THE JOHN B. KEANE FESTIVALSince the 1960s, the name John B. Keane has been a household one in Irish life. From his appearances on national television and radio, to the success of plays such as Sive, Big Maggie and The Field at a local, national & international level, it would be difficult to find a home in Ireland where he is not known. Apart from his standing as a major literary figure, John B.’s love for his native Listowel and his affinity with the common man gave him an appeal far beyond the world of books and theatre. The John B. Keane Festival is a celebration of Irish literature in the context of the great Kerry writer, and will reflect both Listowel’s famous literary heritage and the importance of the literary arts in a rapidly changing contemporary environment. We would like to welcome you all to our lovely Heritage Town and hope that you make new friends and take away happy memories.
Cara Trant
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
8.00 pm Official Opening by Barry Cassin Venue : Seanchaí Literary Centre, The Square
9.30 am to 12 pm Literary Workshops begin : The Creative Writing Process – Director : Dermot Bolger Writing for Theatre – Director : Bernard Farrell Writing Poetry – Director : Paddy Bushe
12.15 pm Reading – Alice Taylor from her latest novel House of Memories
1.15 pm Lunchtime Theatre : 2.00 to 4.30 pm Literary Workshops continue
3.00 pm Images of the Kerry Writers
4.00 pm Lecture – From Emigration to Immigration
6.00 pm Reading – Dermot Bolger, from his latest novel The Family on Paradise Pier
7.30 pm Discussion Forum – Irish Republicanism 1916 to 2006
8.00 pm Theatre
9.30 am to 12 pm Literary Workshops continue
12.15 pm Lecture: Irishwomen in the 20th Century – John B. Keane’s Vision
by Mary Kenny
1.15 pm Lunchtime Theatre :
2.00 to 4.30 pm Literary Workshops
Chaired by : Phelim Donlon
7.00 pm Lecture – John B. Keane : Playwright of the People :
2.30 pm An Afternoon of Kerry Poets Readings by contemporary Kerry Poets including Paddy Bushe & Sonia Broderick Venue : Seanchaí Literary Centre, The Square
4.00 pm Tom Doodle Comes to Town with Da Bogadeers
11.30 am Reading by Dan Kissane Venue : Listowel Library
3.30 pm Creative Writing with Paula O’Connor-Murphy 11.00 am Children’s Storytelling with Eddie Linehan Venue : St. Patrick’s Hall (Suitable for children from age 8 to 12 years)
12.00 pm Children’s Street Theatre :
GUESTS
 Dermot Bolger was born in Dublin in 1959. His nine novels include The Woman's Daughter, The Journey Home, Father's Music, The Valparaiso Voyage and the recently acclaimed The Family on Paradise Pier, which traces a real Irish family from the Great War through Ireland in the 1930s, The Spanish Civil War, the streets and gulags of Russia and London during the Blitz. His debut play, The Lament for Arthur Cleary, received The Samuel Beckett Award and his most recent play, From These Green Heights, won the Irish Times/ESB Award for Best New Irish Play of 2004. Author of seven volumes of poetry, he has been Playwright in Association with the Abbey Theatre and Writer Fellow in Trinity College, Dublin. Bolger has championed new Irish writers, firstly through Raven Arts Press, which he started as a factory hand, and later through co-founding New Island Books. He devised the best-selling collaborative novels, Finbar's Hotel and Ladies Night at Finbar's Hotel and edited The Picador Book of Contemporary Irish Fiction.
 Bernard Farrell is one of Ireland’s leading playwrights and has written 19 stage plays, 9 of which have been premiered at The Abbey Theatre. His first play I Do Not Like Thee Doctor Fell was premiered at the Abbey in 1979 and has since become one of the most performed Irish plays of the last twenty years. The plays that followed include Canaries (Abbey 1980), All in Favour Said No! (Abbey 1981), Don Juan (from Moliere, Abbey 1984), All The Way Back (Abbey 1985), Say Cheese (Abbey 1987), Forty-Four Sycamore (Red Kettle Theatre 1992), The Last Apache Reunion (Abbey 1993, UK Premier at Show of Strength Theatre Bristol 1998), Happy Birthday Dear Alice (Red Kettle Theatre 1994), Stella By Starlight (Gate Theatre 1997), Kevin’s Bed (Abbey 1998), The Spirit of Annie Ross (Gate Theatre 1999, Druid Theatre Co. 2001), Lovers At Versailles (Abbey Theatre 2002) and Many Happy Returns (Gate Theatre 2005). His plays have toured extensively in the U.K., U.S.A. and Australia. He has also written plays for children, television and radio.
