Kim Phuc Phan Thi & Fergal Keane for Lismore Immrama Festival of Travel Writing 2016

Kim Phuc Phan Thi and Fergal Keane announced as Keynote speakers for Lismore Immrama Festival of Travel Writing 2016

Vietnamese-Canadian best known as the nine-year-old child depicted in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken during the Vietnam War on June 8, 1972 Kim Phuc Phan Thi along with one of the BBC's most distinguished correspondents and award-winning broadcaster and author Fergal Keane have been announced as the keynote speakers for the 14th annual Immrama Festival of Travel Writing in Lismore, County Waterford this June 16th to 19th.

Kim tells a story like no other. She is an icon of the cry for peace, the unforgettable girl behind the photo running naked from the planes bombing a temple where she and her family had taken refuge during the Vietnam War. Luckily, she escaped her death from napalm to tell her story. Kim will travel to Ireland for the first time to take to the stage at the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing on Saturday, June 18th at 3pm.

Kim will be joined by one of the BBC's most distinguished correspondents and an award-winning broadcaster and author Fergal Keane. Fergal has reported on the major conflicts and also forgotten wars of the modern age. He has been awarded numerous awards and honours including, a BAFTA, the George Orwell prize for literature, the James Cameron Prize and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the US Overseas Press Association, an OBE for his services to journalism. He is also the author of a number of bestselling books. Fergal will take to the podium at Immrama on Saturday June 18th at 8pm.

Launching the 2016 programme was the Mayor of Waterford Councillor John Cummins said, “I am honoured to launch the programme for the fourteeth annual Immrama Festival of Travel Writing. This festival has from its very inception brought some of the biggest names in travel writing and broadcasting to Ireland and with those names it has also brought international audiences and has shone an international spotlight on this beautiful Heritage Town. This is a festival which I believe is like no other in the country, it is forward thinking and global reaching and the 2016 programme is the epitome of this ethos; June 16th to June 19th are going to be a particularly inspiring number of days in Lismore this year.”

On Sunday morning at 8.30am Turtle Bunbury will host the ‘Literary Breakfast’ at Lismore House Hotel. Turtle is a best selling author and award winning historical consultant. He is a co-presenter of the Genealogy Roadshow on RTE and a frequent contributor to radio, print & online media, including National Geographic Traveler, Vogue Living, The World of Interiors, Playboy, The Australian, The Irish Times and The Irish Daily Mail. Turtle’s next book, Around the World in 1847, will be published in September 2016.

The festival will open with a film screening with a racing theme on the evening of Thursday, June 16th when Italian film ‘Palio’ will be screened at Lismore Heritage Centre.

On Friday evening at 8pm author and journalist Peter Murtagh will take to the stage at the Courthouse Theatre. Peter Murtagh is a reporter with The Irish Times. He has held a number of senior positions in the paper over many years, as well as in The Guardian newspaper in London. He is well travelled and has written from many places in Europe as well as Asia, South and Central America and South Africa, occasionally observing places from the vantage point of his motorbike. In 2011 he wrote, with his daughter Natasha, a book about their journey together on Camino de Santiago. He has since walked the Portuguese Camino and the Camino Primitivo.

On the morning of Saturday, June 18 historian Donald Brady will host a free talk on an intriguing piece of local history and author Paul Clements will host a free presentation at the Red Hall.

Family Fun Sunday will take place at the Millennium Park where music and entertainment will be on offer with the Lismore Farmers Market on the castle avenue. Taking the festival to a close on Sunday evening author Jim O’Malley, an environmentalist and long-distance walker will discuss his book – ‘Walking the Munster Blackwater’. While emphasising the historic events that occurred along the course of the river, O’Malley presents the reader with a varied snapshot of the Irish countryside. Encounters with farmers, B&B personnel, publicans, anglers and others are blended with his love of nature and a deeply felt concern for the future of the Blackwater.

The festival has also announced a brand new young travel writer’s competition; this is open to secondary school students all across Ireland. Entrants are asked to submit an 800-word story about their travel experiences.

Full details of the festival schedule for tickets and details on the new travel writing competition at the Immrama Lismore Festival of Travel Writing 2016 see www.lismoreimmrama.com or call (058) 53803.

'Devonshire Day' at Lismore Castle March 20th 2016

Cream Tea for all on 'Devonshire Day' at Lismore Castle

Devonshire cream Tea will be served during the 'Devonshire Day' this year on Sunday, March 20th 2016 at Lismore Castle in county Waterford.

Guests to the castle on the day can take a unique opportunity to enjoy afternoon tea in the Pugin Room and experience a preview tour of Lismore Castle's Spring Gardens.

Devonshire Day is now an annual traditional at the Castle; guests are served Devonshire Cream Tea by the Duke of Devonshire's Butler and are then offered a guided tour of the Castle gardens under the expert guidance of the Head Gardener an opportunity not normally available to visitors.

Devonshire Day is a fundraiser organised by the 'Immrama Festival of Travel Writing' committee. The Immrama Festival takes place this year for the eleventh year in Lismore from June 16th to 19th 2016.

Tea and tours take place at 11.30 a.m., 12.40 p.m., 1.50 p.m., 3.00 p.m. and 4.10 p.m. Entrance is by ticket only. Tickets are available from the Immrama office and Lismore Heritage Centre  and cost €20.00. For further enquiries and bookings contact 058-53803 or 058-54975 or see facebook.com/lismoreimmrama

Garden Highlights
The Lower Garden was formerly known as the Pleasure Grounds and is spectacular in the Spring Time. A number of camellia, rhododendron's and some particularly magnificent magnolias can be found here. There has been extensive planting over the last number of years and the gardens are being constantly refined and improved. The walls surrounding the garden date from the early 18th century and have been planted with roses such as Francis E, Lester, Bobbie James, Rambling Rector to name but a few. The Lower Garden also boasts some spectacular sculptures by well-known artists Eilis O'Connell, Anthony Gormley and Marzia Colonna.

