Come early and let the Ballyshannon Samba Band get you into festive mood with their infectious Latin rhythms. Light refreshments will be served in the foyer.

The young people of the local Community School get our Festival off to a lively start with a short programme of well-known songs. The choir is under the direction of Mark Cronin, music teacher in Coláiste Cholmcille.

Join us for the official launch of the festival with Donegal Arts Officer, Traolach Ó Fionnáin.

Age of Chaos: The New World Order

Those of us fortunate enough to have heard Nelofer Pazira speak at last year’s Allingham will be delighted that she is making a return visit. She is an award- winning Afghan-Canadian author, journalist and filmmaker who  was based in Beirut for fifteen years working alongside her late husband Robert Fisk. A wonderful public speaker Nelofer is sure to give us all plenty of food for thought as she delivers this year’s Allingham Lecture.  

Come and hear the local Mertales poetry group, led by Sherrie Scott, has they  bring us an hour of their own work in the relaxed atmosphere of the Abbey Arts Centre foyer. Those who heard them last year will know we are in for a treat.

This wonderful film directed and written by Lance Daly (Black ’47) premiered to huge acclaim at the Galway Film Fleadh this year. It tells the story of a gifted young fiddle player Shona McAnally and her young brother Mickey as they leave their home in Donegal and join a troupe of wandering musicians to embark on a journey of adventure, romance and music. This exploration of Irish music is multifaceted in connecting it with rock, rap, dance and Americana. It leaps off the screen and reflects the current renaissance that there is in all genres of music in Ireland. The cast includes Sarah Greene, Peter Coonan, Aidan Gillen and newcomers Megan NicFhionnghaile and Cathal Coade who all turn in stunning performances. 

This film will enrapture you and is brought to us courtesy of Patrick O Neill and Wildcard Distribution who have always been great friends of our Festival.

Always a hugely popular event where anything goes. Feel free to take to the Mic to display your talent or just sit and enjoy the entertainment.  Music will be provided by Farah Bogle.

We are delighted to offer pupils from the local second level schools the opportunity to discover the power of storytelling through use of the smartphone.  Poca Productions will deliver an engaging introduction to smartphone filmmaking especially designed for TY students. This dynamic session will guide students through the essentials of film production – from pre-production and storyboarding, to shooting techniques using affordable equipment, right through to tips on editing software and post- production. 

Whether they are curious about media, considering a career in creative industries or just love storytelling, this presentation is the perfect starting point for the students of the area. By the end they will have an insight into how accessible filmmaking can be when they use the devices we all carry in our Poca.     

This double event opens with a charming and beautifully shot short film by award winning filmmaker  Bernie Masterson. It is a collection of four short stories from ordinary people about their lived experience of the river Shannon. The film highlights the importance of photography and film in documenting our culture in a social, political and historic context.

   The Lost River. Remembering the Erne         

Frankie McPhillips and Ken Ramsey, two infectiously enthusiastic fly fishermen from Enniskillen, bring us an homage to the beauty of the River Erne as it once was. They will remind us of the glory of the salmon angling that made the area world famous. You will be brought back to the days when the world- famous flyfishing firm, Rogan’s of Ballyshannon, placed this town at the centre of the angling world and get a close- up appreciation of the beauty of the flies and the artistic skills involved in making them.  An exhibition of photographs, flies and other memorabilia will be on view and Frankie and Ken will be only too glad to chat about all that is on display.  A truly unique event and not to be missed.

The exhibition will also be open on Saturday from 12.00 noon to 3.00pm.  Admission Free on Saturday. 

It is great to be able to offer Ballyshannon audiences a chance to hear two of the finest poets and writers working in Ireland today. Aideen Henry has published three books of poetry with Salmon Press and a book of short stories with Arlen House. Her work has been broadcast on RTE Radio and published in The Irish Times, The Stinging Fly, The Honest Ulsterman and many others. She lives in Galway.

Christine Hennemann has won The Cerasus Poetry Chapbook Competition for her book Leafing.  As well as an Arts Council award she has been awarded a Mayo Artist Bursary. Christine’s work has appeared in Poetry Ireland, Poetry Wales, Southward, Skylight 47 and elsewhere. Her debut collection Birthmark is soon to be published by Shearsman. She lives in the West of Ireland.

This is a rare opportunity to hear poets of this stature read their own work.

Well known singer John Meehan entertains the residents in the Community Hospital in this singalong event. A very enjoyable and uplifting hour’s entertainment is promised.

Peter Leonard and Mark Tottenham, who last year memorably brought Nelofer Pazira to us, return to record another episode of their long running Podcast.  This time their guest is the noted human rights lawyer , Darragh Mackin. His frequent appearances in the media commenting on a range of high profile cases in which he has been involved include the Stardust Victims, the Hooded Men and of course Kneecap among many others. A fascinating hour or so is in store for us. 