 Author & journalist Mary Kenny was founder-member of the Irish feminist movement in 1970, after moving back from London where she worked on the London Evening Standard. She has published several books on the themes of feminism, social history and culture of religion. In 1997 she published a social history of Ireland, ‘Goodbye Catholic Ireland’. In 2004 she published ‘Lord Haw-Haw, William Joyce’, which will be made into a feature film commencing in late 2005. Her most recent publication ‘Allegiance’ is a playtext, with historical essay and background notes, about the crucial meeting between Michael Collins & Winston Churchill in 1921. She is established on both sides of the Irish Sea as a journalist, contributing to over twenty publications, including the Irish Independent, The Times, the Guardian, Daily Spectator, and the Irish Catholic and Catholic Herald.
 Alice Taylor was born in County Cork in 1938. Her debut book To School Through the Fields (1988) became the biggest selling book ever published in Ireland, and her sequels, Quench the Lamp, The Village, Country Days and The Night Before Christmas, were also outstandingly successful. Since their initial publication these books of memoirs have also been translated and sold internationally.In 1997 her first novel, The Woman of the House, was published. A moving story of land, love and family, it was followed by a sequel, Across the River in 2000. She has also three collections of poetry including Going to the Well. A Country Miscellany, a collection of her writings about aspects of country life, illustrated in colour with photographs by Richard T. Mills, was published in 1998. Her latest novel House of Memories was recently published.
 Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, or Sr. Stan is a native of the Dingle Peninsula, and is a Religious Sister of Charity and the founder and Life President of Focus Ireland. She is the author of several books including Who Should Care?, One Million Poor, But Where Can I Go?, Focus on Homelessness, Spiritual Journeys, Now is the Time, Bundle of Blessings, and her most recent publication Gardening the Soul. Sr. Stan has also written a wide range of articles that have been published in Ireland and elsewhere, and lectures on social policy issues at regular intervals. In 1999 President Mary McAleese appointed Sr. Stan as a member of the Council of State.
 Diarmaid Ferriter teaches history at St. Patrick’s College, Drumondra, Dublin City University. He is the author of A Nation of Extremes : the Pioneers in 20th-century Ireland and Lovers of Liberty? Local government in 20th-century Ireland, and co-author with Colm Tóibín of The Irish Famine.He also presented the weekly history programme What If? on RTE Radio 1 and has reported for RTE Prime Time.
 Martin Mansergh was born in England in 1946, the son of the Tipperary-born Irish historian Nicholas Mansergh. He was educated at King’s School, Canterbury, and Christ Church, Oxford. Mansergh studied politics, philosophy and economics in Oxford and obtained a Doctorate in French history. He entered the Department of Foreign Affairs by open civil service competition in 1974, and was promoted to the position of First Secretary in 1977.
Dr. Mansergh was a key member of the teams which formed the Fianna Fáil-Labour Coalition in 1992 and the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition in 1997. As a senior advisor to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Dr. Mansergh has played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process over the last twenty years. He was elected to Seanad Éireann by the Agricultural Panel in July of the same year. He is also a member of the Irish Council of State, having been appointed by President Mary McAleese. He writes a weekly column for the Irish Times.
Seanchaí – Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre gratefully acknowledge the support of the following organisations :
Seanchaí – Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre gratefully acknowledges the support and co-operation of the Keane Family. We also thank the Garda Síochána, Listowel Town Council the Community of Listowel for their help, sponsorship and support of this special event.
THE JOHN B. KEANE FESTIVAL TICKET entitles the bearer admission to all events except the workshops and evening theatre. The purchase of a ticket does not, however, guarantee a seat at events, therefore please arrive early to ensure entry.
€50 for a single ticket.
Enquiries regarding entry to workshops and all other information should be addressed to:
The Manager, Seanchaí – Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre, 24 The Square, Listowel. Co Kerry.
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