Me, my Ma and Dalkey Book Festival

So how are we all doing in the heatwave? Are we all OK? I have to say I am enjoying these sunny days and especially the balmy nights in the garden.

I know that quite possibly by the time you read this it will all be over… and we will be back to a normal Irish summer. But hey ho.

Last weekend’s weather was typical of the more usual schizophrenic nature of the Irish climate. Friday was a total wash out but Saturday and Sunday were quite lovely. And last weekend was one of my very favourite weekends of the year – The Dalkey Book Festival.

I love the fact that Ireland has a plethora of wonderful book festivals throughout the year and I am lucky enough to have been involved in many of them – The Rolling Sun in Westport, Writers Week in Listowel, Dingle Literary Festival and the West Cork Literary Festival in Bantry… but the Dalkey festival has a special place in my heart and not just because it’s my local festival.

Dalkey Book Festival began back in 2010 as a response to the economic downturn (the recession that followed the death of the Celtic Tiger) which was affecting the town and was especially marked by the closure of the much loved ‘Exchange Book Shop’ on Castle Street.

My dear mother, Noirin (Nor) was, like me, a voracious reader and so we were both delighted to find this new festival on our doorstep. For the first few years we attended many events over the weekend, listening to some of our favourite authors and having our minds bent and stretched by some great panel discussions. We would be there all weekend and one of the highlights every year was Sunday morning with Maeve Binchy who held court in Finnegans pub which was next door to her lovely Dalkey home.

As Nor’s health began to deteriorate, the number of events she could attend reduced and near the end when she was in a wheelchair, it was only events in the Town Hall that she could comfortably get to. But we still had the chats and laughs about what and who we had listened to.

In her last few years, she was unable to accompany me to anything at the festival and so we had to content ourselves with my attending and then regaling her with a full report and discussion afterwards.

Nor died in January 2022, just four months before my book, ‘Wise Up’ was published and was invited to be one of the authors to be interviewed in Dalkey. I bet she was raging she missed that. But although she wasn’t there in person, I know she was somewhere near, looking down and whispering ‘good on ya’ in my ear.

Since then I have been involved in the festival every year, interviewing authors which is such a priviledge. This year I interviewed the mighty Katriona O Sullivan about her new book ‘Hungry’, Miriam Mulcahy about her great book ‘Walking To The Foot Of The Sky’ and an award winning Portugese writer Afonso Reis Cabral about his book, ‘Take Me With You’. All were interesting and thought provoking. Nor would have enjoyed each one too.

However these days I am no longer alone at Dalkey Book Festival.

My two youngest daughters are readers and one in particular is a history buff and so now it’s they who come with me to the Dalkey Book Festival. It is with them that I now review each event. It is now me and my girls who dissect the conversations we have listened to at a panel discussion, once again bending and stretching our minds. The circle of life and all that.

As the weekend drew to a close last Sunday and we headed home still chatting about what we listened to, I know, once again that Nor was nearby. I can feel her presence. She is still listening, still chuckling.

Today is her birthday…. She would have been 91. Happy Birthday Ma…. I am sure you are enjoying the memories of our adventures at Dalkey Book Festival just as much as I do. I hope you have lots of good books wherever you are! Maybe you are in a corner of heaven, having a good laugh and chat with Maeve Binchy, although without Finnegans smoked salmon. Now that would be gas!