May 2024

The 2024 Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend takes place from Friday 3rd May to Sunday 5th May in Dugort on Achill Island.

Heinrich Boll was born in Germany in 1917. He lived and worked in Achill, residing in a cottage in the village of Dugort.

A local committee, the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Germany, the Boll Family and Mayo County Council maintain the cottage and administer the residency programme.

The event will include lectures, guided walks, poetry readings and writing seminars with an international panel of writers and speakers.

Friday 3rd May

• Registration at 19.00pm
• Chairperson’s Opening Address with Dr Kathleen Smyth and Mr Christian Resch, Deputy Head of Mission of German Embassy.
• Anne Walsh Donnelly
• The Bulwark of Freedom: Reporting today's wars with Lindsey Hilsum

Saturday 4th May

• Guided Walk of the Valley and Dooniver with Micheál Ó Briain at 10.00am
• Visit to Heinrich Böll Cottage from 14.00 pm to 17.00 pm
• Anne Shannon Memorial Writers workshop with Lindsey Hilsum at 14.00pm
• John Gormley at 14.00pm
• Richard W. HalperIn at 15.00pm
• Film: Caillte san Úcráin, the story of Finbar Cafferkey at 16.00pm
• Readings with writers from Russia, Ukraine and Germany chaired by Dr Gisela Holfter at 20.00pm. Music by Laoise Kelly, Diarmuid Gielty and John Butler.

Sunday 5th May

• Guided Walk to Carrowgarve, the other deserted village, with Eoin Halpin at 10.00am.
• Readings from the Achill Writers Groups at 13.00pm. Music by Laoise Kelly, Diarmuid Gielty and John Butler