Hay Festival Kells

Established in Kells started-up in 2013 with the aim of developing an Irish 'town of books' as a national centre for all genres of literature. The Hay Festival Kells has succeeded in bringing together the best Irish and international authors and thinkers to celebrate the sharing of stories and ideas.

When? 23-26 June, 2016

Who? 2016 - Names released so far include prolific Irish authors Patrick McCabe, Kevin Barry and Lisa McInerney. Irish Times columnist and author Roisin Ingle will feature, as will former politician and leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore. Chelsea Garden Show winner Mary Reynolds will talk horticulture. Hotelier turned TV personality Francis Brennan and renowned investigative sports journalist Paul Kimmage are also included in the line up.

In the Image, graphic and visual effects artists explore the art of the graphic novel and gaming authorship. Contributors include Rhianna Pratchett (Tomb Raider) and Michael Carroll (Judge Dredd).

Children’s events include talks by illustrator P.J. Lynch and former LaureateSiobhán Parkinson. History features, with strands exploring the Battle of the Somme, and Dublin’s Easter Rising of 1916. Gene Kerrigan and Joe Duffyfeature here. And for music fans, Dublin duo The Lost Brothers, and Mary Black will play.

Where? One of Fáilte Ireland's Top 10 Destinations in Ireland, Kells is an ancient market town in County Meath, 40 miles north of Dublin and renowned worldwide as the birthplace of the Book of Kells. Almost a thousand years later, the town remains a vibrant community with a lively events programme. Located in the beautiful Boyne Valley among the turns of the Blackwater River, Kells is neighboured by a UNESCO World Heritage site, Headfort House, and the unique Spire of Lloyd, a mysterious inland lighthouse built in the late 18th century by the 1st Earl of Bective. As well as the town's rich Monastic legacy, Kells boasts an exciting arts and crafts scene, with many artists working and exhibiting in the local area.

Website? Hay Kells Festival

Twitter? @hayfestival

Previous Festivals? Established 2013

Festival highlights for 2014 include Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans, Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, poet Rosita Boland, and Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan, co-authors of the Pulitzer Prize nominated The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden.

Young audiences will enjoy writers Darren Shan and Judi Curtin and the animated film Moon Man. And there are many other fantastic events including playwright Deirdre Kinahan, sportsman Sean Boylan, Professor David Reynolds on WWI, and Senator Susan O'Keeffe.

2013 - Programme highlights include novelists John Boyne, DBC Pierre, John Banville, Tiffany Murray; poets Owen Sheers, Nerys Williams, Eurig Salisbury; memoirs from Jeanette Winterson; children's writers Jenny Valentine, Sarah Webb; playwright Frank McGuinness; actors Peter Sheridan, Lisa Dwan; a film animating The Secret of Kells; academics Germaine Greer on Shakespeare and Dr Bernard Meehan on the Book of Kells®; politician Jesse Norman on Burke; and musician Alex Valentine.