Vital Voices

This special gathering brings together poets, playwrights, performers and storytellers from Ireland and beyond who are shaping culture and conversation through their work. Different voices, disciplines and lived experiences collide and open up new perspectives on identity, belonging and the world we are building together.

Felispeaks (aka Felicia Olusanya) is a Nigerian-Irish poet and performer exploring feminism, identity and the Black Irish experience. Renowned for their spoken word performances, they have performed at Cúirt International Festival, Other Voices, the National Concert Hall and Dublin Castle. Their best known poem, For Our Mothers, is on the Leaving Certificate English Curriculum.

Colm Keegan is a Dublin poet, playwright and facilitator whose work bridges community and stage.

Mirenda Rosenberg is a Donegal based, American singer-songwriter blending soul, storytelling and advocacy.

Sinéad O’Brien is a storyteller and theatre maker whose acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show, No One Is Coming, uses epic Irish mythology to explore mental health and identity.

Maura Logue is a writer, performer and founder of Dark Daughter Productions. Her current play, Lady Morgan and Lola Montez, will be performed in Donegal Castle as part of the festival.

Paddy Donoghue is a Donegal poet and founding member of Atlantic Writers Ink. His anthology, Leave Taking, reflects on time, place and legacy.