Thursday September 17th
Éamon Kelly: An Absolute Artist
Listowel International Storytelling Festival 2026 opens with a special exhibition of photographs, posters and newspaper cuttings celebrating the career of Ireland’s most acclaimed storyteller and actor Éamon Kelly.
Described by Fintan O’Toole as one of the most sophisticated performers of the modern Irish theatre, Kelly is probably best recognised today as a storyteller or seanchaÃ. His distinctive Kerry accent and natural persona captivated audiences for over two decades on Irish radio & television as well as live performances throughout the country.
Time: 6.30 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Free Event
Éamon Kelly Celebratory Concert
Éamon Kelly described the art of the seanchaà as the oldest one-man-show-on earth and throughout his long and distinguished career, he held his audience spellbound when spinning hilarious yarns while sitting in the intimacy of the firelight and candlelight.
On the opening night of our festival join us for an evening of story, music & song in honour of Ireland’s acclaimed seanchaÃ, featuring storytellers Nuala Hayes, Ray O’Sullivan, Frances Kennedy, Daisy Kearney, Danny Larkin, Karen Trench and other special guests.
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets – €15 (Includes refreshments)
Friday September 18th
Storytelling in Schools
Storytellers Maria Gillen (Ireland), Jim Brulé (USA), Dawn Casey (UK) and Omar Belaarej (Morocco) will visit local primary schools to share exciting tales about faraway places, funny characters, brave heroes, and magical adventures.
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Venue: Local Primary Schools
Free Event (Booking required)
The Mobile Museum
From the Stone Age to the revolutionary era, Kerry County Museum will transport you through time with their extensive handling collection. Participants will get the opportunity to see and touch historical artifacts up close and ask questions.
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Free Event (Booking required)
Tales over Teacups
Start your morning in good company with acclaimed local storyteller & singer Frances Kennedy whose performances are full of warmth humour & heart. Expect a relaxed and uplifing session filled with stories and songs rich in character, local wisdom and gentle laughter.
Time: 10.30 am
Venue: Lizzie’s Little Kitchen
Free Event
Irish Place Names
In this light-hearted, engaging bi-lingual session storyteller Paddy O’Brien will explore the origins of Irish place names, with a particular focus on Kerry. A chance to learn a few words of Irish while discovering the stories behind the names.
Time: 11.30 am
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Free Event
Peig Unplugged
Step into the world of Peig Sayers with acclaimed storyteller and actor Nuala Hayes. Through a beautifully curated selection of stories, this evocative performance celebrates the wit, wisdom and enduring legacy of one of Ireland’s greatest storytellers. Stories translated by writer and folklore scholar ÉilÃs Nà Dhuibhne.
Time: 1 pm
Venue: St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre
Story & Poetry Swap
Join poet John McGrath for our first Story & Poetry Swap of the weekend. Whether you have a captivating story, a heartfelt poem, or a thought-provoking piece to share, we invite you to take the mic and let your voice be heard.
Time: 2.30 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Free Event
Shredding the Monstrous Past
Jim Brule presents four captivating tales in which the past is confronted and transformed. Journey from Norway with Prince Lindworm, encounter King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba in A Palace of Bird Beaks, and visit a Chinese village turned upside down by the mysterious dumplings of Ban Pin Shan. Jim will also share a special story with roots closer to home.
Time: 4.30 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €8
Ireland and the EU: From Accession to Brexit: Ireland’s 50+ Year EU Journey
On Culture Night St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre welcomes political historian and international governance expert Dr. Peter Moloney for an insightful exploration of Ireland’s evolving relationship with the European Union. Reflecting on more than five decades of EU membership, he examines its impact on Ireland’s economic, social and political development, while considering the challenges of Brexit, the Northern Ireland Protocol and Ireland’s changing place in Europe.
Time: 5.30 pm
Venue: St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre
Free Event (Culture Night)
A Tapestry of Tales in Listowel
As twilight falls on Culture Night, A Tapestry of Tales in Listowel weaves together enchanting stories, myths and memories featuring storytellers from Ireland, the UK, USA, Japan and across Europe. Celebrating Ireland’s Presidency of the EU, this special evening will also feature voices and traditions from EU member States. Bean an Tà Maria Gillen will be joined by Listowel Community Youth Choir and guest artists for an uplifting evening responding to our festival theme ‘Past Voices, Future Stories’.
