38th Gerard Manley Hopkins International Festival

The 38th Gerard Manley Hopkins International Festival is set to return to Newbridge College from Friday, 24 July, to Thursday, 30 July 2026. The week-long event celebrates the life and wide-ranging interests of poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, including poetry, music, philosophy, and conservation.

The festival will officially commence with a Grand Opening and Reception on Friday, 24 July, at 7:30pm in the Newbridge College Theatre. The ceremony will be performed by HE David Gill, Ambassador of Germany, with Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon TD, and representatives of Kildare County Council in attendance. Music at the event will be performed by Conor Mahony and Flamenco guitarist John Walsh.

A highlight of this year’s cultural programme is once again a concert by the legendary Swedish pianist Hans Pålsson on Saturday, 25 July, at 8pm. Pålsson will perform a repertoire featuring works by Beethoven, Haydn, and Schubert. A Poetry Ireland Reading will take place in the Walker Building on Monday, the 27th, featuring Dermot Bolger, Donald Gardner, and Desmond Egan.

Other events in a comprehensive schedule include:

Academic Lectures and Workshops — Sessions on "Practical Prosody," creative writing, and a translation workshop focused on Hopkins's poem "Binsey Poplars".

Art Exhibitions — A group exhibition curated by Artistic Director Desmond Egan, featuring artists such as Brian Bourke and Jay Murphy.

Youth Programme — A parallel programme for young people directed by Derek Egan.

Community Events — Daily "Festival Club" gatherings at local venues like Cummins’s and O’Rourke’s, as well as a field trip to Moone High Cross.

For further information and registration, visit gerardmanleyhopkins.org.

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