- Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason opens Kennedy Summer School on 27th August
- Finghin Collins performs recital for New Ross Piano Festival’s 20th anniversary
- Neil Tully, Martina Evans and Belinda McKeon feature on writers’ panel
- GAA hurling discussion includes William Maher and former inter-county stars
- Full programme available at kennedysummerschool.ie with early booking recommended
The 2026 Kennedy Summer School has announced its opening night programme for 27th August, featuring Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason, alongside three of Ireland’s leading novelists at St Michael’s Theatre in New Ross. Ambassador Byrne Nason has officially confirmed her participation in the festival’s flagship evening, which organisers have urged early booking for as tickets move quickly for the 6:30 pm commencement.
The Ambassador, a Co. Louth native who has served as Ireland’s UN envoy and led the successful Security Council campaign, will deliver opening remarks before participating in a fireside chat with Professor Mary C. Murphy of Boston College’s Irish Institute. The session, introduced by Kennedy Summer School Chair Eileen Dunne, marks the return of the Irish Institute to the festival, continuing a tradition associated with the late Bob Morrow. The evening also features a piano recital from Finghin Collins, artistic founding director of the New Ross Piano Festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The 8 pm ‘Voices of Irish Writers’ panel brings together Neil Tully, whose debut novel ‘The Visit’ is set in New Ross during June 1963, Martina Evans, whose poetry collection ‘Drunken Driving’ has been selected as a Poetry Book Society Choice for Summer 2026, and Belinda McKeon, the novelist and playwright whose debut ‘Solace’ won the 2012 Faber Prize. The panel, moderated by Professor Bríona Nic Dhiarmada, will be followed by a hurling discussion featuring GAA National Head of Hurling William Maher and former inter-county stars. The festival runs from 27th to 29th August 2026, with full programme details available at kennedysummerschool.ie.
Bríona Nic Dhiarmada shared: “New Ross has always been a place where Irish storytelling and Irish history meet, and this year’s panel captures that beautifully. Neil Tully’s novel brings us right back to New Ross in the days before Kennedy’s visit, while Martina Evans and Belinda McKeon show just how vital and varied Irish fiction and poetry are right now.”