Time: 7.30 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Free Event (Culture Night)
Late Night Poetry & Stories
Listowel Writers’ Week Poets Corner
We are delighted to collaborate with Listowel Writers’ Week on Culture Night for a lively Open Mic night where anything could happen! Feast on plenty of courage, culture and the craic at Christy’s Bar. Enjoy verses & stories from emerging and established voices, paired with a pint and good company in the heart of literary Listowel.
Time: 9 pm
Venue: Christy’s ‘The Well’ Bar
Free Event (Culture Night)
Saturday September 19th
The Storytellers Trail
Join John Keane on this story walk and discover the birth places of literary greats, Bryan McMahon and John B Keane, the doyen of Sculptural stuccos, Pat McAuliffe and ending in the Small Square where in May 1951, Tom Doodle, president of the Independent Coulogeous Party made his only public appearance, with the immortal election slogan USE YOUR NOODLE, VOTE FOR DOODLE!
Time: 10 am
Departs from Listowel Castle
Free Event
Legacy Storytelling
In this storytelling workshop Jim Brule will demonstrate how to discern values that are important to us, and weave short anecdotes to be passed along as our legacy. Jim’s classes, workshops, and communities embody his dedication to multicultural wisdom, grounded in the belief that true abundance arises from interconnected generosity and gratitude.
Time: 10 am to 12 pm
Venue: St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre
Tickets: €20
Magical Nature Tales for Children
Step into a world of wonder with storyteller and children’s author Dawn Casey as she shares enchanting traditional tales inspired by the natural world. Hear the old stories that honour and celebrate the birds and the animals, the plants and the trees – stories that remind us that we are all related, in the family of life. Following the storytelling, children can create and decorate their own willow star wand to take home. They can make a wish for the natural world and blow through the star of their wand, to send their hopes and dreams floating on the breeze. A magical storytelling and craft experience that encourages creativity, imagination and a deeper connection with nature. Suitable for children aged 5 to 12 years, must be accompanied by an adult.
Time: 10.30 to 11.30 am
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €5 (limited to 15 participants)
Tales over Teacups
Relax with a fresh brew and enjoy one of Kerry’s cultural icons Sonny Egan. He is not just a champion storyteller, he is a musician, a singer, a podcaster, an actor and an expert on many subjects. He is generous with his talents and for years opened his door to everyone in his famous rambling house.
Time: 10.30 am
Venue: Lynch’s Bakery & Coffee Shop
Free Event
Book Launch: Seanchaà Writers Anthology
We’re the lucky thirteen! Thirteen Seanchaà Writers coming together in Kerry Writers’ Museum from January to May this year and deciding to enshrine their latest poems and stories for future generations in this collection, The Seanchaà Writers’ Anthology 2026. Lucky we are too that this is Listowel, where words are treasured and writers sustained.
Time: 12 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Free Event
Memories of Éamon & Maura Kelly
Theatre historian Dr. Fiona Brennan chairs this panel discussion which will reflect on the life and careers of Éamon & Maura Kelly, from their early days with Listowel Drama Group to their move to Dublin to join the Radio Éireann repertory and acclaimed work with the Abbey Theatre, while also celebrating their enduring contribution to Irish cultural life. Fiona will be joined by Éamon & Maura’s son Eoin Kelly, Nuala Hayes, Ronan Wilmot and Owen McMahon.
Time: 2.30 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €10
Story Swap at John Bs
Step right up and share your tale at our Saturday Story Swap in Listowel’s famous hostelry. Join Frances Kennedy & Paddy O’Brien for a rip-roaring afternoon of stories. Whether it’s a personal experience, a fictional narrative, or a funny incident, we want to hear it. All stories are welcome, and participation is encouraged, but not required. Come listen, laugh, and be inspired!