The Upper Garden is one of the few Jacobean gardens to survive in anything like its original form. The first Earl of Cork helped by his gardener John built a high surrounding wall and a raised terrace terminated at either end by turrets. The Central Walk, which is between the herbaceous borders, is backed by yew hedges and was laid in dramatic alignment on the Pain spire of the Anglican Cathedral. The hedges provide a suitable background for the herbaceous borders as one walks towards the top terrace. Located here are some artistic works by Bridget McCrum, Simon Thomas, Emily Young and Edwin Whitney Smith.

Robert Fisk, Charley Boorman & Jonathan Shackleton set for voyage to Lismore for Immrama Festival of Travel Writing 2015

Multi award winning journalist and author Robert Fisk, travel writer and presenter Charley Boorman and intrepid explorer and author Jonathan Shackleton are just some of the global travel writers about to set their compass for Lismore in County Waterford this June 11th to 14th for the thirteenth annual Immrama Festival of Travel Writing.

Launching the 2015 programme was the Mayor of Waterford Councillor James Tobin, launching the programme the Mayor said, “I am delighted to launch this fantastic programme for the thirteenth Immrama Festival of Travel Writing. This festival has a track record of attracting not only writers from all corners of the globe but visitors from all corners of the globe proving to be a hugely valuable economic asset for Waterford.”

Robert Fisk has been the Middle East correspondent for The Independent for more than 20 years and is primarily based in Beirut. Fisk holds more British and international journalism awards than any other foreign correspondent and has been voted British International Journalist of the year seven times. He is he is one of a few Western journalists to have interviewed Osama bin Laden. Fisk has penned seven books possibly his best known is ‘The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East. He has also produced a documentary series From Beirut To Bosnia.  Fisk is set to take to the podium at the festival as a keynote speak on Saturday, June 13th at 8 pm.

TV presenter, travel writer and actor Charley Boorman best known for his enthusiasm for motorbikes, as demonstrated in several documentaries of his travels. Charley is the epitome of the modern adventurer in pursuit of fresh challenges, he and Ewan McGregor took to the road and ‘off road’ aboard motorcycles for their series ‘Long Way Round’ journeying through three continents and fifteen countries in three months and after the epic Long Way Round journey, Ewan and Charley decided to ride 15,000 - miles the Long Way Down from John O'Groats, Scotland to the Southern most tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas and then on to Cape Town.

Charley has also taken on the desert in one of the World's harshest challenges: the Lisbon-Dakar Rally; a race out of Europe via the Iberian Peninsula and down through West Africa. Charley will take to the stage at the festival on Saturday, June 13th at 3pm.

Jonathan Shackleton is a cousin of the Kildare born Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. He is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin in Natural Sciences and was awarded his Masters Degree from Ohio State University for work in Arctic Alaska. As a lecturer and guide, Jonathan has accompanied 21 groups to the Antarctic in the past 10 years as historian, guide, photographer and occasional Zodiac driver. Highlights of his visits have been landing on the godforsaken Elephant Island at Point Wild, visiting Ernest Shackleton’s grave on South Georgia, travelling to the Ross Sea, landing at Cape Adare and visiting two of the largest Emperor penguin colonies in the world. He continues to visit Antarctica. Jonathan will take to the stage on Friday evening June 12th to speak of his own expeditions through the same teretory of his cousin Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Opening the festival on Thursday, June 11 for a book launch are Egyptian author Salwa Elhamamsy who is launching her travel book on Ireland and John Dwyer is launching his travel book on South Africa.

On the morning of June 13 author Paul Clements will commence a two-day writing workshop on the ‘Great Houses of Ireland’ including visits to the Jameson House and Cappoquin House. Historian Donald Brady will host a talk on Saturday morning.

Getting the show on the road on Sunday morning June 14, travel-writer Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent will host a literary breakfast at Ballyrafter House Hotel discussing her book, ‘A Short Ride in the Jungle: The Ho Chi Minh Trail by Motorcycle’.

Family Fun Sunday will take place at the Millennium Park with music by Baker Street and entertainment will be on offer with the Lismore Farmers Market on the castle avenue plus a cricket match between Lismore Cricket Club and Dublin Writers XIXI will also take place on Sunday afternoon and Lismore Heritage Centre will host Blackwater adventure packages. Taking the festival to a close on Sunday evening Gerard Taylor will speak about his book ‘But for Ireland, I’d not tell her name’.

Full details of the schedule and Saturday Special tickets for the Immrama Lismore Festival of Travel Writing 2015 see www.lismoreimmrama.com or call (058) 53803.

The Immrama Festival of Travel Writing is supported by Waterford City and County Council, Failte Ireland, Waterford Airport, Bonnies Bouquets, FDC, Wild Oats Soap, Inka Print and Design, Derek Dowd’s Wholesale & Retail Fruit and Vegetables, Floral Distributors Ireland (FDI), Foley’s, Lismore Heritage Company Ltd., Mochuda Development Company Ltd., Lismore and Cappoquin Credit Union, Jonathan Ackroyd Jewellers, Barron’s Bakery, Roche’s Centra Supermarket, Maurice Dunne Motors
Bally Rafter Country House Hotel, Leddy  Consultancies Ltd., CareMed Direct, Books Ireland, Cavendish Computing Ltd., Lismore Estates, Blackwater Community school Rustic Café, Twomey Sollicitors, Knockanore Cheese, Glavin and Ronan Accountants while the Lismore Business Community will support Family Fun Sunday.

