Press release
Treasure Island: OPW announces special literary festival to mark Garinish Island celebrations
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Acclaimed Irish writer Cónal Creedon joined Head of Heritage at the Office of Public Works (OPW) Rosemary Collier on Garinish Island in West Cork on Tuesday, 1 August, for the launch of a unique literary event which will take place on the Island this month.
To mark the 70th anniversary since Garinish Island was bequeathed to the Irish state, the OPW is working with the Good Room collective to present ‘Crosstown Drift Goes To Garinish’, a bespoke, two-day literary festival from 12 August to 13 August.
Visitors will be able to enjoy readings and conversations with renowned Irish writers while discovering the timeless beauty and sheltered world of Garinish’s famous gardens.
Architect and garden designer Harold Peto worked with the original owners Annan and Violet Bryce to create the gardens in the early twentieth-century. Today, the stunning grounds are expertly cared for and lovingly preserved by the OPW on behalf of the Irish State and the people of Ireland.
Set beside Glengarriff bay and the mountains beyond, guests can enjoy the dramatic backdrop, with readings taking place in alternate settings, including the Grecian Temple, Casita, Clock Tower, original Martello Tower as well as Bryce House itself.
The festival opens on the Saturday afternoon at 5.30pm with writers Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Conal Creedon, Catherine Kirwan, Danny Denton and Lisa McInerney, in a ticketed event hosted by Eoghan O’Sullivan from the Irish Examiner.
It continues on Sunday from 12pm to 4.30pm with a range of free events all around Garinish Island covering a broad range of topics including sports, food, rewilding on the Bere peninsula and the ecology of the Birds of County Cork with engaging writers such as Eoghan Daltún, Patrick Smiddy and Mark Shorten, Eimear Ryan & Ciarán Murphy and Denis Cotter.
Welcoming the festival’s launch, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works Patrick O’Donovan said:
“Garinish Island is a unique place and we are privileged to have been able to share this treasure with visitors from near and far for 70 years. It is only fitting to celebrate the anniversary of the Bryce family’s gift to the nation with a special treat for visitors this year. Last year, the OPW was able to grow its visitor numbers here to over 63,000 last year and I am sure that ‘Crosstown Drift Goes To Garinish’ will act as a further magnet to attract new and return visitors to this wonderful location. In doing so, it will help maximise the cultural and economic benefits of tourism in this high amenity area.”
Rosemary Collier added:
“Garinish Island in Glengarrif Bay was well chosen by the Bryce family to establish these wonderful gardens we see here today. The bespoke designs of Peto with later additions to the plant collection by renowned gardener Murdo Mackenzie have delighted generations of visitors to the island. I am proud of the crucial role that the Office of Public Works has played in conserving and managing the unique architectural and horticultural features and delivering the restoration of Bryce House, Casita, Italian Gardens and the Victorian walled garden. Garinish is a wonderful setting for this exciting line-up of readings and conversations and the OPW team on the Island is looking forward to celebrating this anniversary with a range of visitors over the weekend.”
Looking forward to the festival’s start, acclaimed Irish novelist, playwright and documentary filmmaker Cónal Creedon said:
“Glengarrif is the gateway to Beara – and Garnish Island is the jewel in the Crown of Bantry Bay. My mother’s people are from Beara and my father from Iveleary – Garnish Island is always a homecoming. It’s a soulful place and I’m looking forward to being back among my own.”
An OPW spokesperson is available for interview upon request. Please contact pressoffice@opw.ie for more information. Photography from the official launch is available from Valerie O’Sullivan at valerieosullivanf8@gmail.com
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Garinish Island (or Ilnacullin), bequeathed to the Irish people in 1953, is an iconic historic island garden of international significance with a world-renowned plant collection and unique architectural heritage.
Annan Bryce bought the island in 1910 and commissioned Harold Ainsworth Peto to design fine gardens and Italian garden buildings. Peto travelled to Italy, Spain and France and collected various architectural stone carvings to display in the gardens.
The Bryce family, as early as 1925, opened the gardens of the House to the public. The island is renowned for its richness of plant form and colour, which change continuously with the seasons. Pathways wind around the landscape, leading to a number of fascinating garden buildings, such as the Grecian temple, the clock tower, the Casita, and an original Martello Tower. Bryce House, the family residence on the island for many years, was restored by the OPW with support from Fáilte Ireland in 2015 and is presented as it would have appeared during their lifetime. A selection from their vast collection of important paintings, prints, drawings, and books can be seen on display inside.
Crosstown Drift has taken place in Cork city since 2016 as part of Cork Midsummer Festival. This August, organised by the cultural organisation The Good Room, Crosstown Drift makes its inaugural trip out of Cork City to the stunningly beautiful Garinish Island.
Tickets for the ‘Crosstown Drift Goes To Garinish’ evening event on Saturday, 12 August are on sale from eventbrite.ie
Tickets €40 plus booking fee – this includes the Harbour Queen Ferry return ticket and entrance onto the island.
Hourly events are free to the public. Tickets for the Harbour Queen Ferry are available from harbourqueenferry.com and Blue Pool ferries in person or phone +353 (27) 6333.
Co-authors of ‘The Birds of County Cork’ Patrick and Mark will converse on the birds in the Bere Peninsula and County Cork. The fascinating insight will feature chat about ecology, migration patterns and the history of many Cork bird species.
Eoghan will read from his award winning book ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest’ and converse about his inspiring personal journey having moved his family from Dublin to the Bere peninsula to create an Irish Atlantic Rainforest.
Hear excerpts from Eimear’s newest book the Grass Ceiling about women in Sport. Ciarán Murphy from the Second Captains stable first book is about life in the GAA for all those players and people who aren’t stars and not known to many. Eoghan O’Sullivan is a journalist with The Examiner and runs the Point of Everything podcast.
Denis Cotter’s fourth book Paradiso, recipes & reflections is a celebration of the unique cuisine of this internationally renowned Cork restaurant. Throughout the book there are essays illuminating the way in which the cuisine of Paradiso has become its own unique living thing.