Gerard Manley Hopkins Festival celebrates 38 years in Newbridge
Martin Heydon TD, Dr Desmond Egan poet, David Gill Embassy of The Republic Germany and William Adamson at the launch of the Manley Hopkins Festival
THE Gerard Manley Hopkins International Literary Festival celebrated its 38th iteration in Newbridge College over the last week of July across poetry, music, painting, philosophy and, of course, conversation.
The event was started in 1987 by local poet and author Des Egan (91) and commemorates the short life of a Catholic convert poet whose dedication to Jesuit humility meant he wasn’t published until 30 years after his death in 1889.
Hopkins spent the last five years in Dublin battling what we would now know as depression, and the only joy he seemed to have in this period was his visits to the Cassidy family in Monasterevin House.
The Grand Opening (24 July) was attended by the Ambassador of Germany H.E. David Gill, the Minister of Agriculture Martin Heydon TD, Mayor of Kildare Cllr Tim Durkan, Mayor of Newbridge Cllr Rob Power, and visiting academic Brett Millier from Middlebury College in Vermont.
The night continued with flamenco music from John Walsh, with an art exhibition featuring five local artists, followed by ‘A Favourite Hopkins Poem’ in the Festival Club – Coffey’s.
Saturday morning began with the youth programme, with lectures from academics from China, Germany, the USA and our own Morgan McCabe.
Later, Chris Green from DePaul University in Chicago took a creative writing workshop in the Walker building.
The night was capped with a classical piano recital from perennial guest Hans Palsson from Sweden in the College Theatre, across his repertoire of Beethoven, Haydn, and Schubert.
Sunday saw a field trip to the High Cross in Moone, and the Society Festival Dinner in the Silken Thomas in Kildare town.
The rest of the week ranged from poetry readings, to a Beckett Hour by Barry McGovern, lectures from 12 different nationalities, and a ‘Taste of Japan’ through Noh Theatre poems.
The week concluded on Thursday, 30 July, with the presentation of certificates to the youth programme, followed by a night of Irish music in Cummin’s.
In the pursuit of furthered academia, the organizing committee is continuing its call for papers on their subject and extend an invite to any scholar or interested party who wishes to contribute or speak on any Hopkins issue by contacting info@monasterevin hopkinssociety.org.
