LETTERKENNY Cathedral Quarter’s Literary Festival 2026 is already off to a flying start.
Almost 20 events are set to run from Tuesday, October 13 until Sunday, October 18.
The official opening of the 2026 festival will take place at the Donegal County Museum on Friday, October 16 when academic and author, Professor Breandán MacSuibhne, a native of Ardara. This will be followed by readings by author Frank Shouldice from his book, Beneath the Cedar Tree.
On Tuesday, October 13, a second-level schools event will be hosted by acclaimed author Sue Divin. She will discuss the writing process as well as giving writing lesson leads.
This will be followed on the Wednesday at the Regional Cultural Centre with a Quills and the Quarter visual presentation entitled Voices from the Cathedral Quarter.
Philip O’Kennedy and Wild Atlantic Productions has produced four short films profiling different writers connected with the festival – Jane Buckley, Deirdre Hines, Pat McArt and Brian Walsh.
Thursday will see a free event at Donegal Central Library with an evening of music, poetry and prose with a cast including novelist Jeananne Craig, poet Mary Bates, Raphoe Diamond writers with Celine McGlynn and musical support from the Letterkenny Ukulele Orchestra and the New Land Choir.
Celebrating Jane Austen
Later at the Conwal Parish Church, Jane Austen’s links to the area will be celebrated with the screening of Sense and Sensibility.
There is a full programme over the Saturday and Sunday including a talk on AI by author, Jane Buckey, a talk on becoming a songwriter, the Cathedral Quarter Poetry Competition’s prize winners evening co-ordinated by Theresa Ryder with judge Deirdre Hines, a session on poetryimagemusic with Michael O’Dea and Seamus Harvey.
Saturday night will be crowned by the Jane Austen Theme night at the wonderful setting of Castle Grove Country House where patrons can step into the elegance of the Regency Period. There will be music from that era, dancing too, and readings from Austen’s work.
On Sunday, a service in Conwal Parish Church celebrating Austen’s creative and spiritual life will take place at 10 am. Later in the day the famous story of Brendan Behan’s sojourn in Donegal will be held at 1pm in Dillon’s Hotel.
One of the major new events is a Bookfair at the Letterkenny Community Centre which will run from 11am to 4pm.
In the afternoon, there will be a chamber music event in Conwal Parish Church and an Trathnona Gaelach in Dillons Hotel.
The final event to round off the festival will be an evening with three local authors. This will included two short plays by Brian Walsh; a talk by John Fealty on how shipping and shipwrecks shaped our community; and a reading by Mark Harkin from his forthcoming book, Fionn agus Grainne.
The current festival committee consists of Donnan Harvey, Mary Turley-McGrath, Theresa Ryder, Pauric Havlin, Sean Purser, Shane Toolan, Margo Birmingham, Sarah Coyle, Jim Glackin, Maire Kelly, Catherine Lawler and Sheila Clancy O’Donnell. We are always ready to welcome new members with new ideas for Festival 2027.
Donnan has thanked current sponsors and local businesses for their support. The festival is funded by Donegal County Council Development Fund Initiative, Tourism Ireland Small Festival Grant, Creative Ireland and Oireachtas na Gaelige.
Full event details are available on the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter website lkcqlitfest.weebly.com/ . Bookings can be made with Donnan Harvey at 0863452457.