June 15th-17th | 2007

T h e L i s m o r e F e s t i v a l o f T r a v e l W r i t i n g

IMMRAMAThe Silk Road

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L i s m o r e , C o u n t y W a t e r f o r d

The Blue Sky Bends Over AllThe motto 'The Blue Sky Bends Over All' is taken

from a line in William Makepeace Thackeray's finest piece of travel literature, The Irish Sketch

Book. He visited Lismore and he includes a description of the town and hinterland in his book

published in 1843: "The church with the handsome spire, that looks so graceful among the trees, is a cathedral church, and one of the neatest kept and prettiest edifices I have seen in Ireland. In the old graveyard Protestants and Catholics lie together-

that is, not together; for each has a side of the ground, where they sleep, and so occupied, do not

quarrel. The sun was shining down upon the brilliant grass and I don’t think the shadows of the Protestant graves were any longer or shorter than

those of the Catholics? Is it the right or the left side of the grave-yard which is nearest to heaven, I wonder? Look, the sun shines upon both alike,

'and the blue sky bends over all'."

Our NameOur Motto

The Name ImmramaThe word 'Immram' [pl. 'immrama'] derives from the Old Irish im ram meaning 'rowing about'. In Ireland, there is a long tradition of making

journeys and of the ensuing descriptions. The accounts include the early echtraí or outings, voyage tales of a fantastic nature where, for example, a hero travels across the sea to the land, often an island, of eternal youth [Tir na n-Óg] and on return after hundreds of years turns to ashes.

ImmramaImmramaImmramaLismore Heritage Centre - Festival Office

As Chairman of the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing 2007, I would like to welcome you to Lismore. This is an ancient, sacred and historic place which has welcomed many visitors over the centuries. You will �nd that you will be given a warm and friendly reception wherever you go in Lismore.

Please use the opportunity which your visit here allows to sample the ambience of the many historic buildings, restaurants, pubs and hotels in the town.

The story of Lismore may be found at the Heritage Centre.

This is our 5th year putting on the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing which has become internationally recognised and is now synonymous with Lismore.

So please relax and enjoy your brief stay with us and imbibe the cultural and social excellence which the Immrama Festival gives to its participants.

Welcome to Immrama

Liam Ó Muirthile was born in Cork city in 1950, the first of nine children. He attended Clochar na Toirbhirte, Scoil Chríost Rí and Coláiste Chríost Rí. He has spent time in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht since he was in secondary school. Liam then went to UCC on a City Corporation Scholarship. He spent a year in France during this time and went on to get a BA in French and Irish. Seán Ó Riordáin and Seán Ó Riada were very influential in UCC at this time and Seán Ó Tuama was Professor of Irish. Michael Davitt, Nuala Ní Dhomhaill and Gabriel Rosenstock were contemporary students of Irish and they launched the acclaimed poetry publication Innti.

In 1972 Liam left Cork and made his way to Dublin. After a brief stint in Gael-Linn he moved on to RTÉ. He was a full-time member of the news-staff from 1973 to 1991, working on radio and television. He left RTÉ in 1991 to devote his time to creative writing in Irish. He has been a full-time writer and freelance journalist since then. He contributed a weekly column to The Irish Times from 1989 to 2003.

His first collection of poetry was Tine Chnámh and it received the Ó Riordáin Prize at the Oireachtas. He was presented with the Irish-American Cultural Foundation Prize (1984), the Butler Award (1996), the Arts Council Prize (2001) and Gradam Chló Iar-Chonnacht (2000) for his poetry collection Walking Time and Other Poems.

Liam is also a dramatist. Amharclann de híde produced his play Tine Chnámh in Dublin in 1993, Fear an Tae was produced in the Andrews Lane Theatre in 1995 and Liodán na hAbhann in 2000. His novel Ar Bhruach na Laoi won the major fiction award in the Oireachtas (1995). Liam is a member of Aosdána and lives in Dublin.

Liam Ó Muirthile

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Sponsored by

Donald obtained his B.A. in History and

English at Maynooth. He has been

County Librarian in County Waterford

since 1982 and is particularly

interested in the preservation and

collation of the historical resources of

the county.

He was Director of the West Waterford

Heritage Week in 1991 and 1992, and

was Co-Ordinator of Waterford County

Council’s Famine Commemoration

Programme.

