Longford's Booktown festival launches stellar line up in local library

Granard Library saw a great turnout last Thursday for the launch of the 2025 Granard Booktown festival.

The evening saw key figures from across the town and county present to hear the star studded programme of speakers that will be making their way to Granard from April 11-13.

The event was opened up by Ronan O’Toole, one of the cofounders of the festival, alongside John Connell.

From Friday to Sunday, Longford locals and those from across Ireland will be pouring into Granard to enjoy talks from the likes of Claire Keegan, Seamus O’Rourke, Carole Cadwalladr and John Banville.

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Many others will be hosting taks throughout the town such as Peter Geoghegan a Longford native who will be discussing his book ‘Democracy for Sale’, Nelefer Pazira Fisk, wife of the late Robert Fisk the esteemed war correspondent who will be discussing his final work.

Local poets will be featured and shall be reciting their work in Fay’s on the Saturday, and the Granard Writers Group will be presenting Granard Miscellany in the local Library.

This will be the third installment of the Granard Booktown Festival. It began in 2023 and was created by author John Connell and Ronan O’Toole.

The booktown team features the two co-founders as well as Belinda McKeon, Vivian Huynh, James Cawley, Cllr Turlough McGovern, Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi and Sinéad Flannery.

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The festival will see a total of 21 events over three days.

“It’s hard to believe it’s our third year opening now. It’s been a whirlwind year, I suppose, from the last festival,” Said Ronan O’Toole as he opened the event, “We’ve had such great feedback not just from local communities, but on a national level.

“I think we’ve definitely been able to attract another very high calibre of guests this year. People like Clare Keegan, Carole Cadwalladr and John Banville headlining the festival. Just incredible writers and journalists and we’re just thrilled that they're going to be here in Granard in just over a month.”

Cllr Gary Murtagh, Cathaoirleach of Granard Municipal District then said a few words, “It’s a great pleasure and honour to be here this evening with you to acknowledge the great work that John and Ronan and their team are doing. I know Longford County Council is delighted to support, promote and help out with such a fantastic event.”

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John Connell then stepped up to the podium and discussed the festival programme.

Following the event, John spoke on the work it took to get these incredible writers to be apart of the event.

“Some of them took over three years to get, and it’s been a lot of work, but you know people know Granard now they know the Book Festival and Book Town and they know the work we’re doing so they want to come and join us.

“We’re on the circuit for established writers to come on tours from throughout Ireland or from overseas and it’s been something that’s been really wonderful and exciting.”

Cllr Turlough McGovern was also in attendance.

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“We’re delighted to be here, we’re looking forward to our third year of it of course,” he said. He is a member of the Booktown team.

“We have international stars and local writers, which I really enjoyed last year because it was great stories and talent about local stuff around the town, many years ago.

“It was Wigtown in Scotland, which is where John and Ronan got the idea and we’re working to bring it to that level.”
Senator Joe Flaherty was thrilled with the fact that two Lanesboro natives were included in the programme.

“It’s great to see a town like Granard having such a strong literary event, I was particularly struck, if you look, you have Luke Casserly and Gavin Cooney both from Lanesboro, similar ages and really only separated by a couple of fields

“To think that both of them are centre stage in the programme is truly brilliant to see.”