Written by the hugely talented Maura Logue and performed by Marianne Fahy and Maura Logue, Dark Daughter Productions will give  us this compelling piece of theatre  which gives us a glimpse into the lives of two wild Irish girls. Lola Montez (Eliza Gilbert) was born in Grange, Co. Sligo and Lady Morgan (Sydney Owenson) in Dublin and they followed their dreams to achieve fame, fortune and a  great deal of notoriety in the male dominated world of the early 1800s. This highly entertaining imagined conversation has them meeting up later in life and recalling their many escapades and romantic conquests.

Do not miss their fascinating stories.

With support from Mark Langan

We are delighted to have the wonderful Shauna Mullin in concert. Shauna is one of the foremost singers on the Irish folk music scene. Her repertoire ranges from the Ulster Song Cycle to the work of Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell,  with a dash of sean nós thrown in. Coming from a family steeped in music Shauna always delights audiences wherever she performs.   

Accompanying Shauna will be the virtuoso guitarist Alan Colfer who is a highly regarded exponent of fingerstyle guitar. Alan has played extensively around Europe and draws influences from music the world over. He teaches at The Irish World Academy of Music in Limerick.

Opening for Shauna we have Mark Langan. Anyone who has heard Mark play guitar will be well aware of the musical treat that is in store for us tonight as we introduce his latest album,

Spellbound . This is Mark’s second album and, in his own words,  has been in the making for the past 20 years. Tonight we will have a specially shot film to go with the wonderful music on the album. This will surely whet the appetite for the live launch which will take place in the near future.

This is a must- see gig.

 A creative writing workshop with award winning poet and novelist  Afric McGlinchey, on Setting and Weather as Metaphor, gets us underway today.  The focus will be on setting as a living presence that reflects inner worlds, shapes mood and heightens emotional tension. All levels and genres welcome.

Booking: email tomsigafoos@gmail.com   
Limited to 15 participants.

Back by popular demand Christine’s workshop returns for the 14th consecutive year – a testament to its excellence. The event is suitable for children aged  6 to 12.   Places are strictly limited and early booking is advised. To reserve a place please phone, text or WhatsApp 086 3803181.  

As a way of saying thank you to all the businesses who have supported us so generously down the years we are delighted to be able to offer this presentation which will provide a practical introduction to creating social media videos for business using a smartphone. Participants will be guided through recommended equipment, including simple tools to enhance filming  quality and will learn how to plan and shoot effective short-form video content for online platforms.

The session will also highlight the key features of the CapCut app, demonstrating how it can be used to edit videos for TikTok and similar platforms.  This will enable you to produce engaging and professional content suitable for business promotion.

This is a unique opportunity to show your business off in a new light. No previous experience is necessary. 

This rarely seen  film profiles the career of the multi award winning, and fearless, War Correspondent Robert Fisk who lived in Ireland for many years and died here in 2020. Fisk was one of the greatest ever writers on the politics and people of the Middle East. This film  poses painful and profound questions about conflict and humanity and is so relevant to the world today when journalists and journalism are under threat as never before. It is a beautifully shot piece of work and gives us a deep insight into the causes of the strife in the troubled region that is The Middle East. We are very grateful to Robert Fisk’s wife, Nelofer Pazira, who is one of the film’s writers, for making it available to us.

Always a highlight of the Festival where we get to hear and see the up- and- coming fiction, poetic and artistic talent of the region. The winners of the competitions read and display their work to a live audience and pick up their awards. Conor Carney will host the event.  Light refreshments will be served in the foyer of the Abbey Centre from 11.30 am.

Award winners, filmmaker Emer O’ Shea and poet and playwright  Winifred McNulty present a collaboration of visual and poetic pieces. Emer will show her new short movie Cast a Cold Eye– a tribute to the late, great Sinead O Connor which explores the connections between one of Ireland’s most iconic and  best loved singer songwriters and her favourite poet, W.B. Yeats.  The film highlights both artists’ ability to capture human feelings of love and loss in their songs and poetry. The movie will reconnect you with the work of both creatives and appeal to admirers of either or both of them.  A short Q and A will follow the movie.

Winifred McNulty’s poetry film  was made in collaboration with Emer O’ Shea and is inspired by the journey of emigrants from West Donegal to Glasgow.  This work was supported by a Donegal Artists’ Bursary.

Winifred will also launch her poetry pamphlet The Weather on a Peninsula with a conversation with Olive Travers and also read some of her poems.  Winifred has published poems in numerous poetry journals and won the Yeats and Westport poetry prizes.  She was also shortlisted for this year’s Strokestown Poetry Festival.   