He is editor of Hansard’s History of

Waterford; Memoirs of the Lives and

Characters of the illustrious Family of

the Boyles and co-editor of The Famine

in Waterford 1845-1850.

In 2006 he wrote “The Writers of

County Waterford”.

Donald Brady

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Lismore Estates Lismore Castle Arts

Sponsored by

Paul Clements is a full-time writer and

tutor. He is a former BBC journalist

who has written two travel books about

Ireland including the bestselling The

Height of Nonsense. He has written

widely about the travel writer, Jan

Morris and in 2006 edited a book of

tributes in honour of her 80th birthday.

He is also a contributing editor to the

Insight Travel Guides.

He tutors creative writing and has led

writing workshops at some of Ireland's

major literary festivals.

Paul Clements

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Sponsored by

Ballyrafter House Hotel

Alexandra Tolstoy received an MA (Hons) in Russian from the University of Edinburgh. After graduating she was accepted on the graduate training scheme at Credit Suisse First Boston, as an Eastern European equities broker. However, this life was not for her and she resigned after a year and spent the next couple of years working and travelling abroad. During this time she and a friend spent six weeks walking the old Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain.

Alexandra is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and in 1999 she was a member of the team that completed the Silk Road Expedition. An eight-month journey, travelling solely by horse and camel, this expedition retraced 5,000 miles of one of the former trading routes that make up the ancient Silk Road. The expedition received extensive coverage in the British press and Alexandra wrote a book on the journey, The Last Secrets of the Silk Road, commissioned by the English publisher Profile. It was published in March 2003 and came out in paperback in March 2004. It has also been published in America, Italy and Holland.

After the Silk Road Expedition Alexandra moved to Moscow, where she wrote her book and continued to travel in Central Asia. In 2002 Alexandra and a friend rode 3,000 miles on horseback through Mongolia and Siberia. On this and the Silk Road Expedition Alexandra was accompanied by Shamil Galimzyanov, a Russian show-jumper from Uzbekistan, and in September 2003 they were married in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in London. Together they

now organise riding holidays in Central Asia, selling them through the British travel agent Wild and Exotic.

Shamil and Alexandra began a third expedition in April 2004, riding Akhal Teke horses from Turkmenistan to Moscow. The aim was to retrace an expedition undertaken by 28 Turkmen riders in 1935, who rode the 2,700 mile journey in an incredible 84 days. Due to foot and mouth disease in Russia they were unable to complete the expedition that year, but they resumed it from the Kazakh/Russian border in late 2006, riding into Moscow’s Red Square on November 16th. Alexandra has received a second contract from Profile to write an account of the journey, to be titled The Horses of Heaven.

Alexandra and Shamil currently live in Moscow, where Alexandra is writing her book, as well as working as an interior designer. She also works for BDI, a brand development company that assists European companies wishing to develop their business in the former Soviet Union. Her latest client is Yo! Sushi, the successful British restaurant chain, for whom Alexandra has secured a Russian franchise partner.

Alexandra Tolstoy

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Sponsored by

Lismore Heritage Company Ltd.

Nick was born in London but grew up in Monaco and Switzerland. He developed a taste for adventure and travel from a young age, and, inspired by the comic strip Belgian reporter Tintin, took off on his first trip to Paris aged 13. Without passport or air ticket he managed to enter the country and travel around, selling sketches to make money. Nick’s initial ambition was to be an artist, and he attended art school, got an MA and representation from a gallery. But his desire to travel remained - he applied and was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship in 1982 and used it to follow traditional ancient trade routes - he travelled on foot or traditional local transport from Turkey to China and documented his adventures in his diaries. The diaries formed his first book, the best selling

Danziger's Travels, and he never looked back. He has since travelled around the world taking photographs and in 1991 made his first documentary in Afghanistan, War Lives and Videotape, based on children abandoned in the Marstoon mental asylum in Kabul. It was shown as part of the BBC's video diaries and won the Prix Italia for best television documentary series. Nick has since travelled the world taking photographs and making documentaries about people he has met. He has published four books, including his latest, ‘The British’, for which he returned to his roots.