2015 Festival Programme Launches April 22nd

The launch of the 2015 programme will be on April 22nd. Venue and time to be announced.

To keep up to date with all the latest news follow Lismore Immrama Festival Of Travel Writing on

Twitter: @lismoreimmrama

Facebook: lismoreimmrama

Devonshire Day at Lismore Castle Sunday 22 March 2015

The annual 'Devonshire Day' at Lismore Castle will take place on March 22, 2015, guests to Lismore Castle on this day can take a unique opportunity to enjoy afternoon tea served by the castle Butler in the Pugin Room and experience a tour of Lismore Castle's Spring Gardens with the head gardener.

Devonshire Day is now an annual traditional at the Castle; guests are served Devonshire Cream Tea by the Duke of Devonshire's Butler in the Pugin room and are then offered a guided tour of the Castle gardens under the expert guidance of the Head Gardener an opportunity not normally available to visitors.

Devonshire Day is a fundraiser organised by the 'Immrama Festival of Travel Writing' committee. The Immrama Festival takes place this year for the 13th year in Lismore from June 11 to 14, 2015.

Commenting on the launch of Devonshire Day Jan Rotte, Event Manager of Immrama said, "We are delighted to host Devonshire Day at Lismore Castle, this is a really unique experience, to enjoy Devonshire Cream Tea at the Irish home of the Duke of Devonshire. We understand that Devon have recently applied for Protected Geographical Status for Devonshire Cream Tea but we are sure it will always be available to be served at Lismore Castle for guests to enjoy each year at Devonshire Day.

After enjoying tea visitors can experience a guided tour of Lismore Castle Gardens, which are set in seven acres within the 17th century outer defensive walls and have spectacular views of the castle and the surrounding countryside.

Tea and Tours take place at 11.30 a.m., 12.40 p.m., 1.50 p.m., 3.00 p.m. and 4.10 p.m. Entrance is by ticket only, Children under 10 go free but must be pre-registered with the ticket office. Tickets are available from the Immrama office and Lismore Heritage Centre and cost €20.00. For further enquiries and bookings contact 058-53803 or 058-54975 or see www.facebook.com/lismoreimmrama

Immrama Festival of Travel Programme 2015 will be launched on April 22.

Immrama 2014 Programme Launch Tonight, April 23rd

Immrama 2014 Programme will be launched tonight April 23rd 2014 at 8pm in Lismore Castle. 

All welcome.

Devonshire Day At Lismore Castle - March 16th 2014

It has been announced that Devonshire Day at Lismore Castle will take place on Sunday 16 March 2014. Devonshire Day is a special opportunity for guests to Lismore Castle to enjoy afternoon tea in the Pugin Room and experience a preview of the castle's spring gardens.

Devonshire Day is now an annual traditional at the castle; guests are served Devonshire Cream Tea by the Duke’s Butler in the banqueting hall and are then offered a tour of the Castle Gardens with the Head Gardener- neither of these opportunities are usually available to visitors.

Devonshire Day is a fundraiser for the Immrama Festival of Travel which takes place this year from 12-15 June.

There will be five sittings on 16 March: at 11.30am, 12.40pm, 1.50pm, 3.00pm and 4.10pm. Tickets are €20.00 per person and can be booked by calling 058 53365.

International authors set for Immrama Lismore Festival of Travel Writing 2013

Respected global travel writers Paul Theroux and Simon Winchester are among those due in Co Waterford in June for the 11th annual IMMRAMA Lismore Festival of Travel Writing, which takes place from June 13-16.

This year's festival programme was launched by Brian White, Deputy County Manager, Waterford County Council at a reception in Lismore Castle on Thursday evening (April 18).

One of the world's most highly-regarded travel writers, Paul Theroux will take to the stage at Immrama on Saturday, June 15 at 3pm. Perhaps best known for Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and The Great Railway Bazaar, his most recent work is The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari. Paul Theroux's highly acclaimed novels include Blinding Light, Hotel Honolulu, My Other Life, Kowloon Tong, and The Mosquito Coast. Among his travel books are Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Dark Star Safari, Riding the Iron Rooster, The Great Railway Bazaar, The Old Patagonian Express, and The Happy Isles of Oceania. He lives in Hawaii and on Cape Cod and is the father of British authors and documentary makers Louis and Marcel Theroux.

Later on June 15, British writer, journalist and broadcaster, Simon Winchester OBE, will speak about his work and travel experiences. Having traveled to Canada and the US before university and Greenland while a student at Oxford, Simon worked for a time as a geologist in Uganda before becoming a journalist - a move he attributes to having read work by Lismore Immrama regular Jan Morris.

He worked as Northern Ireland correspondent for The Guardian newspaper during some of the early and most turbulent years of the Troubles, covering the introduction of internment; Bloody Sunday and Operation Motorman. He was Britain's Journalist of the Year in 1971 and his time in Northern Ireland was the basis for his first book, In Holy Terror. The following year saw him move to Washington DC as US Correspondent and he also later worked as India Correspondent for The Guardian.

He was Chief Foreign Feature Writer with the Sunday Times and was on the Falkland Islands when they were invaded by Argentina - later spending three months in an Argentine jail. He later worked as Asia Editor with Conde Nast Traveler. In 1998, he had an unexpected international publishing success with The Professor and the Madman. The most recent of his 22 books are The Man Who Loved China; Atlantic: A Biography of the Ocean and The Alice Behind Wonderland.

Also joining the two keynote speakers is bestselling writer and award-winning broadcaster Charlie Connelly whose books include Attention All Shipping: A Journey Round The Shipping Forecast; In Search of Elvis and Our Man in Hibernia: Ireland, the Irish and Me. His most recent work Bring Me Sunshine deals with the perennial conversation topic of weather.

