the circle that formed around AE in Dublin in the 1890s was so influenced by Indian texts and Theosophy, particularly those from Northern Irish and Protestant backgrounds. It shows the creative way in which this remarkable group blended Eastern wisdom with Irish mythology, politics and their own literary work. It also demonstrates the link between AE’s lifelong practice of Eastern meditation, and some of his celebrated visions and paintings.
PRESENTATION: A COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND PAINTINGS
VENUE: Aonach Mhacha, Armagh City 6pm - 6.30pm
James North is the co-founder of Holythorn Press. A graduate of the University of Oxford (Magdalen) in Classics and Philosophy, he also acquired MAs in computer science from Queen Mary College, London and in Renaissance Studies from the Warburg Institute. He has lectured and taught diverse subjects including philosophy, music and magic, and has a particular interest in the great esoteric traditions of the East and West. He is currently co-authoring “A History of Irish Magic” which will be published in late Spring 2024.
AE enthusiast and collector, Ziggy McAlinden will present a selection of first edition works by AE, as well as a number of rare pamphlets published during AE’s literary career. Society founding members, Michael McKernan and Jim Conway will also present a number of AE’s original artworks from their own collections.
FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
DISCUSSION PANEL: MY JOURNEY TO AE
VENUE: Aonach Mhacha, Armagh City 7pm - 8pm
In an interview-style discussion with musical accompaniment, Fergal O’Brien will lead Finbar Magee and Breige Quinn on a journey through the social, political and creative influences that shaped their lives and musical careers. This cultural journey has led Finbar (as it has any others) to arrive at an appreciation of the unique contribution of AE Russell to Irish culture, thinking and spiritualism. Throughout AE’s life he was the subject of many honours and tributes which recognised his myriad accomplishments. He was written about glowingly by many of the leading writers of his time and was even painted by many of the leading artists of today. However, until now, there had not been a song written in his honour and we are
WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCE OF ‘AE RUSSELL FROM LURGAN TOWN’
Finbar Magee will discuss his inspiration for writing the song ‘AE Russell from Lurgan Town’, and will perform the song for the first time in front of a live audience, accompanied by his partner, Breige Quinn.
Fergal O’Brien hails from a traditional music family in Portglenone. An All-Ireland winner with Mullaghbawn Scór Instrumental Group, Fergal has taught bodhrán at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels in Belfast and in South Armagh with the Traditional Arts Partnership (TAP). In 2016, Fergal co-authored the world’s first graded bodhrán tutor book,which has travelled to 23 countries.
all indebted to Finbar for producing this unique and meaningful musical tribute. Finbar has written both the music and the lyrics and will perform the song for the very first time in public at the 2024 Festival.
It is hoped that the song will soon be professionally recorded and released for the enjoyment of the wider world!
Finbar Magee is a singer-songwriter and award-winning bard from Armagh. His repertoire ranges from romantic to social comment and satirical humour. Songs like “My Belfast Love” and “The Hills of Sweet Lislea” have been covered by many artists and have been performed on stages worldwide, including at Glastonbury.
Breige Quinn is one of Armagh’s finest traditional fiddlers. She provides beautiful accompaniment to Finbar’s songs and delivers her own style in jigs, reels and slow airs beautifully.
FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
PERFORMANCE:
FLASH FICTION
VENUE: Aonach Mhacha, Armagh City 8pm - 10pm (Admission £10 at the door)
The Flash Fiction gang of writers have been asked to reflect on the AE Russell theme of “Sacred Mountain.” The ten best monologue responses (short stories) will be performed. Expect a full range of emotions to be engaged in the various performances. Led by Byddi Lee, Flash Fiction provides a platform for writers to experience immediate audience reaction to their work, plus an opportunity to mingle and make friends.
Byddi Lee grew up in Armagh and moved to Belfast to study at Queen’s University. She has since lived in South Africa, Canada, California and Paris before returning to live in Armagh. Byddi is a co-founder of the spoken word event
Flash Fiction Armagh where the various writers give their unique take on any given theme.