Time: 3.30 pm
Venue: John B. Keane’s Bar
Free Event
The Wild Swans
As evening falls, gather for a magical lamp-lit storytelling experience with acclaimed storyteller and children’s author Dawn Casey. Settle in as The Wild Swans, one of the world’s most beautiful fairy tales, is brought to life through a traditional story box, an age-old storytelling form that uses hand-crafted paper-cut silhouettes to create a mesmerising scrolling theatre of light and shadow. Inspired by the timeless magic of swans, this enchanting tale celebrates courage, love and transformation, while revealing the hidden gifts of the natural world through the humble nettle plant. A captivating evening of story and visual theatre that will delight children & adults alike.
Time: 6 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €8 (Free entry for children)
Woken Bird
WOKEN BIRD is the latest creative project from Niall Cuddy and Paddy Doyle – a unique format combining interwoven streams of lyric, music. story and verse. A visceral and retrospective 45 minute show that charts their artistic journeys from rural Ireland to cities such as New York, Berlin, San Francisco and back to the ground of their own tradition.
Time: 7 pm
Venue: The Kilmorna Collection
Free Event
Theatre of the Hearthstone
We continue our celebration of Éamon Kelly by remembering his life on stage, and readings from plays in which he made the characters his own, including The Tailor and Ansty, in which he starred alongside his wife Maura, to his Tony Award nominated performance in Philadelphia, Here I Come!. Introduced by Owen McMahon. This event will also include film footage of the man himself!
Time: 7 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €10
The Music of Nina Simone
Kerry Writers’ Museum and Listowel International Storytelling Festival is delighted to welcome jazz and soul singer Karen Underwood for her debut performance in St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre. Karen brings to you in narration and song the engrossing life story of the great legend Nina Simone, from her struggle against racism and exile in her homeland to her flamboyant, troubled relationships and poignant later years. Karen sings all the classic Nina songs, “Strange Fruit”, “Mississippi Goddamn”’, “Sinnerman”, “My Baby” and “I Need a Little Sugar In My Bowl” supported by a live band featuring Gary Beecher on piano, David Whitla on bass guitar, and Davy Ryan on drums.
Time: 8.30 pm
Venue: St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre
Tickets: €22.50
Sunday September 20th
Poetry Workshop: Blown to the Winds
The phrase from a poem by Julie O’Callaghan is the focal point for a workshop with award winning poet Lorraine Carey, exploring movement, migration and the longing for places that often no longer exist. This session will blend reading and discussion of contemporary work with generative writing prompts to produce and share new writing, while building community.
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €25 (limited to 12 participants)
Magical Nature Tales for Children
Step into a world of wonder with storyteller and children’s author Dawn Casey as she shares enchanting traditional tales inspired by the natural world. Hear the old stories that honour and celebrate the birds and the animals, the plants and the trees – stories that remind us that we are all related, in the family of life. Following the storytelling, children can create and decorate their own willow star wand to take home. They can make a wish for the natural world and blow through the star of their wand, to send their hopes and dreams floating on the breeze. A magical storytelling and craft experience that encourages creativity, imagination and a deeper connection with nature. Suitable for children aged 5 to 12 years, must be accompanied by an adult.
Time: 10.30 am
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €5
Stories Across the Sea
Stories have a way of melting boundaries & borders, of shapeshifting us into a recognition of our common humanity & community. This is a celebration of Irish, African & co-created stories with Maria Gillen & Omar Belaarej. Suitable for all ages.
Time: 12 noon
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Tickets: €8 (Free entry to children aged 12 and under)
Poetry & Story in the Park
Gather beneath the open sky for an afternoon where poetry, stories and conversation flow as freely as the summer breeze. Hosted by North Kerry’s haiku master Mike Gallagher, with special guests, acclaimed poet Eileen Sheehan and award-winning storyteller James Fogarty, this welcoming session celebrates the power of words to entertain, inspire and connect. Whether you’re taking to the microphone or simply listening, all are invited to enjoy this joyful celebration of local voices, shared memories and creative expression.
Time: 2 pm
Venue: Listowel Castle
Free Event (Donations welcome)
Slán Abhaile: A Farewell Gathering
Listowel International Storytelling Festival 2026 closes with a gathering of all our tellers and invited guests with our regular performers from Listowel Rambling House. Join Fear an TÃ Johnny McElligott for an afternoon of stories, traditional Irish music, song and dance, with refreshments.
Time: 3.30 pm
Venue: Kerry Writers’ Museum
Free Event (Donations welcome)
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