Opening the festival on Thursday, June 13 are Irish writers Theresa McDonnell, author of What have you got in your bag? featuring her stories as an aid worker; Monica Corish who spent many years travelling and working in Africa from 1983 to 2006 and Kieran Heffernan who has contributed to numerous books and magazines.

On Friday, June 14, Liz Davies and Hilary Linstead who co-wrote 'Growing old outrageously' will entertain festival-goers. Hilary and Liz were old school friends living on opposite sides of the world when suddenly after 35 years they reconnected and have since journeyed together to create a comical travel book.  

On the morning of June 15, Donald Brady will discuss the 'Watercolor Society of Ireland', which was founded in Lismore in 1870. John Dwyer will host a workshop on E-publishing and Rachel Finnegan will host a reading at St Carthage's Cathedral discussing her publications of the travel correspondence of two 18th century travellers Dr Richard Pococke (later Bishop of Ossory & Meath) and his cousin Jeremiah Milles (later Dean of Exeter), who both began their clerical careers in the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore under the patronage of their uncle, Bishop Thomas Milles.

And bringing the festival to a close on Sunday evening, June 16, are two writers originally from Lismore. John O'Keeffe who left Lismore in his teens to take his own journey around the world will discuss his book 'Down the Deerpark Road, Outside Lismore'. John will be joined by Rosamund Burton also from Lismore who will discuss her book 'Castle, Follies and Four-Leaf Clovers'.

A pre-Immrama Festival event has also been announced for May 19 international travel writer Michael Shapiro will host an evening at Lismore Courthouse Theatre discussing his book 'A Sense of Place' which sees Michael interview some of the most famous travel writers in the world including many whom he met at Immrama, including Jan Morris and Pico Iyer.

Full details of the schedule and early bird tickets for the Immrama Lismore Festival of Travel Writing 2013 are now available online at www.lismoreimmrama.com or by calling (058) 53803.

Devonshire Day At Lismore Castle On St. Patrick's Day 2013

The annual 'Devonshire Day' at Lismore Castle has been announced to take place on St. Patrick's Day 2013, guests to Lismore castle on this day can take a unique opportunity to enjoy afternoon tea in the Pugin Room and experience a preview of Lismore Castle's Spring Gardens.

Devonshire Day is now an annual traditional at the Castle; guests are served Devonshire Cream Tea by the Duke of Devonshire's Butler in the Pugin room and are then offered a guided tour of the Castle gardens under the expert guidance of the Head Gardener an opportunity not normally available to visitors.

Devonshire Day is a fundraiser organized by the 'Immrama Festival of Travel Writing' committee. The Immrama Festival takes place this year for the eleventh year in Lismore from June 13 to 16, 2013.

Commenting on the launch of Devonshire Day Mr Jan Rotte, Event Manager of Immrama said, "We are delighted to again be announcing a date for Devonshire Day at Lismore Castle this really is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some Devonshire Cream Tea in themost picturesque surroundings. We understand that Devon have recently applied for Protected Geographical Status for Devonshire Cream Tea but we are sure it will always be available to be served at the Irish home of the Duke of Devonshire and for guests to the castle to enjoy each year at Devonshire Day.

After enjoying the tea visitors on the day can experience a guided tour of Lismore Castle Gardens which are set in seven acres within the 17th century outer defensive walls and have spectacular views of the castle and the surrounding countryside."

The Lower Garden was formerly known as the Pleasure Grounds and is spectacular in the Spring Time. A number of camellia, rhododendron's and some particularly magnificent magnolias can be found here. There has been extensive planting over the last number of years and the gardens are being constantly refined and improved. The walls surrounding the garden date from the early 18th century and havebeen planted with roses such as Francis E, Lester, Bobbie James, Rambling Rector to name but a few. The Lower Garden also boasts some spectacular sculptures by well-known artists Eilis O'Connell, Anthony Gormley and Marzia Colonna.

The Upper Garden is one of the few Jacobean gardens to survive in anything like its original form. The first Earl of Cork helped by his gardener John built a high surrounding wall and a raised terrace terminated at either end by turrets. The Central Walk,which is between the herbaceous borders, is backed by yew hedges and was laid in dramatic alignment on the Pain spire of the Anglican Cathedral. The hedges provide a suitable background for the herbaceous borders as one walks towards the top terrace. Located here are some artistic works by Bridget McCrum, Simon Thomas, Emily Young and Edwin Whitney Smith.

The Immrama Travel Writing Festival Committee is hosting this event and proceeds will help fund the 2013 festival programme. Tours take place at 11.30 a.m., 12.40 p.m., 1.50 p.m., 3.00 p.m. and 4.10 p.m. Entrance is by ticket only, Children under 10 go free but must be pre-registered with the ticket office.

Book Tickets
Tickets are available from the Immrama office and Lismore Heritage Centre and cost €20.00. For further enquiries and bookings contact 058-53803 or 058-54975 or see facebook.com/lismoreimmrama

Lonely Planet co-founder to speak at 10th IMMRAMA Festival of Travel Writing

Tony Wheeler, co-founder almost 40 years ago of the Lonely Planet guidebooks that have become a ‘must-read’ for millions of travellers, is to visit Lismore, Co Waterford where he’ll be among the speakers at the 10th annual IMMRAMA Festival of Travel Writing which takes place from June 7-10.

With less than 50 days to go, this year’s festival programme was launched by Denis McCarthy, Waterford County Manager, at a reception in the picturesque heritage town last night.

Tony Wheeler originally founded Lonely Planet Publications with his wife Maureen in 1973 to publish Across Asia on the Cheap, a book recalling their six-month, low budget journey overland from London to Sydney. A second book, Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, followed in 1975.