Nick Danziger

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Sponsored by

ROCHE’S CENTRA LISMORE

Nick Middleton is a geographer, writer and presenter of television documentaries. He teaches at Oxford University where he is a Fellow of St. Anne’s College.

He is the author of seven travel books, including the 2001 bestseller, Going to Extremes (Pan) and its follow-ups Surviving Extremes (Pan, 2004) and Extremes along the Silk Road (J Murray, 2006). Each of these sets of adventures, which looked at some of the world’s least hospitable environments and those who live there, was filmed as a major television series, which he wrote and presented for Channel 4 in the UK and National Geographic Channel in most other parts of the world. His most recent series, Britain’s Worst Weather is also for Channel 4.

A Royal Geographical Society award-winning writer, Nick’s interests span the entire subject of geography. He also works, teaches and communicates on a wide variety of environmental issues for a broad range of audiences, from policy-makers to five year-old children. His books in these areas include The Global Casino: An Introduction to Environmental Issues, and the UN Environment Programme’s World Atlas of Desertification.

Nick Middleton

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Sponsored by

Jung Chang was born in Sichuan

province in 1952 to parents who were

both committed communists. As a child

who grew up during the Cultural

Revolution, she was briefly a Red Guard,

a "barefoot doctor", a steelworker and

an electrician before she went on to

study English at Sichuan University.

Chang left China in 1978 to study at

York University where she became the

first person from the People's Republic

of China to receive a PhD in Britain.

Wild Swans, her family memoir

published in 1992, has sold more than

10 million copies, translated into 30

languages, but is still banned in China.

She met her husband Jon Halliday, a

Russian historian who was a former

Senior Visiting Research Fellow at

King's College, University of London,

while she was teaching. Halliday is the

author of a biography on the film-maker

Douglas Sirk and has written and edited

seven other books.

Jung Chang & Jon Halliday

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Sponsored by

Immrama Committee 2007Back Row L-R: Bernard Leddy, Jan Rotte, Orla Russell, Edward Lynch and Eddie Hanley.Front Row L-R: Helen Leddy, Mary Houlihan, Peter Dowd and Anne Hanly.

At the Launch ....L-R: Chris Dowd, H.R. Dowd & Sons. - Sponsor of the Immrama Literary BreakfastPeter Dowd, President Immrama and Jan Rotte, Festival Administrator.

Main Literary Programmet h e m e | t h e s i l k r o a d T h e L i s m o r e F e s t i v a l o f T r a v e l W r i t i n g

2007

Friday 15 June10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.

Children’s Bi-Lingual Workshop (Primary Schools Only)

Ve n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

8.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.

Nick DanzigerVe n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

Saturday 16 June10.00 a.m. - 10.45 a.m.Literary Event

Mr. Donald Brady - Waterford County Librarian

Presentation on “The Book of Lismore”Ve n u e : L i s m o r e C a s t l e A r t sA D M I S S I O N F R E E

Saturday 16 June11.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.Travel Writing Workshop Part 1Paul ClementsVe n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

11.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m. Ceardlann Scríbhneoireachta Chruthaitheach i nGaeilgeLiam Ó MuirthileVe n u e : B l a c k w a t e r C o m m u n i t y S c h o o l

2.00 p.m. - 2.45 p.m. Presentation of Molly Keane Short Story AwardVe n u e : P u b l i c L i b r a r y , L i s m o r e

3.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Jung Chang & Jon HallidayVe n u e : B l a c k w a t e r C o m m u n i t y S c h o o l

8.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.

Alexandra TolstoyVe n u e : L i s m o r e H o u s e H o t e l

Sunday 17 June8.30 a.m. - 10.30 a.m.Literary Breakfast

Nick MiddletonVe n u e : B a l l y r a f t e r H o u s e H o t e l

11.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.

Travel Writing Workshop Part 2Ve n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

2.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Afternoon in Millennium ParkF a m i l y F u n E v e n t s , M u s i c , F a c e P a i n t i n g

Main Literary Programmet h e m e | t h e s i l k r o a d T h e L i s m o r e F e s t i v a l o f T r a v e l W r i t i n g

2007

Friday 15 June10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.

Children’s Bi-Lingual Workshop (Primary Schools Only)

Ve n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

8.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.

