This evening promises to be one of celebration, reflection, and community, as voices old and new come together to continue the legacy of Frances Browne, the “Blind Poetess of Ulster.”

When & Where

• Date: Friday 10 October 2025

• Time: 7.30pm

• Venue: Kee’s Hotel, Main Street, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal

About the Guest Speaker

Professor Thomas McLean

Thomas McLean is Professor in English at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He is the editor of Further Letters of Joanna Baillie (2010) and author of The Other East and Nineteenth-Century British Literature: Imagining Poland and the Russian Empire (2012). With Ruth Knezevich, he has co-edited Jane Porter's 1803 novel Thaddeus of Warsaw for Edinburgh University Press (2019). The 2024 recipient of the Frances Browne Award, he is currently preparing an edition of Frances Browne’s Legends of Ulster.

Ticketing Info

• Admission: Free

• Seat reservation required (spaces limited)

• Please note: This event will also be broadcast on Facebook Live

Acknowledgements

Festival sponsors: Donegal County Council and the Finn Valley Voice.

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