From this modest beginning, Lonely Planet grew to be the largest independent guidebook publisher in the world with more than 500 titles in print and over 500 staff. While the couple sold a majority stake in the business in 2007 to BBC Worldwide, Tony Wheeler remains closely involved and continues to travel extensively. In 2009, he filmed programmes in Laos and Alaska for the Lonely Planet TV series ‘The Roads Less Travelled’ with National Geographic.

Joining the Lonely Planet co-founder in Lismore will be a range of travel writers including returning IMMRAMA guest speaker Jan Morris. The World War II veteran’s writing career began with the Times newspaper. Aged just 26, the then James Morris climbed three quarters of Mount Everest in 1953 to cover the Hillary and Tensing expedition. The resulting scoop won international renown and a distinguished career as a foreign correspondent with both the Times and Guardian newspapers followed.

Morris’ first book As I Saw the U.S.A. was published in the late 1950s after a year spent travelling in the United States. In 1960, The World of Venice captured a year in that city. Morris’ career as a full-time journalist ended in 1961 and more than two dozen highly-regarded books followed, including the Pax Britannica trilogy on the British Empire.

As efforts continue to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria, one of the few Irish people to have travelled extensively in the country– Mary Russell– is also among the speakers at IMMRAMA. The Dubliner’s My Home is Your Home tells of her experiences in Aleppo, Homs and Hama as well as remote areas of eastern Syria. An overnight desert taxi trip from Damascus to Baghdad also features in the book published late last year.

Among her previous books are The Blessings of a Good Thick Skirt which is about women travellers and explorers through the ages; Journeys of a Lifetime which recalls some of the many places she has visited as well as her reasons for going there and Please don’t call it Soviet Georgia about the then Soviet Republic.

The current intense focus on China as a growing economic power is expected to generate additional interest in the IMMRAMA talk by British travel writer and novelist Colin Thubron. The Mandarin-speaking writer’s first book Mirror to Damascus was published in 1967 with books on Lebanon and Jerusalem to follow over the subsequent two years.

In 1983, Thubron published Among the Russians describing a road trip through western Russia in the Brezhnev era. His 1987 Behind the Wall: A Journey through China won both the Hawthornden Prize and the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. Later books included The Silk Road: Beyond the Celestial Kingdom; The Lost Heart of Asia; In Siberia and To a Mountain in Tibet which was published in 2011 by Chatto & Windus and focuses on his pilgrimage to Mount Kailas.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature for over 40 years, Mr Thubron has also written novels set in enclosed locations including a prison and a psychiatric hospital. Since 2000, he has received the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Mungo Park Medal; the Royal Society for Asian Affairs’ Lawrence of Arabia Medal and the Society of Authors’ Travel Award.

Returning to Lismore for this year’s IMMRAMA is Belfast-based  Paul Clements. The former BBC journalist is a contributing editor to the Insight and Fodor’s series of guidebooks. He has also written Irish Shores: Journey Round the Rim of Ireland (1993); The Height of Nonsense: The Ultimate Irish Road Trip (2005) and Burren Country (2011) as well as Jan Morris– Around the World in Eighty Years (2006).

A Fellow of Green-Templeton College, Oxford and a member of the National Union of Journalists; the Society of Authors and the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, his writing has also appeared in the Irish Times; Irish Examiner; Observer and Guardian newspapers as well as Radio Times magazine.

Mr Clements’ contributions at the festival will include chairing a June 8 panel discussion on the legacy and influence of Patrick Leigh Fermor on travel writing including an overview of his book In Tearing Haste,  which features letters written between Patrick Leigh Fermor and Deborah Devonshire, a former resident of Lismore Castle, which is still owned and lived by the Devonshire family. As well as Tony Wheeler, Jan Morris and Colin Thubron, this session at Lismore’s Courthouse Theatre will feature Artemis Cooper.

Currently writing the biography of Mr Leigh Fermor– a war hero, adventurer and travel writer who died last year aged 96 – Artemis Cooper and her husband Antony Beevor wrote Paris After the Liberation. As well as writing Watching in the Dark which deals with her daughter’s critical illness, she has also edited two collections of letters – A Durable Fire: The Letters of Duff and Diana Cooper and Mr Wu and Mrs Stitch: The Letters of Evelyn Waugh and Diana Cooper. She also co-wrote Words of Mercury with Patrick Leigh Fermor while previous biographies include Writing at the Kitchen Table about food writer Elizabeth David.

British writer and broadcaster Anthony Sattin will also speak at this year’s IMMRAMA. He has spent much of his adult life travelling in the Middle East and North Africa. His work has appeared in the Daily Telegraph; Guardian and Independent newspapers while he has also made several programmes for BBC Radio 4.
Sattin’s books include The Pharaoh’s Shadow (2001); The Gates of Africa (2004) and – most recently - A Winter on the Nile (2010) which tells of the mid-19th century journey in Egypt of Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert.

Also travelling to Lismore to talk about her travels as part of the 10th IMMRAMA is Diana Gleadhill, a former Northern Ireland librarian who became a graphic artist. While living in Co Down, she has explored Kenya, South America, Central Asia and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Her first book Kamchatka, A Journal and Guide to Russia’s Land of Ice and Fire was published in 2007 while Our Fiery Hearts – Experiences in Central Asia will be published shortly.

A book edited by Paul Clements and featuring contributions from writers who have spoken at IMMRAMA since 2003 titled ‘The Blue Sky Bends Over All’ will be launched in Lismore during the festival.