Nick DanzigerVe n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

Saturday 16 June10.00 a.m. - 10.45 a.m.Literary Event

Mr. Donald Brady - Waterford County Librarian

Presentation on “The Book of Lismore”Ve n u e : L i s m o r e C a s t l e A r t sA D M I S S I O N F R E E

Saturday 16 June11.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.Travel Writing Workshop Part 1Paul ClementsVe n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

11.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m. Ceardlann Scríbhneoireachta Chruthaitheach i nGaeilgeLiam Ó MuirthileVe n u e : B l a c k w a t e r C o m m u n i t y S c h o o l

2.00 p.m. - 2.45 p.m. Presentation of Molly Keane Short Story AwardVe n u e : P u b l i c L i b r a r y , L i s m o r e

3.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Jung Chang & Jon HallidayVe n u e : B l a c k w a t e r C o m m u n i t y S c h o o l

8.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.

Alexandra TolstoyVe n u e : L i s m o r e H o u s e H o t e l

Sunday 17 June8.30 a.m. - 10.30 a.m.Literary Breakfast

Nick MiddletonVe n u e : B a l l y r a f t e r H o u s e H o t e l

11.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.

Travel Writing Workshop Part 2Ve n u e : C o u r t h o u s e T h e a t r e

2.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Afternoon in Millennium ParkF a m i l y F u n E v e n t s , M u s i c , F a c e P a i n t i n g

Wednesday June 14 | 8.00pm“Under Milk Wood”

A Play by Dylan ThomasVenue: Courthouse Theatre • Admission Free

June 15-17 | 11.00am-5.00pmArt Exhibition

Venue: Lismore Arts Centre

Saturday June 16 | 8.15pmPiano Recital by Susan Tajra

Playing Chopin, John Field (Irish Composer) & MoussorskyVenue: St. Carthage's Cathedral

Saturday June 16Niwel Tsumbu PerformanceLismore World Music ClubVenue: Roses West End Bar

Sunday June 17Seanachaí

Venue: Red House Inn

Weekend June 15-17Lismore Castle Arts presents TITLED/UNTITLED A collaborative Exhibition featuring work from the

Devonshire & Rubell Family CollectionsVenue: Lismore Castle Arts

Lismore Castle Gardens Open to the Public

Please note that these events although taking place during the festival weekend are not organised by Immrama and are not included in any ticket arrangements.

Fringe Events

Immrama

Come to the Millennium Park, Lismoreon June 17th for a fun - filled family afternoon.

Entertainment by Motema, Afro Caribbean Band, “The Madhatters” interactive Salsa Band,

The Wobbly Circus and Face Painting.Lots of music and fun for all the family.

S p o n s o r e d b y . . . LISMORE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

The Immrama Festival Launch 2007

ImmramaThe Lismore Festival of Travel Writing

The Immrama Festival Launch 2007

ImmramaThe Lismore Festival of Travel Writing

L-R: Orla Russell, Committee Member,Mervyn Boyle, Lismore House Hotel, Siobhan Reddy, Foley’s on the Mall, Eric Flynn, Town Clerk andJohn O’Flynn, Director of Services, County Engineer and Chairman, Lismore Heritage Co. Ltd.

L-R: Peter Dowd, President of Immrama the Lismore Festival of Travel Writingpictured with event sponsors Willie Roche, Centra Lismore, Joe Willoughby, Ballyrafter House Hotel and Matt Houlihan, Printmaster.ie

L-R. Pat Whyte, Eason, Dungarvan, Main Sponsor, Caithlín Doherty, Lismore Castle Arts,Anne McAuli�e, Eason, Dungarvan, Tracy Kenneally, Blackwater Homes, and David Reynolds, Sherry Fitzgerald Reynolds Jung Chang event sponsors.

L-R: Immrama Literary Breakfast SponsorsTony Dowd, Floral Distributors Irelandand Esther Barron, Barron’s Bakery, Cappoquin pictured with Peter Dowd, Festival President.

L-R: Mary Houlihan, PRO, ImmramaDavid Reynolds, Sherry Fitzgerald Reynolds, Tracy Kenneally, Blackwater Homes Sponsors of the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing keynote-speakersJung Chang and Jon Halliday.

