We're back!

Consider the Bicentennial Allingham Arts Festival officially launched. We have much to share with you in upcoming weeks about the very special programme that is still coming together. For now, we'll start, as always, with the launch of the 2024 Allingham Poetry and Flash Fiction Competitions which are now open for entries! First-place winners will receive prizes of €300.

Poet and publisher Kate Newmann will judge the 2024 Poetry Competition entries, and the winner will also receive the Francis Harvey Poetry Award.

Acclaimed author Nuala O’Connor will judge the Flash Fiction entries, and the winning entries will be published in the e-zine Splonk.

The competitions are open to writers who are 18 or older by 6 November 2024. International entries are welcome! Winning entries in recent years have been crafted by writers in Canada, Australia and Dubai.

The 2024 Allingham Festival will run from 6-10 November in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. Poetry and Flash Fiction Awards will be presented and the winning entries will be read at the Allingham Literary Lunch on Saturday, 9 November.

Deadline for entries is Sunday, September 29. Competition rules, entry forms and Allingham Festival details are all available here.

Allingham Trail with Anthony Begley

Allingham Trail.

On 25th August during Heritage Week an Allingham Trail Walk will be held in Ballyshannon. This is to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of poet William Allingham. Meet at The Abbey Centre at 3 p.m. Guide Anthony Begley County Donegal Historical Society and will include songs and verses. All welcome.

The Exquisite Muireann Bradley

The news is out... Our shining guest star at the Allingham Festival this November will be the phenomenal Muireann Bradley playing in the beautiful (and acoustically perfect) St Anne's Church, Ballyshannon. We couldn't be more thrilled at this news and we know our excitement will be shared by all who have heard her. Some clever people who saw through our cryptic clues on Facebook even started trying to book tickets today before the event was even announced. We want to give everyone a fair chance to get in there so here's fair warning.. Tickets will go on sale via the Abbey Arts Centre website on Tuesday, March 5th, at 12.00 noon. Be ready when high noon comes because, once they're gone they're gone so have your fastest clicking finger ready! ..And, if there are a few people out there wondering what all the fuss is about, we'll treat you to a few tasters in the next few days, beginning with this sample Muireann recently recorded in (of all places) St Anne's Church, Ballyshannon!

Secondary School results - Apology.

Sincere apologies to all those waiting for the Secondary School results. We have discovered the problem but can't be sure when we will get it corrected so we have decided to postpone the stream until 2.00 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, 11th.
Please accept our apologies for any disappointment.

On Saturday November 11th Little Top Stars bring their unique brand of circus skills workshop to Ballyshannon. There will be opportunities to participate in any or all of these skills -

PLATE SPINNING

GIANT SOAP BUBBLES

PERSON IN A BUBBLE

JUGGLING

DIABOLO

HULA HOOPS

BUCKET STILTS

FUN GAMES.

Fun for families aged 4 to 104. We have many big movie items this year but this one is strictly a screen-free zone.

Come along to St Anne's Hall (F94 WK70) any time between 11 a.m. and 1 or between 2 and 4.

Weather permitting we hope the fun will spill out of the hall into the area around.

Admission is free and all are welcome so please join us.