This year’s IMMRAMA will open on the evening of June 7 with an event showcasing Waterford journalist and writer Ciaran Murphy’s What Happens on Tour... and NUIG Professor Eoin Bourke'’s Poor Green Erin, a compilation of translated 18th and 19th century travel writing about Ireland by German and Austrian authors. The festival will also feature a presentation by retired County Librarian Donal Brady on ‘Olivia Wilde and the Cockburns of Ardmore’ as well as the presentation of the Molly Keane Memorial Creative Writing Award.

Full details of the schedule and bookings for the IMMRAMA Festival of Travel Writing 2012 are now available online at www.lismoreimmrama.com or by calling (058) 53803.

Guest Post - Devonshire Day 2012: A Wonderful Mother's Day in Lismore

Yesterday was Mother's Day and it coincided with the 9th Annual Devonshire Day held in Lismore Castle, which is the main fundraiser for the annual Immrama Festival of Travel writing. As this year will be the 10th Immrama Festival it's a very special anniversary - watch this space for updates and programme announcements after the launch on April 19th! I just want to share some of the photos of yesterday with you - and link you to previous posts on Devonshire Day which I've blogged about since 2009 - the first Devonshire Day after I started my personal blog in December 2008. Here's my 2010 and 2011 posts on Devonshire Day.

We were blessed with perfect weather yesterday - and we always say St. Carthage our Patron Saint of Lismore is looking down on his own home town with favour. Well, he came from Co. Offaly but we claim him as our own as his name is synonymous with Lismore, whichever one you want - as the Australian Lismore has a St. Carthage's Cathedral also and is our Twin Town, and we have two St. Carthage's - the Church of Ireland Cathedral and the Catholic Church.

The day is a series of five guided walks through the spring gardens of Lismore Castle with the Head Gardener Chris Tull at the helm, and his love and enthusiasm for the gardens shines through all the way - he never flags even after six hours or more, he displays the same humour and passion with the final group as with the first. I should know, as I accompany each group, tasteful in my garish yellow Hi-Viz jacket and carrying my First-Aid kit, just in case anyone decides to take a tumble or keel over - all in the name of "elf'n'safety"! Luckily no-one has needed my services thus far, although a few years ago in particularly vile weather some of the punters nearly came a cropper on the slippery slopes of the lower garden where the mud had churned up into a veritable mire.

The walks are preceded by the piece de resistance - the Devonshire Cream Tea served by the Butlers of the Duke of Devonshire in the Pugin Room - the Ballroom and former Chapel designed by Pugin, the famous designer of Westminster Houses Of Parliament in London. The tea is served on monogrammed china and with full silver service, and is very posh. As two of our sons worked there for years as butlers when they were students we tend to take it for granted, but it is very other-worldly for the visitors. A taste of how the other half (or more like the 1%) live, if you will. And that's a topic for debate another day!

But I digress - back to the tea. The punters are treated to a series of talks during their tea - on the history of the Castle, Lismore, the Pugin connection and the Pugin Room in particular, and then Chris talks about the gardens and during the walkabout he is a mine of information on Joseph Paxton who built the Glasshouses and designed the gardens initially, and then the contemporary influences of the Cavendish family who inaugurated a Sculpture Garden throughout the gardens, with many contemporary artists having permanent exhibits. Eilis O'Connell has a number of pieces, and Antony Gormley is probably the best known with his Man out of Water piece - a mould of his own body on a cold day as Chris tells it! I leave you to judge. Gormley's signature piece is the Angel of the North in Newcastle in England, and his body figures are dotting the English coastline at Crosby near Liverpool.

The Castle Arts Gallery will be open throughout the summer along with the gardens and the ticket entry includes both. Each year there's a different exhibition usually with guest curators, and it is always avant garde and of international renown but not to everyone's taste. So if you're expecting art a-la the National Galleries, you might be disappointed! This is also the first year there was no Sotheby's Irish Sale Preview in Lismore Castle Arts, which is missed by me as I loved it. But that's the downside of the recession, and we have to put up with it. I'm sure it cost someone a fortune to tour with those artworks worth millions.

I met a lady who was here last year and she had the most amazing Aran outfit, which she designed and knitted herself - I was gobsmacked by her skill and tenacity - she had a beret, mittens, cowl, bag and calf-length coat - all in fabulous intricate Aran patterns. You can see the photo here as I took some to send her, and I hope she likes them as much as I did seeing them and meeting her. She's called Agnes and she comes from Waterford.

We see a lot of the same faces year after year as people come from all over Ireland to enjoy this special Spring Preview of the gardens and the unique opportunity to be served tea by the Duke's Butlers! So I hope you enjoy the photos and the post which I'll also post on my personal blog at Dispatches from the Deise. It's been great being a Guest Blogger on the Lismore Immrama Blog - thanks for asking me!

PS - If you want to see the full gallery of photos of Devonshire Day then visit the Lismore Immrama Facebook Page and Like it! Here's the link.

Devonshire Day Sunday 18th March 2012

Devonshire Day 2012 will take place on Sunday 18th March.

A fundraising event for the Lismore Immrama - Festival Of Travel Writing, Devonshire Day includes a unique preview of the gardens at Lismore Castle, Devonshire Cream Tea in the castle's Pugin Room and a visit to  Lismore Heritage Centre .

Call Lismore Heritage Centre on 058-54975 or contact Jan 058-53365/058-53803 for further details.

With kind permission by Lord & Lady Burlington

Immrama Fundraising event January 20, 2012

Lismore Festival of Travel Writing
TABLE QUIZ

Friday January 20th

Ballyrafter House Hotel

At 8.30 p.m.

€40.00 per table,

All Welcome
Contact 058 53365

Enthralled Crowds Journey with International Travel Writers

Crowds of visitors descended upon the heritage town of Lismore, Co Waterford for The Immrama Festival of Travel Writing' last weekend (9-12 June).