L-R: Peter Dowd, Festival President, Anne Hanly, Hospitality Co-OrdinatorAnne McAuli�e, Eason Dungarvan,Pat Whyte, Eason, Dungarvan, Main Sponsor.

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Local Business SponsorsLoudest WhisperMadden Estate AgentsMary FM FashionMaurice Dunne Motors McCarthy InsurancesMcGrath's of LismoreMJ'sMochuda Development Comp. Ltd.Neil Twomey SolicitorsNorthgrove B&BO'Gorman's NewsagentsP & B DistributorPastis Restaurant, GlencairnPatricia O'Neill ArchitectsPhyl's Hairdressing SalonPine Tree HousePost O�ce BooksalesQuality WindowsRedheavendesignSabrina's Beauty SalonSa�ronSean WilloughbySheehan & Glavin AccountantsSummerhouseThe Red House InnThe Wine VaultsTom Murphy PhotoWest End BarWillow Design & Print

Allied Irish BankAntiques & Decorative ItemsBallyrafter House Hotel Bank of IrelandBeechcroft B&BBlackwater Community School Bonnie's Bouquets Cahill's NewsagentCavendish Computing Ltd.China MoonCummins BookmakersDeise DesignDF Warren Ltd.DMTV ServicesDr. Lordan's SurgeryEamonn's PlaceGlencairn AccomodationGort na bhFianaHallahan's CoachesHandmade WinesHornibrooks GarageKnockanore Irish Farmhouse CheeseLismore & Cappoquin Credit Union LtdLismore Badminton ClubLismore Castle Arts GalleryLismore Dental PracticeLismore Health CentreLismore JewellersLismore Veterinary Surgeons

Molly KeaneThe County Waterford Arts Office by kind permission of the Keane family have been running the Molly Keane Memorial Creative Writing Award for the past 10 years. This national competition encourages new Irish writing in the short story genre. Molly Keane lived until her death in 1996 in Ardmore, Co. Waterford and her book 'Good Behaviour' was a publishing sensation for which she was short listed for the Booker Prize in 1981. Celebrating her rich literary life, this annual award supports new Irish writing , in addition to the prestige of the award itself, the winner will receive a commemorative certificate and prize money of €650. For the past three years the award has found it's natural 'home' in the IMMRAMA festival surrounded by literary appreciation and events.

Creative Writing Award

Margaret Cotter, Co. Laois, Winner of the 2006 Molly Keane Memorial Creative Writing Award receiving her award from the poet Louis de Paor. Also included are (back row):Co. Mayor Ger Barron and Margaret Organ/Arts Officer.Front Row: Molly Keane's daughters Sally Phipps & Virginia Brownlow.

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FERRY LANE MAIN STREET

ST. CARTHAGE’S CHURCH

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Map of Lismore

Festival Information Point located at Lismore Heritage Centre

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Immrama

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Sponsors

SHEEHANGLAVIN

C H A R T E R E D A C C O U N TA N T SR E G I S T E R E D A U D I T O R S

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Neil TwomeySolicitors

& Co.

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Waterford County CouncilGrant Assisted by Waterford County Council’s Arts Grants Scheme 2006Le cabhair ó Scéim Deontais Ealaíon Chomhairle Chontae Phort Láirge 2006

Failte Ireland

Lismore Estates Lismore Castle Arts

Foras na Gaeilge

Waterford Crystal

Blackwater Community School

Sheehan & Glavin Chartered Accountants

Neil Twomey & Co.Solicitors

Eason, Dungarvan

Marco Polo

Immrama Sponsors

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Foras Na Gaeilge

Waterford County Council’s Arts Grants Scheme 2007

Lismore Castle ArtsLismore Estates

Waterford CrystalSheehan & Glavin, Chartered Accountants

Neil Twomey & Co., SolicitorsBlackwater Community School

E V E N T S P O N S O R S

Sherry Fitzgerald ReynoldsBlackwater Homes

Printmaster.ie Ballyrafter House Hotel

Barron’s Bakery, CappoquinLismore House Hotel

Roche’s Centra, LismoreH.R Dowd & Sons

Floral Distributors of IrelandLismore Heritage Company Ltd.

Mari Mina PharmaciesLismore Mochuda Development Co. Ltd.

Findlater Grants Wine MerchantsFoley’s on the Mall

Lismore Business Community