SATURDAY 6TH APRIL
AE RUSSELL LURGAN HERITAGE WALKING TOUR
VENUE: Meet at Brownlow House, Lurgan
10am - 11.30am (Free Event)
Join Jim Conway on a special heritage walk around Lurgan and see all the sights of the town and the places associated most with George Russell. See where Russell was born and baptised, and where he went to school. Also the place of his home in North Street and the library he frequented in the Mechanics Institute. The walk starts at the impressive Brownlow House overlooking the park where Russell had his very first mystical experiences. The walk is relaxed and not at all strenuous.
SATURDAY 6TH APRIL
CROSS-COMMUNITY FESTIVAL PARADE LURGAN TOWN CENTRE
VENUE: Castle Lane Car Park, Lurgan 12.15pm - 1.15pm (assemble at noon)
Organising the parade and the fun day is AEon Community Arts, a local voluntary arts group led by Ursula Leighton and Arlene Marks
AEon is made up of fine artists and neuro diversity professionals who appreciate and promote the work of AE Russell. They saw a real need for an inclusive safe space in Lurgan and surrounding areas to offer art classes,
PARADE 2024!
We’re continuing the festival fun with our annual cross-community parade in the centre of Lurgan, this year featuring the remarkable Armagh Rhymers. You can also expect to see some ‘Big Heads’ (including George Russell)! Pupils from the AE art classes and their parents will be taking part, as well as voluntary groups and local charities. There’ll be lots of fancy dress, as well as plenty of music and razzamatazz! Come and meet your neighbours and friends, and enjoy the parade!
host solo and collective exhibitions, deliver mental wellbeing workshops and provide painting, poetry and alternative therapy masterclasses. They bring together groups of young and older people, of all races and cultural backgrounds in their cross community intergenerational projects, and thereby promote creative, social and emotional development in the area.
ALL COMMUNITY GROUPS WELCOME!
The cross-community Festival Parade is open to everyone particularly local community groups in Lurgan and the rest of the ABC Council area. If you represent a group, why not dust down your colourful banner and come and strut your stuff on the Parade? Quite a number of charities and community groups are already confirmed – so come along and join the fun!
For logistical reasons it would be much appreciated if groups can let the Festival organisers know if they intend to take part on the Parade and approximate numbers. Please email jimbo.conway@hotmail.co.uk
The Armagh Rhymers are one of the most celebrated traditional music and theatre ensembles on the island of Ireland. Since being founded in the 1970s, they have delighted audiences in schools, festivals and communities throughout Ireland and around the world. Through music, storytelling and drama, they provide an experience that is both entertaining and educational. Their colourful costumes evoke a sense of tradition and history and encapsulate the spirit of the Wren boys and the ancient house visiting traditions of Ireland, where the kitchen floor became the stage. The Rhyming tradition is a celebration of the ‘theatre of the people’ and has inspired many poets.
SATURDAY 6TH APRIL
FAMILY FUN DAY
VENUE: Lurgan Town Centre
2pm - 3.30pm
Get ready to have some serious fun! This year, the kids can look forward to face painting, balloon modelling as well as arts and crafts activities, so there’s something there for everyone. There’ll also be locally-made arts and craft pieces on sale.
Why not treat yourself to a hot dog, popcorn and other snacks at the AEon Community Arts building. There might even be an ice cream van!
AE RUSSELL-THEMED PAINTING WORKSHOP
VENUE: AEon Community Arts, Lurgan Town Centre
4pm Price: £15 per participant. Tickets can be booked on Eventbrite)
Join expert art tutor Arlene Marks and learn how to paint like George Russell! At this workshop, participants will learn how to paint in the AE ‘opalescent’ style and will complete their very own painting to take home and show their friends. Anyone can do it and with a bit of professional help you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.
QUIZ AND MUSIC NIGHT
VENUE: AEon Community Arts
8pm - Late (Admission £5 at the door)
After all the excitement of the Parade and the fun day this event is an evening’s relaxation which includes a quiz, some musical entertainment and nibbles. Enjoy a night of authentic Lurgan fun in the company of other AE Festival enthusiasts. Soft drinks will be available but it’s a case of BYOB beyond that.
SUNDAY 7TH APRIL
‘THE MYSTIC AND THE MOUNTAIN’ GUIDED HIKE ON SLIEVE GULLION
MEETING POINT:
Slieve Gullion Upper Car Park
Hike starts at 12 noon
Tour tickets can be booked on Eventbrite. Price: £15, includes a buffet in Tí Chulainn, Mullaghbawn following the hike. For more information, email aegeorgerussell@gmail.com
This guided hike is led by Slieve Gullion Ambassador and Failte Ireland tour guide Des Murphy, hillwalking guide, Margaret McNamee and literary historian, Patrick O’Donnell.