Literary enthusiasts from throughout Ireland and abroad congregated in the town since Thursday evening last (June 9) to enjoy a weekend of literary presentations, workshops, a bloggers clinic and poetry readings with international travel writers including Conor O'Clery, Rolf Potts, Alex von Tunzelmann, Sara Wheeler, Theo Doran, William Blacker and Jasper Winn.

The four-day festival commenced on Thursday evening, June 9 with the launch of four new books by authors Paul Clements, Áine Uí Fhoghlú, Alan Murphy and David Monaghan in Lismore Castle Arts. Friday morning commenced with schools poetry workshops and on Friday evening Theo Dorgan took his audience on a literary sailing voyage, along with polar traveller, Sara Wheeler, who enthralled with her audience with tales of her vast explorations of the northern and southern hemispheres. Travel writer Pól Ó Conghaile ably and expertly chatted with Theo and Sara to provide a wonderful evening's entertainment.

Commenting on the festival, County Manager Ray O'Dwyer said, "Once again the Immrama festival has been a huge success. Lismore Immrama is now a recognised brand worldwide in travel writing circles, with visitors from destinations such as Melbourne, Australia; Vancouver, Canada and Florida in the U.S having traveled to Lismore this week especially for the Festival. It is fantastic to know that County Waterford is making its mark on the world map in this way."

Saturday morning's  Bloggers' Clinic, which was a new event on the Immrama calendar, was a huge success and very well received. More than 50 people were treated to some wonderful presentations and discussion about this post modern method of travel writing from the King of Blogging Rolf Potts, travel writer Manchán Magan, couchsurfer Áine Goggins and blogger Darragh Doyle.  This was followed by a lively questions and answers session which proved to be an insightful workshop on self publishing in the electronic era.

On Saturday afternoon keynote speaker Conor O'Clery spoke movingly on his reporting from the world's conflict zones and the phenomenon of the 'conflict hotel.' He vividly described some of his experiences detailing the camaraderie of journalists working within countries in turmoil. On Saturday evening at the Blackwater Community School, Blogger, Author and Travel Writer Rolf Potts gave his insights into the whole travel writing genre, vividly brought to life by his own travel experiences and travel historian Alex von Tunzelmann enthralled her audience with details of the 'real' story behind the Cuban Missile Crisis and the fall of the British Empire in India.

The Immrama Festival Committee are deeply indebted to traveler and author Jasper Winn, who stepped in at the last moment to give a wonderful 'Literary Breakfast' presentation on Sunday morning at Ballyrafter House Hotel.  Due to unforeseen circumstances programmed author Anthony Sattin was unable to make it and Jasper kindly agreed to speak of his own travels and experiences in various countries around the world, including some fascinating tales of his kayaking trip around Ireland, which is detailed in his new book, "Paddle: A Long Way Around Ireland."

The rain held off on Sunday afternoon to allow large crowds enjoy a lovely afternoon's free family fun entertainment in the Millennium Park, including wonderful music by Loudest Whisper and events including stilt-walking, face painting, dancing and a magician. The tempting food aromas courtesy of the Lismore Farmers Market drew many to the food producer stalls on Lismore Castle Avenue.

The festival closed on Sunday evening with a wonderful literary presentation by acclaimed travel writer William Blacker. The theme of the 2011 festival was taken from William's book Along the Enchanted Way, which is an account of the years he spent in northern Romania, living a life that has hardly changed since the Middle Ages, having discovered the 200-odd Saxon villages of Transylvania, with their fortified churches that have not been touched since they were built between the 14th and 16th centuries. William captivated the large audience with his vivid descriptions of life in the rural mountains, superbly illustrated by a slide presentation of his photos from Romania.

This is the ninth Immrama Festival of Travel Writers' and the Immrama Organising Committee would like to thank all of those who made this year's festival possible, particularly those who attended the various events throughout the weekend. At the end of a magnificent weekend of literary events, audiences were left wondering what the 2012 festival would have in store for them.

Conor O'Clery Interview On Pat Kenny

If you missed it listen back to Conor O'Clerys interview with Pat Kenny on Pat's RTE Radio show ... Conor chats about conflict hotels and his appearance at Immrama on Saturday June 11th 20011.

Download: Conor O'Clery Interview [mp3 format]

World Famous Explorers Come To Lismore

The countdown is on to the ninth Lismore Immrama Festival of Travel Writing as the town and festival organisers are looking forward to welcoming an extraordinary gathering of internationally renowned travel writers who will enthral audiences at venues throughout the town from today Thursday, June 9 to 12.

The heritage town will be abuzz with talk of travel as the festival keynote speaker twice winning 'Journalist of the Year' and award winning author Conor O'Clery will present at 3pm on Saturday, June 11. During his time as Foreign Correspondent for the Irish Times from the Troubles in the north in the 1970's, to the Twin Towers attacks in 2001, Conor has  observed and explained the key events of the last 40 years with his trademark humour and compassion.

Blogger and award-winning author Rolf Potts will reveal some of his travel secrets including how to travel with no luggage! Rolf has reported from more than sixty countries for the likes of National Geographic Traveller, the New York Times Magazine and Conde Nast Traveler. Rolf will present alongside International travel writer and author Alex Von Tunzelman. Alex von Tunzelmann's latest book Red Heat was published in April to critical acclaim; it is a history of the Cold War in the Caribbean, focused around the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Castros and the Kennedys. This presentation will talk place at 8pm on Saturday, June 11.

Sara Wheeler is not your stereotypical polar explorer and world traveller will host an audience with sailor and poet Theo Dorgan on Friday June 10 at 8pm.

Writer and broadcaster Anthony Sattin has spent much of his life travelling in, and writing about, the Middle East and North Africa, He will talk of his travels and adventures at a Literary Breakfast in Ballyrafter House Hotel at 8.30am on the last day of the Lismore Immrama Festival, Sunday June 12.

