Wild Atlantic Words Festival marks 10 years
Ireland's Conor Niland during a Men's Singles match at the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Niland has strong Mayo links through his father Ray who played for the county senior football team in the 1960s and 1970s. Picture: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Wild Atlantic Words Festival in Castlebar and the organisers are determined that the 2025 programme will be worthy of the occasion.
The festival runs from October 6th to 12th, and the final touches are now being put to the programme details, with the usual comprehensive array of prose, poetry, fiction, new book launches, literary interviews, and guest appearances by some of the leading figures in the world of words.
Among this year’s highlights will be the return to Castlebar of Conor Niland, whose account of life on the international tennis circuit, , was chosen as the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2024. Ireland’s top-ranked tennis player for several years, Niland was an academy colleague of Serena Williams, had the distinction of defeating Roger Federer, and of reaching the main draw stages of both Wimbledon and the US Open. His book is a fascinating insight into life on the elite tennis circuit, much of which the public never gets to hear about.
His visit will also mean a reconnection with Mayo – his father, Ray, then a young medical intern at Mayo General Hospital was a star footballer with both Castlebar Mitchels and the Mayo senior football team in the 1960s and 1970s.
Among the familiar names appearing at the festival are Dr Richard Hogan, the well known psychotherapist and Fulbright award winner. A frequent guest on radio and TV programmes, Dr Hogan specialises in working with family relationships, and his latest book, , is highly regarded for its down-to-earth, practical wisdom on family dynamics.
This year’s Short Story Awards will be presented by the acclaimed author, Eimear McBride, who grew up in Castlebar. Her first novel, , went on to win the Goldsmith Award in the UK, as well as the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. Her subsequent writings have been equally lauded, and she will discuss her work in conversation with Jarlath Killeen, Professor in Victorian English at Trinity College.
New book launches have always been a feature of Wild Atlantic Words, and this year’s highlights include Sean Lyons’ engaging autobiographical account of a life journey across continents, professions and many near brushes with calamity, entitled .
Sean Cadden will discuss his meticulously researched with Harry Hughes, while Tony Lynott will unveil his latest book of historical fiction.
But there is more. Much more. Celebrated archaeologist Brian Dornan will speak on his specialised subject of Mayo’s Wild Atlantic islands, and especially the Inishkeas; funeral director, David McGowan will entertain with his unique perspective of his profession; and a guaranteed attraction will be Wilder Ways, featuring Harrison Gardner, Lisa Clancy and Sean Lysaght.
Further festival attractions will be a presentation by author, J.P. McHugh, a songwriting workshop with John Spillane, an Antique Books Fair, and the ever popular 'A Poem and a Pint'.
The innovative Linenhall Storytelling Circle will be hosted by Carolyn Claire Mitchell, while the World Book Club will be compered by Michael Minassie.
The festival will be rounded off, as usual, with 'Sunday Morning Coming Down' on Sunday, October 12th, where the guests will be Sarah Butler, Fr Benny MacHale, Fiona Neary, and Paraic Horkan
