• Festival News

    Updates on what's happening in the run up to our Festival Launch

    Announcing the 2024 Frances Browne Poetry Competition Shortlist! We are thrilled to announce...
    We are thrilled to announce the longlists for the 2024 Frances Browne Poetry Competition! 🌍 This...
    Celebrated poet Nessa O’Mahony is special guest at the 2024 Frances Browne Literary Festival ...
    We are delighted to welcome outstanding Tenx9 event to Donegal for the first time in 2024 as part...
    We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the 2024 Frances Browne Multilingual Poetry Competition ...
    In the flurry of activity that preceeds organising a multi-day, multi-event festival, we asked...
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  • About Us

    Our festival is inspired by the life and work of Frances Browne, the Blind Poetess of Ulster (1816-1879) who was born in Stranorlar. Our aim is to promote a revival of interest in Frances in her native area and beyond. By reviving the literary legacy of Frances Browne we celebrate theunique linguistic and cultural diversity of this part of Donegal, the only place in Ireland where Irish, English and Ulster-Scots language is spoken on a daily basis.

    Frances Browne's most famous poem, "Songs of our land," is a reflection on language, and how the soul of a nation is encapsulated in its literary outputs. She wrote prolifically in all formats. She was as much at home with an essay, an article, or a novel as she was with her great fortes, poetry and childrens' writing. Her masterpiece, the children’s storybook "Granny's Wonderful Chair" was a bestseller all over the world, but she also deserves to be remembered for her unswerving opposition to slavery and all sorts of injustice.

  • Find us / Get in touch

    The Frances Browne Literary Festival is based is based in the Twin Towns of Ballybofey-Stranorlar.

    Events take place in venues in the towns and across the East Donegal region.

  • Festival Funders & Programme Support

    We thank our funders and programme supporters for their generous support and belief in the Frances Browne Literary Festival

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    Donegal County Council

    Donegal County Council has generously funded, supported and encouraged the Festival since it began in 2021. Their enthusiasm and dedication to the Festival is greatly appreciated.

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    International Fund for Ireland

    The International Fund for Ireland has kindly supported collaborative events between the Frances Browne Literary Festival, The Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter and The Steinbeck Festival. In our 2024 programme they are supporting performances of Brendan Behan's - The Quare Fellow and a talk by The Steinbeck Festival.

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    Conradh na Gaeilge

    Conradh na Gaeilge has kindly funded Pop Up Litríocht.

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    Conradh na Gaeilge

    Foras na Gaeilge has kindly funded Cheolchoirm Gaeilge/Gàidhlig - A night of song in Irish, English & Gáidhlig, and

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    Poetry Ireland

    The launch of “The Risen Tree”,[Revival Press] Bernadette Gallagher's debut poetry collection is presented in association with Poetry Ireland.

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    Donegal Local Development Company

    DLDC has kindly provided funding to support our Children's Fun Day.

  • Sponsors

    Would you like to sponsor or donate to the Festival? Contact us at: info@francesbrowneliteraryfestival.com

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    Finn Valley Voice

    The Finn Valley voices acts as the Frances Browne Literary Festival Headquarters and generously supports with PR and other activities.

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    B&S Credit Union

    We thank the Credit Union for the generous annual support through their Community Fund

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    Foy & Company

    For their generous annual donation

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    Edel MacBride

    For their generous funding of the Eilish MacBride Award for local English poetry.

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    Karen Murphy

    School of Speech, Drama & Communications

    For her generous annual funding of the

    Frances Browne Award

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    The Coffee Loft, Alexanders

    For their generous annual donation

  • The Frances Browne Literary Festival Committee

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    Celine McGlynn, Festival Chair

    Celine McGlynn iniated the Frances Browne Poetry competition with Dr. Pauline Holland in 2008. She has long been a dedicated supporter of Frances Browne and the movement to bring her back to prominance.

     

    Celine is editor of the Finn Valley Voice and a noted artist and poet.

  • Connect With Us

     

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    Email

    info@francesbrowneliteraryfestival.com

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    Facebook

    @FrancesBrowneLiteraryFestival

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    Twitter

    @FBrowneLitFest

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    Phone: Finn Valley Voice office

    during normal working hours

    + 353 (0)74 913 1665