Festivals and events
A month-by-month calendar of Irish poetry festivals, plus the reading series and the competitions attached to them.
A working calendar is maintained by Ó Bhéal: obheal.ie/blog/poetry-festival-calendar. The table below is derived from it, cross-checked against festival sites. Dates shift year to year — all festival dates need annual re-checking.
Major poetry and literature festivals
Cúirt International Festival of Literature
- Since: 1985. Galway City, late April, one week.
- Note: One of Europe's oldest book festivals.
- Web: cuirt.ie
Listowel Writers' Week
- Since: 1971 — Ireland's first and longest-running literary festival. Listowel, Co. Kerry, late May (2026: 27–31 May, its 55th edition).
- Hosts: The Pigott Poetry Prize.
- Web: writersweek.ie
Cork International Poetry Festival
- History: Formerly the Cork Spring Poetry Festival; rebranded in 2016 as the Cork International Poetry Festival to reflect its international programme.
- Hosts: The Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Prize and the Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition.
- Web: corkpoetryfest.net
Ó Bhéal Winter Warmer / Ó Bhéal poetry festival
- Since: 2013. Cork City, November. Multilingual; 23+ poets from Ireland and 7–8 other countries.
- Ó Bhéal also runs weekly readings in Cork, year-round.
- Web: obheal.ie
Poetry Day Ireland
- Organiser: Poetry Ireland.
- When: One day each spring, late April.
- Format: Events in libraries, schools, bookshops and community venues across the island.
- Web: poetryireland.ie
IMRAM Féile Litríochta Gaeilge
- Focus: Irish-language literature. Multimedia events setting poetry in Irish against music and film.
- Base: Dublin. Autumn.
- Web: imram.ie
Full calendar by month
Derived from the Ó Bhéal Irish Poetry Festival Calendar. Festivals marked (P) are poetry-specific; the rest are general literary/arts festivals with substantial poetry programming.
January
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| The Yeats Winter School (late) (P) | Hyde Bridge, Sligo | yeatssociety.com |
March
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Ennis Book Club Festival (early) | Ennis, Co. Clare | ennisbookclubfestival.com |
| Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival (mid) | Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin | mountainstosea.ie |
April
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| International Pan Celtic Festival (early) | Derry | panceltic.ie |
| Éigse Michael Hartnett Literary Festival (mid) (P) | Newcastle West, Co. Limerick | eigsemichaelhartnett.ie |
| Cúirt International Festival of Literature (late) | Galway City | cuirt.ie |
| Cork World Book Festival (late) | Cork City | triskelartscentre.ie |
| The Franco-Irish Literary Festival (late) | Dublin Castle | francoirishliteraryfestival.com |
| Féile na Bealtaine (late Apr–early May) | Dingle, Co. Kerry | feilenabealtaine.ie |
| Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (late Apr–early May) | Belfast | cqaf.com |
May
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Strokestown International Poetry Festival (early) (P) | Strokestown, Co. Roscommon | strokestownpoetry.org |
| Bealtaine Festival (all month) | Countrywide | bealtaine.com |
| Féile na nDéise (early) | Celbridge, Co. Kildare | — |
| Waterford Writers Weekend (early) | Waterford City | — |
| Edgeworth Literary Festival (early) | Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford | mariaedgeworthcenter.com |
| Cork International Poetry Festival (mid) (P) | Cork City | corkpoetryfest.net |
| Mountshannon Arts Festival (late May–early Jun) | Mountshannon, Co. Clare | mountshannonarts.ie |
| Listowel Writers' Week (late) | Listowel, Co. Kerry | writersweek.ie |
June
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| International Literature Festival Dublin (early) | Dublin City | ilfdublin.com |
| Carlow Arts Festival (mid) | Carlow Town | carlowartsfestival.com |
| Immrama Festival of Travel Writing (mid) | Lismore, Co. Waterford | lismore-immrama.com |
| Focal Wexford Literary Festival (late) | Wexford Town | wexfordliteraryfestival.com |
| Hay Festival Kells (late) | Kells, Co. Meath | — |
| Byrne/Perry Summer School (late) | Gorey, Co. Wexford | — |
| Over the Edge Writers' Gathering (late) (P) | Galway City Library | — |
July
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Clonmel Junction Festival (early) | Clonmel, Co. Tipperary | junctionfestival.com |
| Earagail Arts Festival (mid–late) | Co. Donegal | eaf.ie |
| West Cork Literary Festival (mid–late) | Bantry, Co. Cork | westcorkmusic.ie |
| Galway International Arts Festival (mid–late) | Galway City | giaf.ie |
| Gerard Manley Hopkins Literary Festival (22–28 Jul) (P) | Newbridge, Co. Kildare | gerardmanleyhopkins.org |
| Boyle Arts Festival (late) | Boyle, Co. Roscommon | boylearts.com |
| Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival (late Jul–early Aug) | Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh | artsoverborders.com |
| John Hewitt International Summer School (late) | Armagh | johnhewittsociety.org |
| Tread Softly Festival (late) | Sligo Town | treadsoftly.ie |
| Sean McCarthy Festival (late) | Listowel, Co. Kerry | finugeweekend.com |
August
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Féile an Phobail / August Féile (early–mid) | West Belfast | feilebelfast.com |
| Kilkenny Arts Festival (early–mid) | Kilkenny City | kilkennyarts.ie |
| Tralee Garden Festival (late) | Tralee, Co. Kerry | festivaltralee.com |
| Industrial Yarns – Tea & Tales (late) | Bray, Co. Wicklow | mermaidartscentre.ie |
September
