Charlotte Brontë Banagher Weekend

This weekend and as a part of the 10th That Beats Banagher Festival, several dedicated events will be celebrating Charlotte Brontë and her husband Arthur Bell Nicholls and their connections with Banagher:

Friday 21st July

6:30 pm Opening of an exhibition ‘The Legacy of the Brontës in Banagher’ and the showing of a related film by Maebh O’Regan. The exhibition shows through a variety of textile panels items connected with the Brontës and their association with Banagher. The work is a collaboration between the Banagher Crafting Group and Maebh O’Regan of the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.

7.20 p.m. Eileen Casey will read from her collections of poems Bog Treasure and Bogmen First and Last and speak of her love for the works of the Brontë sisters. Eileen is a highly acclaimed poet, winner of several literary awards, and a maker of short films.
Light refreshments will be served and everybody is very welcome

Saturday 22nd July – A full day of events, film, talks, and walks.
All are welcome!

9.30 a.m. Film: Arthur and Charlotte, A Victorian Romance:
Written by James Scully and performed by the Martello Players. The performance was filmed in December 2019 by Maebh O’Regan and features John Kennedy, Brendan Dolan, Michael and Angela Flannery, Michelle Flannery all of Banagherand Tullamore musician Val Hughes.

10.30 a.m. Talk: Travelling with the Brontës by Joanne Wilcock
Joanne is a very keen Brontë fan and has studied the travels of the Brontë sisters and observed that they were much more widely travelled than is generally known.
Joanne lives in Affetside in Lancashire, just an hour from Haworth and this is her second visit to Banagher.

11.20 a.m. Coffee break

11.45 a.m. Talk: Anthony Trollope and Banagher by James Scully

Local historian James Scully will speak on the circumstances that brought Anthony Trollope, the great Victorian novelist, to Ireland and Banagher. He will focus on Banagher during the years 1841- 44 when Trollope was based here as clerk to the surveyor of post offices in the West of Ireland. The pivotal role in Trollope’s life played by his valet/groomsman Barney McIntyre of Banagher, will also be explained.

12.30 p.m. Questions and discussion

12.45 p.m. Lunch

2.30 p.m. Walk: In the footsteps of Arthur & Charlotte
A gentle walk up the hill of Banagher with Pauline Clooney, author of Charlotte & Arthur (Merdog Books, 2021) and Michael O’Dowd, author of Charlotte Brontë: An Irish Odyssey, My Heart is Knit to Him, The Honeymoon, (Pardus Media, 2021). These two books though markedly different in style complement one another to form a fantastic recreation of the couple’s honeymoon in Ireland. The walk will include visits to the well-appointed guest house Charlotte’s Way (formerly Hill House), and Saint Paul’s Church.

Sunday 23rd July – After a weekend of celebrations join us for the finale which will include a film and a talk and discussion with James Scully and Kieran Keenaghan
All are welcome!

10 a.m. Film: The Discovery of the Brontë Family’s Portrait in Hill House, Banagher in 1914 by Maebh O’ Regan.

10.30 a.m. Talk: Banagher’s Literary Associations: Charlotte Brontë, Anthony Trollope, and Sir Mathew De Renzy with James Scully and Kieran Keenaghan.

11.20 a.m. Discussion and Questions

11.40 a.m. Coffee Break

Midday Walk: Banagher’s West End
A gentle stroll to the River Shannon and across Banagher Bridge observing Banagher’s Napoleonic, literary, and riverside heritage to finish at about 1.30 p.m.

EDIT: Further information in The Offaly Express.