Poetry Judge 2023

Poet and publisher Kate Newmann will judge the entries to the 2023 Allingham Festival Poetry Competition.

Kate Newmann is Co-Director of Summer Palace Press, which has published 56 collections of poetry since 1999. As a poet, she is the author of five collections of poetry. She served as Director of the Belmullet Writers' Festival and has judged many poetry competitions, including Northwest Words and Concern Worldwide. She read English at King's College Cambridge and earned MA degrees from Ulster University and from Cambridge. She has written the lives of her antecedents in poems, and she was herself a winner of the Allingham Poetry Competition in 1998.

The 2023 Allingham Poetry Competition is currently open for entries, with a deadline of 22 September. The winning poet will win a €300 prize, and the First-, Second- and Third-Place winners will read their work in an on-line Awards Ceremony on Friday, 10 November.

Taking "The Deepest Breath"

We are beyond excited to bring news of the latest addition to this year’s Allingham Festival Programme.

The Deepest Breath was launched at the world-famous Sundance Film Festival and was immediately snapped up by Netflix who will stream it from July 19th. The film follows Italian freediver Alessia Zecchini on her quest to break a world record in this dangerous extreme sport. Competitors attempt to reach the greatest depth without the use of scuba gear, risking blackouts upon ascent. She is guided in her quest by Stephen Keenan, a free-spirited Irish adventurer who fell in love with the sport in Dahab, Egypt.

The film has been described as “… one of the most exhilarating, beautiful and intensely moving films you will see all year.” and has been the subject of rave reviews in the Irish Times, the London Times, and the Guardian amongst many others. The director, Laura McGann, also provided a featured interview on RTE’s Arena.

Jamie D’Alton

On Friday, November 10 there will be an opportunity to see The Deepest Breath on the big screen in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon as part of this year’s Allingham Festival. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Jamie Lee D’Alton an executive producer of the film who has strong family connections with Ballyshannon. Regular Allingham-goers may remember that Jamie was with us before in 2016 when he appeared with director, Garry Keane, to discuss their film, 'TOUGHEST PLACE TO BE'.

Jamie is joint owner of Motive Films, one of Ireland’s leading documentary and factual entertainment companies. For the past fifteen years, the company have produced creative, hard hitting, and socially aware films for both domestic and international audiences including the critically acclaimed Between Land & Sea, I Am Immigrant, and Conor McGregor – Notorious, the highest grossing Irish documentary of all time. Motive is also known for RTÉ productions DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland and Ultimate Hell Week.

An Evening of Song with Regina

Be transported to the heart of song with Regina Nathan, Soprano at this year’s Allingham Arts Festival, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal! Regina will perform an eclectic programme of popular, classical and operatic pieces that guarantees a journey of emotions. Her honest, warm and authentic style creates a unique atmosphere and connection with her audience as she shares the emotions these beautiful songs, and their stories, were created to evoke.

The programme will feature songs by Tom Waits, Lenord Cohen and Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, popular operatic arias by Puccini and Catalani, and favourites from film and theatre.

“I love these songs. They have really stood the test of time. People identify with them. People reminisce with them. They speak directly to people. ”

The show is directed by Robert Chevara and Regina will be accompanied on piano by Andrew Synnott.

Regina Nathan is internationally known as one of Ireland’s leading Sopranos. She has performed in New York’s Carnegie Hall, at The Commonwealth Games, and in many of Europe’s major opera theatres where her lyric roles, including Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly, Violetta in La Traviata, met with great acclaim.

Regina will appear at the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, on Saturday 11 November 2023

Fáilte abhaile, a Sheáin...

We are delighted to announce that one of Ballyshannon’s greatest is coming home for Allingham.

Sean McGinley is not only Ballyshannon’s greatest actor but one of Ireland’s best. He has long been a familiar face on screen both big (The Field, Michael Collins, Braveheart, The General ….) and small (Family, Pure Mule, Love Hate, The Fall …) On stage he has worked with some of the greatest theatre companies in the world, including Druid, the Abbey, the Gate, the English National Theatre and Royal Court.

As part of this year’s festival, Sean will talk to Sinead Crowley, RTE media correspondent, not only about this glittering career, but also the early life that led to it.

Born in Ballyshannon, he spent the first few years of his life in Pettigo, where his father, John, was (like William Allingham before him) a customs officer. On moving to Ballyshannon he attended primary school in Rossinver Co Leitrim , where his mother, Margaret, was the teacher. An extremely talented and noted music teacher, Margaret is very fondly remembered by us in the Allingham Festival.

After secondary school at De La Salle Ballyshannon , he attended what is now the University of Galway, formerly known as UCG and later NUIG. He was cast in a one act play with UCG Dramsoc, where he was spotted by founder members of the fledgling Druid Theatre Co. who invited him to join them.

To hear the rest of Sean’s fascinating story please join us at the Allingham Festival, Ballyshannon, this November.

Get thee to the Glens

Now, here's a deal! Buy 1 ticket for Iarla Ó Lionáird and get 1 free for Greenshine! Details here!