We are thrilled to have a return visit to Allingham from multi award winning author Donal Ryan. Since his debut novel, The Spinning Heart, took the literary world by storm in 2012, his career has been on an upward curve. He has been longlisted for the Booker Prize for The Spinning Heart and From a Low and Quiet Sea. He has also picked up numerous awards including six Irish Book of the Year Awards, Costa Book Award, the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award among others. In June this year his latest novel, Heart be at Peace became an instant best seller and won the Orwell Prize for political fiction.

A wonderful reader and storyteller Donal will be interviewed by fellow best-selling author Nuala O’ Connor. A fascinating conversation awaits us.

Renowned historian Paul O Brien reflects on the life of Donegal born Peadar O’ Donnell and shows his continued relevance in the world in which we live today.  O’ Donnell (1893 – 1986)  was an Irish republican, socialist and writer whose life combined activism, politics and literature. He fought in the War of Independence and was anti treaty during the Civil War. He believed that independence was meaningless without social and economic justice and spent the rest of his life trying to link socialism and republicanism. He fought for the rights of small farmers, workers, the rural poor and impoverished migrants. He also campaigned against Franco’s Spain, America’s involvement in Vietnam and apartheid in South Africa.  A prolific writer his seven novels evoke the strength of community life in the glens and islands of Donegal.

Paul O Brien is a wonderful communicator and will bring the life and times of this great Donegal man back to life for his audience.  Highly recommended.

We are honoured to be able to bring this hit show to Allingham.  Performing to full houses and receiving rave reviews all around Ireland and the UK this one- man show starring renowned actor Don Wycherley tells the story of Paddy Armstrong, one of the Guildford Four who were wrongfully imprisoned in Britain for 15 years. Their story was told in the film In the Name of the Father in 1993.  This piece, which was written and directed by Mary- Elaine Tynan delves deeply into how the ordeal affected one man, Paddy Armstrong. There is sadness, anger and despair in the piece but there is also no little humour and precious moments of joy.  It all adds up to a compelling night of theatre and you will leave rejoicing at the resilience of the human spirit. This is what has been said about the show:

 ‘’A privilege to see such wonderful writing and acting.’’                                                       Donal Ryan. 

‘’Wycherley is perfect….unmissable.’’                                                                                        Irish Independent

‘’ Don Wycherley is incandescent in this journey from disaster to redemption.’’               The Irish Times

‘’ Don Wycherley captivates.’’                                                                                                     Christy Moore

A much- loved event this Open Mic session brings poets, storytellers, singers, musicians and writers together to perform in an informal , warm and supportive atmosphere. The PJ Drummond Cup will be presented for the best performance of a reading or recitation as judged by the audience. MC is Conor Carney and the music of Barry Sweeny and Sean Gibbons will shake the Sunday morning cobwebs from your brain.

Author Monica Corish will launch LeafLight Moon – A Novel of Prehistoric Ireland in conversation with Donegal writer and memoirist Olive Travers. LeafLight Moon won two prizes at the 2025 CAP Awards: Best Fiction Novel, and the Golden CAP Award for Best Independently Published Book.

John Creedon has worked in RTE on both Radio and TV  in  many guises since he first joined the broadcaster in the early 1990s. If we take a close look at his body of work one thing stands out and that is his love of and fascination with this country. A proud Cork man, he has been broadcasting and writing about Ireland in a hugely entertaining way for decades. He loves our language, both Gaeilge and Hiberno- English, as well as our music, placenames and folklore. He even travelled the length of the Wild Atlantic Way in a 1960s campervan! Nowadays the John Creedon show on RTE Radio  is a must for all music lovers. A consummate storyteller, John is sure to entertain, delight and inform you in equal measure as he delves into his books, his life and his fascination with Ireland.

Sean Perry is a highly skilled broadcaster, interviewer and MC. He has worked on local radio and with RTE for many years and his relaxed style is certain to bring the best out of our guest and ensure an afternoon to remember for the audience.  

We are very happy to renew our collaboration with Ballyshannon Drama Society to mark the 10th Anniversary of the passing of Brian Friel. In this new production, curated by Michael McMullin, the audience will be treated to performed excerpts from some of Friel’s dramas, short stories and journalism. The cast will present excerpts from some of Friel’s writing, including Self-portrait, Among the Ruins, Faith Healer and Philadelphia, Here I Come. All excerpts are tied together by a theme of Memory.  

Michael will be joined by Richard Hurst, Trish Keane, Kevin Lilly, Troy Devaney. Regina Fahy and Ronan Drummond, amongst others.  What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than lost in the genius of Brian Friel? 

Ballyshannon Library will also be hosting a small  companion exhibition during the library’s opening hours – Wednesday and Friday 9.30 am – 1.00pm and 2 – 5.30pm

After a hectic weekend there is no better place to wind down than in William Allingham’s own parish Church. Relax for an hour or so in this beautiful building and enjoy some music, song and the spoken word.