George Moore in his three-volume memoir Hail and Farewell (1911-1914) describes a bicycle tour he took with AE in 1900 to commune with the gods of the Irish landscape. After a puncture, Moore rested by the roadside while AE strode on and hiked up Slieve Gullion to replenish his visionary imagination. Slieve Gullion has the highest passage tomb in Ulster and remains a mystical mountain to this day. It is especially visited on occasions such as the Winter solstice where the sun rises and fills the ancient cairn with light. In Irish mythology, Slieve Gullion is said to be where legendary hero, Cuchulainn received his name and spent his childhood as Setanta.
Des Murphy has been involved in Hospitality & Tourism since 1972. Des became a qualified ‘Failte Ireland’ tour guide in 2006, and since then has given numerous guided tours to individuals and groups visiting Ireland. He has summited all the highest mountains on these islands and delights in bringing visitors on mountain hikes, and incorporating his knowledge of the history and the mythology of Irish mountains.
Margaret McNamee has been involved in hillwalking for 10 years with Gap o the North Hillwalkers. She is from the Ring of Gullion so naturally, has a great love of Slieve Gullion and likes nothing better than the opportunity to ‘show it off’. As Maud Gonne commented on her ascent, ‘the heather sang to me’, Margaret will not be singing but looks forward to sharing some of the myth and legend on the day.
SUNDAY 7TH APRIL
TALK: AE AND DONEGAL’S SACRED MOUNTAINS
VENUE: Tí Chulainn, Mullaghbawn
3.30pm - 4.30pm
In this talk, Dr Brian Lacey will outline his own curiosity about AE, including the latter’s connections with Donegal. He will discuss the significance of that county’s ‘holy’ mountain - Errigal, which AE reckoned as ‘sacred’, along with others such as Slieve Gullion. County Donegal was AE Russell’s favourite part of Ireland. He took nearly all of his summer holidays there where he would go to paint (in the area around Marble Hill strand) and to recharge his batteries. Russell claimed the area to be full of faery enchantment and often brought visitors (including Mary Poppins author PL Travers and composer Arnold Bax) there to sample the mystical environment for themselves. He is still remembered in the Dunfanaghy area.
Brian Lacey is an archaeologist and historian from Dublin, who now lives in Gaoth Dobhair. He specialises in the early medieval period in Donegal and Derry. He is the author of many research papers and about 15 books. His latest book, Adomnán, Adhamhnán, Eunan: the Life and Afterlife of a Donegal Saint was published in 2021.
TALK: AN INTRODUCTION TO AE GEORGE RUSSELL
VENUE: Tí Chulainn, Mullaghbawn
4.45pm - 5.15pm
Jim Conway and Michael McKernan will present an overview of the life and work of the Lurgan-born poet, mystic, social reformer, economist and editor. There is growing interest in AE George Russell not only in Lurgan with the Annual Festival but also in many other parts of Ireland and internationally, not least in the United States. From the original AE Festival Group in Lurgan there are now two further organisations celebrating Russell – a newly established national/international Society based in Dublin and ‘AEON’ Community Arts in county Armagh.
Michael McKernan is one of the founder members of the George Russell Festival Society. Last year, he curated a collection of AE’s best poetry, and is also co-author of “George Russell AE - Lurgan & North Armagh”. Previously Michael was a Special Advisor in the Stormont devolved administration.
SUNDAY 7TH APRIL
TALK: THE SOUTH ARMAGH LITERARY TRAIL
VENUE: Tí Chulainn, Mullaghbawn
5.15pm - 6.15pm
Join Úna Walsh to celebrate the rich, cultural heritage of South Armagh. Walk with the Gaelic Poets Séamus Dall Mac Cuarta, Art Mac Cumhaigh, Molaí Nic Giolla Fhiondáin from the poetry schools of Killeen Hill and Dunreavy in praise of chieftains and landscape. At the foot of Slieve Gullion hear the lyrical poetic prose of Michael J Murphy bring alive the mythology and sense of place of a unique borderland. Participants are invited to make the short journey to MC Larkin’s, Forkhill to enjoy the very best of local traditional music in relaxing surroundings.
