TIME travel with extraterrestrials, an illicit love affair at Glenveagh Castle, murder in a classroom, life in a famine workhouse – such were the subjects of stories by international participants at a special writing retreat in Gaoith Dobhair this week.
Organised by Brinaleck-based ‘Ireland Writing Retreat,’ which also launched the international ‘Wild Atlantic Writing Awards’ (WAWA) and has been hosting week-long retreats in Ireland, France and the UK for the last 12 years, the event attracted people from places as diverse as Houston, Dublin, Baltimore, Kildare, New Jersey, Belfast and Boston.
Workshops were held at Teac Jack hotel on subjects ranging from defining characters through effective dialogue to optimising one’s
senses to produce memorable prose and key style differences between flash fiction and creative nonfiction.
Guest speakers, Kathleen Shine Cain, Michael Harding and Columbia Hillen.
Former Irish national book award winner, Michael Harding, hosted a 90-minute Masterclass entitled ‘Purpose, Passion and Perception: Three Keys To A Good Story.’ Travelling directly from Dublin for the event, he said, “I’ve had a long-time connection with and love for the landscape here and the language as sources of spiritual energy. West Donegal is a wonderful place to hold such a writing retreat and I thoroughly enjoyed the engagement.”
Some of Harding’s plays have been performed at The Abbey theatre.
Michael Harding with fellow writers at Teac Jack during the writing retreat held in Gaoth Dobhair.
An international tutor at the retreat was Kathleen Shine Cain, Ph.D, Professor Emerita at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, author of several books who has spent 45 years in higher education, teaching literature.
“Combining presentations, workshops, critique sessions, and cultural excursions, this retreat in west Donegal transformed a group of strangers into a supportive community of writers—all within the space of one week,” she said.
“I am honoured to be part of a writing retreat unlike any other I’ve known. Participants ranged from published authors to novices, but everyone offered respectful and helpful feedback. Various excursions provided inspiration and innovation.”
Some of the writers visited Magheraroarty Beach during their time in Donegal.
In addition to in-class assignments, participants were also taken on special excursions to various parts of Donegal including Glenveagh Castle, the Poisoned Glen, Dunfanaghy and the 200-year-old thatched cottage in Derryconor near Gortahork once home to Irish-language writer, Micí Mac Gabhann, author of Rotha Mór an tSaoil (The Big Wheel of Life).
They were also treated to a lively evening musical performance by Milford-based uilleann pipes-maker and All-Ireland winning player, Martin Crossin, and his three talented daughters, Grace, Lauren and Nadia.
Martin Crossin and his musical daughters in concert.