Echoes of Frances Browne:Creative Writing Workshop with writer, director, and performer Rhona Trench
FREE Event - booking essential - limited spaces
In the spirit of Frances Browne — “The Blind Poetess of Ulster” — we invite you to two creative writing workshops designed to reawaken your voice and craft. Led by Rhona Trench, lecturer at ATU Sligo, these sessions will explore Browne’s rich Victorian verse and guide participants through exercises in poetry, prose, and imaginative writing. Rhona will be supported by Niamh Mac Cabe, a fellow lecturer and writer from ATU.
SPACES ARE LIMITED: BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL
Over two days, participants will rediscover Browne’s lyrical voice, embrace writing across forms, and connect with others who value storytelling, sensory language, and creative reimaginings of the past.
When & Where
Dates & Times:
Workshop 1 : Friday 10 October 2025, 3.00pm to 5.30pm
Workshop 2: Saturday 11 October 2025, 11.00pm to 1.30pm
Optional: Present your outputs/ work at the Frances Browne Lecture on Saturday 11 October at 7.30pm. Supported by two members of Ensemble 32 Music Group
Venue: Parish Centre, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal
Note that the workshops are 'linked' and participants should attend both sessions.
Workshop Schedule
Friday 10 October | 3.00pm to 5.30pm | Parish Centre, Stranorlar
Begin with a selection of accessible lyric poems by Frances Browne
Writing exercises exploring imagery, memory, and emotional resonance
Ideal for writers of all levels — from beginners to seasoned creators
Saturday 11 October | 11.00am to 1.00pm | Parish Centre, Stranorlar
Deeper creative work building on Friday’s inspiration
Light flashes of fiction and dialogue rooted in Browne’s themes
Character prompts exploring loss, resilience, and transformation
Fragmented narrative, stream-of-consciousness, and poetic prose — echoing Browne’s imaginative and folkloric interests
🌟 Festival Showcase 🌟
After the second workshop, a selection of participants will be invited to share their writing
About the Facilitator
Rhona Trench is a multidisciplinary artist—writer, director, and performer—working across writing, music, and performance. Her practice often draws on history and archival material: most recently Echoes in Stone: Kept Voices, which revisited 19th-century writers from her region through contemporary performance, funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. She conceived and directed From Their Eyes: New Writing from Leitrim about Women at The Dock, and created a commissioned performance, Knock Me Down, an immersive piece exploring the Spanish Flu and COVID-19. Rhona chairs the MA in Creative Practice and teaches on the Writing & Literature degree and BA in Performing Arts at the Atlantic University in Sligo.
Ticketing Info
Admission: Free
Spaces limited – just 12 seats available - advance booking essential
About the Frances Browne Literary Festival
The Frances Browne Literary Festival celebrates the life and legacy of Frances Browne (1816–1879), the “Blind Poetess of Ulster.” Rooted in her hometown of Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, the festival brings together poets, writers, musicians, and communities from Ireland and beyond to share in her spirit of creativity, inclusion, and multilingual expression.
📖 Explore the full programme and festival information at: www.francesbrowneliteraryfestival.com
