Celebrating the great Gerard Manley Hopkins in Newbridge

Gerard Manley Hopkins is universally acknowledged as one of the great poets of the English language.

Some of his best mature poems, many of them literary masterpieces, were written in Dublin, Clongowes Wood College, Monasterevin and Rahan, Co. Offaly.

He came to Ireland in 1884 to teach classics in University College Dublin. His associations with Ireland, Dublin and County Kildare are well identified by Hopkins’s biographers. On June 8 1889, Hopkins contracted typhoid fever and died in Newman House, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin. He is buried in the Jesuit plot, Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. His poetry and writings were unknown until published by Robert Bridges in 1918 when he was finally revealed as one of the most innovative writers in poetic language and rhythm and a powerful and profound poet of religion and nature.

Since 1987, Irish poet Desmond Egan and a team of dedicated professionals have been hosting The Gerard Manley Hopkins Festival, now in its 36th year and based in Newbridge College Theatre, celebrating the writings of Gerard Manley Hopkins, his links with Ireland and his interests: poetry; art; music, philosophy and conservation.

“Our main objective as a society is to provide artistic and cultural fulfilment. The final programme is now available on www.gerardmanleyhopkins.org and news of various events and photos are on our Facebook page: Gerard Manley Hopkins International Literary Festival,” said a committee spokesperson.

“This year international participants will travel from USA; Canada, Japan; South Korea, Germany; France; Belgium; Wales, Poland; Sweden, Netherlands; Finland; Cyprus, the UK and Ireland. Writers, artists, academics, musicians, and translators, travel to Ireland especially for the event. They form an enriching creative hub. It is quite literally a feast of all that aspires to uplift the human spirit.”

It has been described by the Editor of the Oxford Companion to Irish Literature as ‘The best literary festival in Ireland’ and incorporates a highly regarded literary conference, creative writing workshop, music workshop, translation workshop, art exhibition, classical and Irish concerts, international poetry readings, a field trip of cultural interest, and nightly festival club.

The annual Art Exhibition features Desmond Morris, better known for presenting Zootime on BBC TV and even more so from the amazing success of his book ‘The Naked Ape’ (20 million copies sold worldwide). Morris is also a surrealist painter of note since he exhibited with Joan Miro in 1950,.

He has been recognised as an artist of real quality, probably the foremost exponent of Surrealism in Britain and beyond. The exhibition is open to the public and continues for the duration of the festival.

A classical concert will be performed on Saturday, July 19 at 8pm by distinguished Swedish pianist Hans Pålsson who will include Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. The full programme is available on our website www.gerardmanleyhopkins.org
A highly successful youth programme runs parallel to the main programme under the direction of Derek Egan. This year more than 30 pre-Leaving Certificate honours students will attend.

The festival’s events are open to the public and further details are available on our website www.gerardmanleyhopkins.org. So do take time out and join us in Newbridge College Theatre for: ‘The best literary festival in Ireland’ (Ed. Oxford Companion to Irish Literature) July 19 to 25.