Ireland's oldest literary festival, founded in 1971 in Listowel, County Kerry by John B. Keane, Bryan MacMahon, and Brendan Kennelly, presenting creative-writing workshops, author talks, and readings across roughly five to six days, with the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award announced on opening night.
Writers John B.
Bryan MacMahon is specifically credited with introducing Ireland's first formal creative-writing workshops through this festival, a documented literary-history first rather than a generic claim of importance
The Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, carrying a roughly twenty-two-thousand-euro prize fund after some thirty years of sponsorship, gives the festival a marquee literary prize distinct from most Irish arts festivals of comparable size
Keane, Bryan MacMahon, and Brendan Kennelly, gave the festival a literary pedigree from its very first 1971 edition that has carried through more than five decades
The annual announcement of the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award on opening night is the festival's signature recurring literary tradition
Dates TBA · Usually May
Use the city as a planning base, then confirm the exact venue, route, or meeting point close to the date.
Casual, comfortable clothing suited to indoor talks and workshops; light layers for changeable late-spring Kerry weather.
Keep photography restrained at Listowel Writers' Week; give people room and treat community moments as more than scenery.
Choose lodging by the part of Listowel you will actually use, not only by the cheapest room.
Check official or local sources for ticketed areas, paid stands, and same-year access rules.
EUR
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Listowel Writers' Week is listed for Past edition: 27–31 May 2026. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.
The festival is listed in Listowel, Ireland. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.
5 days is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.
Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.
Listowel, Munster, Ireland
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