International panel of speakers for Mayo event
Author Anne Walsh Donnelly is one of the guests at the Heinrich Boll Memorial Weekend.
The annual Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend takes place on Achill Island from May 3rd to 5th with an international panel of writers and speakers.
The opening event and registration takes place on Friday, May 3rd, at St Thomas‘ Hall, Dugort, at 7pm with guest speaker Mr Christian Resch (Deputy Head of Mission of German Embassy). He will also present school essay prizes to students from Coláiste Pobail Acla.
Anne Walsh Donnelly will read from her new work . Originally from Carlow, Anne now lives in Mayo where she writes poetry, prose and plays. Anne explores the rural Irish experience and her novel tells the story of Matt, a Mayo man who wanders the streets of Castlebar looking for claw marks. In lyrical prose, Anne explores the complex workings of Matt’s inner life.
Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor with Channel 4 News, will give a talk entitled 'The Bulwark of Freedom: Reporting today's wars'. Lindsey has covered the major conflicts including the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2011, she reported the uprisings in Egypt and Bahrain, as well as Libya. She has also reported extensively from Iran and Zimbabwe, and was Channel 4 News China Correspondent from 2006 to 2008. During the 2004 US assault on Falluja, she was embedded with a frontline marine unit, and in 1994, she was the only English-speaking foreign correspondent in Rwanda when the genocide began.
Before becoming a journalist, she was an aid worker, first in Latin America and then in Africa. She is also the author of a number of acclaimed books.
The weekend continues on Saturday morning, May 4th, at 10am with a guided walk with Micheál O'Briain. Micheál is passionate about nature and its conservation in Ireland and across the European Union. Following his studies of Brent Geese in Ireland and Canada for his PhD at University College Dublin he worked for the Irish Wildbird Conservancy (now BirdWatch Ireland), initially as its first Conservation Officer, then as National Director. He then spent almost 30 years working for the European Commission on EU and international nature and biodiversity policies, particularly on setting up Natura 2000, the EU-wide network of protected areas. He has a long-term interest in the birds and other wildlife of Achill which he has been recording over the past 16 years.
After lunch, Lindsey Hilsum will present the Anne Shannon Memorial Writers workshop - a seminar on writing for journalism – of interest for writers.
Former Minister for the Environment John Gormley is also among the speakers on Saturday while poet Richard W. Halperin will read from his recently published , from Salmon Poetry. Richard W. Halperin holds American-Irish dual nationality and lives in Paris. His work is part of University College Dublin’s Irish Poetry Reading Archive. Since 2010, he has published four poetry collections via Salmon/Cliffs of Moher and 16 shorter collections via Lapwing/Belfast.
On Saturday, there will also be a showing of the TG4 film which investigates the story of Achill Island native, Finbar Cafferkey, who died on the frontline in Ukraine. The current affairs documentary is presented by investigative journalist, Kevin Magee, who travels to war-torn Ukraine to find out more about the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Cafferkey, 45, who was killed in Bakhmut on April 19th last year. The documentary examines the reasons behind his decision to enlist in a fighting unit in Ukraine and shows the impact of his passing on his family in Achill Island.
On Saturday evening at St Thomas’s Church in Dugort, writers from Russia, Ukraine and Germany will read from recent works. Chaired Dr. Gisela Holfter of the University of Limerick.
On Sunday, there will be a guided walk with Eoin Halpin, including a visit to Carrowgarve, the other deserted village.
Located facing the wild Atlantic close to Ashleam Bay, this largely forgotten settlement was first recorded in mid-17th century. It is, in fact, like the better-known Slievemore Deserted Village, three interconnected villages, with the largest Baile as t-Sruthain surviving best. Following its decline, it ended as the booley of Mweelin, north of Dooega. The walking tour will explore the surviving remains of the settlement as well as the archaeology of the surrounding area. The terrain in the area is relatively rough, so appropriate clothing and footwear is a must.
