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'The best literary festival in Ireland' (ed. Oxford Companion) with Music, Poetry, Workshops, Art, Lectures, Youth Programme, Festival Club. Best performers and most variety!

2010 marks the 23rd Hopkins Festival. It attracts participants from all over the world who come to celebrate Hopkins in Kildare.

Celine Byrne will be a highlight of our Festival – Saturday 24th. Book early as all of Kildare will want to make sure they don’t miss this gala performance by Kildare’s diva. Celine will be interrupting her world Tour with Jose Carreras to thrill our visitors so, this is a big opportunity to hear her glorious voice.

Important writers from various countries including Yiorgos Chouliaras (Greece); Richard Berengarten (UK); Alan Riach (Scotland); Tammy Morgan (USA); Desmond Egan â? and more will read and entertain daily.

Lectures will explore aspects of the universal appeal of Hopkins’s poetry. A very distinguished list of Lecturers will be headed by Francis Fennell (USA) Brian Arkins (Ireland); Aleksandra Kedzierska (Poland) and Alla Savchenko (Russia).

Watch our websites for updates and more details.

Art Exhibitions feature leading Artists, both Irish and International, and will include work by Edward Navone (USA); Brian Bourke; Eleanor Swan and others.

Workshops include the popular Words and Music Session led by musician, Conor Mahony, with others on Translation, Creative Writing etc.

This year, our Field Trip will head for Hopkins’s Grave in Glasnevin Cemetery. From there, we will go to NUI Maynooth where, after a short guided tour of the beautiful old campus, we will have poetry, music and finally, The Hopkins Banquet, a highlight that takes place in the stunning Pugin Hall, NUI Maynooth, presided over by President John Hughes.

For info on Workshops, our exciting Youth Programme, and the nightly Festival Club check out our website: http://www.gerardmanleyhopkins.org

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