Úna Walsh is a local historian, tour guide and ambassador for South Armagh and is passionate about the oral tradition. She is currently delivering a living history project connecting people and place in schools and the wider community. There is no doubt that South Armagh is a special place – surrounded by the mythical presence of Slieve Gullion and nurtured by mythology, music, poetry and stories.
PERFORMANCE: TRADITIONAL ARTS PARTNERSHIP SESSION
VENUE: MC Larkin’s, Forkhill
6.30pm - 8.30pm
We’re delighted that Traditional Arts Partnership, or TAP Arts will be playing a session in MC Larkin’s in Forkhill, as part of the George Russell Festival.
TAP Arts from Mullaghbawn, are teachers and performers of traditional Irish music and dance. They hold learning workshops for numerous traditional musical instruments and have built a strong reputation for their work. There is an emphasis on encouraging young people (although no-one is too old to get involved) and widespread participation is nurtured.
TAP Arts performances of traditional music are also in great demand. As well as in Ireland, the group has been invited to perform in the United States and in a number of European countries. Although TAP’s core offering is traditional, the group are musically adventurous and are always ready to fuse their music and dance with that of other traditions & genres.
MONDAY 8TH APRIL
PRESENTATION:
Æ AND ELLA YOUNG
VENUE: Armagh County Museum
7pm - 8pm
A joint presentation on the life and influence of Ella Young in California. Dorothea McDowell and Linda Rosewood will describe Ella and Æ’s relationship before Ella’s departure for America in 1925, and speculate on the influence of their shared worldview on the cultural and spiritual movements in California.
Originally from Ballymena, Co Antrim, Ella Young went to Dublin and got
Dorothea McDowell is a Dubliner. While doing a postgraduate course in Women’s Studies, she encountered Ella Young, thus beginning twenty years of work culminating in an exhaustive biography of Young’s life and relationships, Ella Young and her World: Celtic Mythology, the Irish Revival, and the Californian Avant-Garde in 2014.
immersed in the Irish Theosophy movement where she became a close friend and follower of George Russell. Always a free spirit Ella became an enthusiastic mystic enthralled by Irish mythology and faery stories. She grew in expertise in this subject sufficient for her to become a University of California lecturer when part of the Irish Theosophy movement resettled in the United States. She stayed in America captivating many with her own unique brand of Irish mysticism. She is author of several books including her autobiographical ‘Flowering Dusk’.
Like Ella Young, Linda Rosewood emigrated in her fifties, but from California to Ireland. As with many women of her generation, she was active in the Women’s Spirituality movement of the 1980s. She has long wondered why the neo-pagan traditions she practiced in California observed the four sacred Celtic Festivals of the year.
MONDAY 8TH APRIL
INTERVIEW:
THE INFLUENCE OF Æ AND ELLA YOUNG TODAY
VENUE: Armagh County Museum 8pm - 9pm
Armagh-born Illustrator, Jonathan Hackett is joined by artist and writer Seán Fitzgerald (The Last Battle of Moytura), to reflect on how the life and works of both Æ and Ella Young have influenced and inspired their own views and appreciation of Irish Mythology. As we delve into these topics we can see how those interpretations weave their way into their life, their work and their own spiritual practices. The interview will be followed by a panel discussion with Jonathan, Séan, Dorothea and Linda.
In 1989, writer and artist Seán Fitzgerald began producing his own heavily illustrated zines on a range of subjects, such as music, autonomy, equality, and more. From then on, he has continued to write and illustrate
Jonathan Hackett is an Armagh-based visual artist, designer and illustrator who brings the city of Armagh to life with his illustrations and paintings. Focused on Armagh’s beautiful locations, its history and special place in Irish and Celtic Mythology, Jonathan’s art weaves together the past, the present and the magical in a captivating and contemporary way. As host of the Sketchy A.F. Podcast, Jonathan has interviewed a diverse range of Irish and international artists, ranging from LBGTQ children’s book illustrator, Kip Alizadeh, Game of Thrones Lead Designer, William Simpson and legendary artist, Jim Fitzpatrick.
books, zines, record covers and material for grassroots community groups. He wrote and illustrated “The Last Battle of Moytura,” his own book on Irish mythology and folklore in 2019. Using literature from the Old and Middle Irish languages as well as folklore, Seán is now finishing up a highly illustrated study of ancient Irish ritual. The study is based on decades of research and practical experience.
