Talks on life and nature

Sunday, October 11, sees a morning of talks about life, nature and the world.

The KU-EE-TU will be sailing at 10.30am from Dromineer Harbour helmed by festival friends Teddy and Edel Knight with biographer Anne Chambers on board who will be in conversation with Nathan O’Donnell.

Anne is a biographer, novelist and screenplay writer, whose books include the bestselling Grace O’Malley: The Biography of Ireland’s Pirate Queen, 1530–1603; Eleanor Countess of Desmond, 1545–1638 and TK Whitaker: Irishman of the Twentieth Century.

Her books have been the subject of national and international TV and radio documentaries. Her latest book Living introduces the reader to the art and craft of writing biography as Anne brings us along on her many and diverse voyages of discovery through epochs, countries and cultures.

Nathan O’Donnell is a Research Fellow at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and lectures at the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Trinity College Dublin.

At 11am the same day the festival presents its now annual nature discussion in Muintir na Tíre Community Hall Ballycommon. This discussion called ‘The Wisdom of Farmers and the Hare’s Corner’ will be a conversation about land, tradition and wildlife with Jane Clark and Catherine Cleary interviewed by writer and broadcaster Anja Murray.

Named after the traditional farming practice of leaving field corners for wildlife The Hare’s Corner by Jane Clarke and Catherine Connolly celebrates farmers, families, schools and community groups all over Ireland who are restoring habitats, reviving biodiversity and reconnecting people with the land Jane Clarke grew up on a farm in Co Roscommon. Since 1996 she has lived with her wife in Glenmalure, Co Wicklow, where she combines writing with her work as a creative writing tutor and group facilitator. She is the author of 3 acclaimed poetry collections. Catherine Cleary is a regular contributor to The Irish Times and is a founder of Pocket Forests, a social enterprise, accelerating social change through the power of people and plants.

Anja Murray is an ecologist, broadcaster and writer. Her most recent book is Frog routes, polka dot newts and other treasures of Irish nature. Her latest radio series for RTÉ – ‘Feather & Flock’ – won two IMRO gold awards in 2024 and 2025.

HOW TO BOOK TICKETS

Booking for both events from www.dnlf.ie.