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Clear Island International Storytelling Festival (early) | Cape Clear, Co. Cork | capeclearstorytelling.com |
| Fingal Poetry Festival (mid) (P) | Skerries, Co. Dublin | fingalpoetryfestival.com |
| Courtmacsherry Storytelling Carnival (mid) | Co. Cork | courtmacsherry.ie |
| Graiguenamanagh 'Town of Books' Festival (mid) | Co. Kilkenny | graiguenamanaghtownofbooks.ie |
| Benedict Kiely Literary Weekend (mid) | Omagh, Co. Tyrone | kielyweekend.wordpress.com |
| Clifden Community Arts Week (mid) | Clifden, Co. Galway | clifdenartsfestival.ie |
| Culture Night (mid) | National | culturenight.ie |
| Frank O'Connor International Festival of the Short Story (late) | Cork City | corkshortstory.net |
| Aspects Literature Festival (late) | Bangor, Co. Down | aspectsfestival.com |
| Patrick Kavanagh Weekend (late) (P) | Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan | patrickkavanaghcountry.com |
October
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Dromineer Nenagh Literary Festival (early) | Dromineer, Co. Tipperary | dnlf.ie |
| Lady Gregory Autumn Gathering (early) | Gort, Co. Galway | galwaytourism.ie |
| Siar Scéal Festival (early) | Castlerea, Co. Roscommon | — |
| ECHOES Literary Festival (early) | Dalkey, Co. Dublin | echoes.ie |
| Strolling Through Ulysses (early) | Rathmines, Dublin | strollingthroughulysses.com |
| Baboró International Arts Festival for Children (mid) | Galway City | baboro.ie |
| Dalkey Creates Writing Festival (mid) | Dalkey, Co. Dublin | — |
| Slieve Bloom Storytelling and Music Festival (mid) | Offaly/Laois | slievebloom.ie |
| Belfast International Arts Festival (mid Oct–early Nov) | Belfast | belfastinternationalartsfestival.com |
| Samhain International Poetry Festival (mid) (P) | Gortahork, Co. Donegal | — |
| Lough Gur Storytelling Festival (late) | Lough Gur, Co. Limerick | loughgur.com |
| 'Imagine' Waterford Arts Festival (mid–late) | Waterford City | waterfordartsfestival.com |
November
| Festival | Location | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Ó Bhéal Winter Warmer (P) | Cork City | obheal.ie |
| Dublin Book Festival (mid) | Dublin City Hall | dublinbookfestival.com |
| Athlone Literary Festival (late) | Athlone, Co. Westmeath | midlandsireland.ie |
| Granard Traditional Harp Festival (late) | Granard, Co. Longford | longfordlibrary.ie |
Year-round
| Event | Location |
|---|---|
| Letterfrack Poetry Trail | Letterfrack, Co. Galway (ceecc.org) |
Competitions attached to festivals
Prizes a poet has won are noted in that poet's own entry. Listed here are the open competitions run by festivals — the ones still taking entries.
| Competition | Festival / organiser | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Competition | Cork International Poetry Festival / Munster Literature Centre | €2,000, publication in Southword, festival reading. Since 2010 |
| Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition | Munster Literature Centre | €1,000, publication by Southword Editions, 25 copies. 16–24 poems |
| Farmgate Café National Poetry Award | Cork International Poetry Festival / MLC | €2,000, best collection in English by a poet resident in Ireland. Est. 2019. Companion Southword Debut Collection Award, €1,000, est. 2023 |
| Pigott Poetry Prize | Listowel Writers' Week | €20,000 — Ireland's largest for a new collection — plus €2,000 to each of two shortlisted poets |
| Fish Poetry Prize | Fish Publishing, launched at West Cork Literary Festival | €1,000 single poem; top 10 in the Fish Anthology |
| Strokestown International Poetry Prize | Strokestown Festival, Co. Roscommon | €1,000. Festival est. 1999, first weekend of May |
| Cúirt New Writing Prize | Cúirt Festival, Galway | €500 poetry category plus a festival reading |
| Michael Hartnett Poetry Award | Éigse Michael Hartnett, Newcastle West | €4,000, alternating Irish and English years — one of the few prizes giving the languages equal standing |
| Dermot Healy International Poetry Prize | Co. Sligo; founded by Crona Gallagher and Steve Farrell with Healy's blessing | Festival named from Healy's poem The Wife of the Moon; 500+ entries |
| Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award | Patrick Kavanagh Society / Centre, Inniskeen | For an unpublished collection — the traditional route into print. Est. 1971. Makes placings as well as wins, which secondary sources routinely confuse |
| Trócaire Poetry Ireland Poetry Competition | Poetry Ireland with Trócaire | Annual themed competition, six categories including four for schools |
| Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize | Seamus Heaney Centre, QUB (not festival-attached) | £5,000 for a first full collection from a UK/Ireland publisher |
Discontinued but still appearing in poet bios: the Poetry Now Award (The Irish Times, 2005–2020), presented at the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival, ended when that festival was cancelled under COVID-19 restrictions. The Shine/Strong Award for best first collection, presented at the same festival, has no confirmed award after 2019 and its current status could not be established — it may be dormant; the directory does not assert either way.
Regular reading series (not festivals)
- Ó Bhéal — weekly, Cork
- Over the Edge — monthly, Galway City Library
- Sunflower Sessions — Dublin (source of Flare magazine)
- Poetry Ireland Introductions — annual showcase series for emerging poets
- Poetry Jukebox — Belfast/Dublin installations, curated in themed editions (including an LGBT edition, see LGBTQ+ poets)
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