TUESDAY 9TH APRIL
GUIDED TOUR: THE DRUID’S WALK
VENUE: Oxford Island Discovery Centre, Lurgan (Free Event) 11am - 12.30pm
South Lough Neagh is a landscape steeped in history and mythology. The Oxford Island area is also a wonderful nature reserve. The Druids’ Walk is a unique collaboration between local expert on Lough Neagh history, Jim Conway and naturopath and Ogham Folklorist Paul May. Come along and enjoy a gentle scenic walk while learning what a fascinating place is on Lurgan’s doorstep.
TALK: BUILDING
COOPERATION: MUINTIR NA TIRE AND THE INFLUENCE OF AE
VENUE: 12 William Street, Lurgan 7pm - 8pm
This talk is given by Dr Barry Sheppard a public historian and researcher whose doctoral research looks at the intellectual influences on Muintir na Tire’s rural Irish mission.
Paul May is a Lurgan based naturopath and folklorist who is an expert on the myriad trees and vegetation of Lurgan Park, which is Northern Ireland’s largest urban park). Paul is also a qualified herbalist and an OCNrecognised tour guide. He has been delivering tours of the park in Lurgan and of the South Lough Neagh area for many years, focusing on the links between traditional trees and plant life and the mythology of the area. He has also lectured on herbalism and traditional plant-based cures and is an expert on the ancient ogham folklore.
Barry Sheppard is an expert on the development of the Irish Cooperative Movement - an organisation spearheaded by AE Russell for much of his working life. Barry completed his PhD on the development of Muintir Na Tire, a national voluntary organisation committed to community development throughout Ireland. Barry is a frequent broadcaster on social history with Northern Vision TV (NVTV).
WEDNESDAY 10TH APRIL
AE RUSSELL LURGAN HERITAGE WALKING TOUR (REPEAT EVENT)
VENUE: Meet at Brownlow House, Lurgan 10am - 11.30am (Free Event)
AE RUSSELL’S 157TH BIRTHDAY PARTY!
VENUE: 12 William Street, Lurgan 1pm - 2pm
Join in the celebrations of AE Russell’s 157th birthday at the very place he was born. There’ll be some music, refreshments and a big birthday cake, which will be cut by AE’s closest living relative this side of the Atlantic – Arthur Russell from Nobber, County Meath. A slice for everyone! A fun occasion among the fans and followers of George Russell.
Join Jim Conway on a special heritage walk around Lurgan and see all the sights of the town and the places associated most with George Russell. See where Russell was born and baptised, and where he went to school. See also the place of his home in North Street and the library he frequented in the Mechanics Institute. The walk starts at the impressive Brownlow House overlooking the park where Russell had his very first mystical experiences. The walk is relaxed and not at all strenuous.
After the walk around Lurgan participants are invited to join nonwalkers at the Annual AE Birthday Party.
SUNDAY 14TH APRIL
ARMAGH, BANBRIDGE, CRAIGAVON LITERARY BUS TOUR
STARTING: The Shambles, Armagh City
Departing: 10am, returning: 2.45pm Tickets can be booked on Eventbrite. Price: £15, includes a light lunch. For more information, email aegeorgerussell@gmail.com
We will be visiting locations associated with the following figures:
John B Yeats (influential father of W B Yeats) – Tullylish
John O’Connor and John Montague –Armagh City
The towns, villages and countryside around Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon have produced many writers of international repute and also celebrate an array of historic literary connections. In a comfortable bus journey complete with appropriate breaks and a light lunch, we tour the area and explore all the associations with these literary figures.
Dean Jonathan Swift – Armagh, Waringstown & Markethill
George Russell – Lurgan and Armagh
Gerard Manley Hopkins – Dromore
Paul Muldoon –Collegeland
John Hewitt –
Kilmore
Sinead Morrissey – Portadown
Helen Waddell & Joseph Scriven –Banbridge
…and many more!
From L’île des bardes by Simone Téry (1925)