FÉILE NA Bealtaine in Dingle, Co Kerry, which opened yesterday, is commemorating two of the county’s literary figures who died in the past six months – publisher Steve McDonagh and poet Dr Mícheál Fanning, who founded the festival nearly 20 years ago.
It will build on its reputation this year with world music from Congo, gypsy bands from France and Ireland, and an orthodox choir from Russia, as well as a concert by Julie Feeney.
Mr McDonagh, the founder of Brandon Books who died last November, will be remembered today at at event in Flaherty’s pub, when Michael D Higgins, Alice Taylor and Manchán Magan will read from their work published by him.
Dr Fanning, who was a GP in Dingle for many years, will be honoured at a gala concert on Sunday evening. The Beautiful Worldexhibition in the festival of photographs by John Minihan and Fiona Morgan represents a journey through his life and the towns and villages of his childhood in Kerry.
Eileen Battersby of The Irish Timesand novelist and short story writer Éilis Ní Dhuibhne will discuss the short story in Dingle library this afternoon.