Author of the title which inspired the 2011 Immrama Festival theme 'Along The Enchanted Way', William Blacker will close the festival on Sunday, June 12 at 7pm at Lismore House Hotel, where he will explore the festival theme 'Along the Enchanted Way… Travellers Past and Present'

The main guest speaker events at this year's Immrama are just one element of a wider programme of events, with something for all ages and interests. Blogfest! A Bloggers Clinic with Rolf Potts, Manchán Magan, Aine Goggins and Darragh Doyle will celebrate and discuss blogging and social media and their impact on writing, and will offer budding writers and bloggers an opportunity to develop their writing along with their social media savvy.

Festival goers young and old will have the opportunity to journey 'Along the Enchanted Way' with Travellers Past and Present' for the weekend. The wealth of local writing talent will be celebrated at the festival opening on Thursday, June 9, with author readings and the launch of new publications by writers Paul Clements, Áine Uí Fhoghlú , Alan Murphy and David Monagan at Lismore Castle Arts. The inaugural Dervla Murphy Teenage Travel Writing Award (in association with Waterford County Library Service), will be presented to the winner by Manchán Magan at 10am on Saturday morning in Lismore House Hotel.

Saturday, June 11 sees The Molly Keane Writers Award take place at 2pm in Lismore Branch Library and on Sunday, June 12, at noon former County Librarian and Historian Donald Brady will host a free presentation at The Courthouse Theatre on William Deane-Tanner of Belleville Park, Cappoquin alias William Desmond Taylor: Hollywood Actor, Renowned Silent-Film Director and Murder Victim. Eamon Maxwell, of Lismore Castle Arts will give a talk at 2pm on Sunday June 12on the Artist as Traveller, exploring how visual artists use the journey in their work.

Enjoy a Free Family Fun Sunday at the town's Millennium Park with Wobbly Circus and live music by Loudest Whisper- events include stilt-walking, face painting, music, dance and storytelling; or Canoe along the River Blackwater in the company of Jasper Winn, author of Paddle: A Long Way around Ireland. A Gregorian Mass will take place at St Carthage's Catholic Church, and a Farmers Market will commence at 10am at Lismore Castle Avenue.

The Immrama Festival of Travel Writing will be held in Lismore from June 9 to 12, 2011 and is generously supported by Fáilte Ireland, Waterford County Council, Eason Dungarvan, Waterford Airport and the Arts Council. Tickets and further information can be found on www.lismoreimmrama.com or by contacting 058 53803.

Psychosilly By Alan Murphy To Be Launched At Lismore Immrama

Venue: Lismore Castle Arts
Tickets: Free
Time: 8pm
Opening Event: Launch of books

Safe, predictable, unimaginative. These are adjectives that nobody is likely to hurl within a stone's throw of Psychosilly, the new poetry collection by Alan Murphy. Written with children in mind but appealing equally to adults-and illustrated with the authors own colourfully idiosyncratic collages-this is a no-holds-barred, strap-yourself-in, gloriously surreal journey through the imagination. In it doodles have a life of their own, homework is set by the Devil and dogs shape-shift in their dreams. And that's just for starters....

Murphy's first book, The Mona Lisa's On Our Fridge, was reviewed in the Irish Times as one of the best children's poetry books of 2009, described as "a breath of fresh air" by Seamus Cashman (editor of "Something Beginning With P") and "amazing" by the Munster Express. Psychosilly promises to be just as original, funny and intriguing.

Books by Paul Clements, Áine Uí Fhoghlú and David Monagan will also be launched on the night.

Alan Murphy's Website: www.avantcardpublications.com

International Bloggers To Host Creative Writing Forum At Immrama Festival 2011

Darragh Doyle - Boards.ie

The uncrowned king of travel blogging Rolf Potts, Irish Times columnist, author and blogger Manchán Magan, Couchsurfer Aine Goggins and Darragh Doyle, Communications Manager of Ireland's most popular website, Boards.ie will host a 'Bloggers Clinic' at the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing in Lismore Co Waterford on June 11 at 10am.

The Bloggers Clinic is a new addition to the festival programme for 2011; the Clinic will explore the opportunities offered by blogging to travel writers and writers of all genres. Participants will hear contributions from Rolf Potts from the USA on his very popular blog www.rolfpotts.com, Darragh Doyle of the very popular Irish website www.boards.ie and Ireland's premiere social networker, and Áine Goggins, presenter of Ó Tholg go Tolg, TG4's hit series featuring the escapades of two couchsurfing cailíní ghaelacha (www.couchsurfing.com).

The clinic will commence at Lismore House Hotel at 10am and will include an introductory panel discussion followed by workshops and talks from the expert speakers. The event will wrap up with an Open Mic session hosted by Manchán Magan, so feel free to bring along your work to read and share. The session will include opportunities for group and one to one conversations with the panel, as well as guest appearances by other visiting writers at the festival.

According to Immrama Artistic Director Margaret O'Sullivan, "Blogging is creative writing by another name. This event will familiarise writers with the possibilities of the blogosphere, an instant and very crowded publication outlet, as well as offering the chance to develop their writing under the guidance of two acclaimed published authors, Rolf Potts and Manchán Magan." The Bloggers Clinic is for writers who want to try their hand at blogging, for bloggers who want to improve their writing, for people who don't know what a tweet is, and for avid tweeps and early adaptors, you know who you are…this is the gathering for you.

Manchán Magan has appeared at Immrama on several occasions, including hosting the Literary Breakfast and conducting very successful creative writing workshops. Rolf Potts is the annual summer writer in residence at the Paris American Academy. He has been described as 'Jack Kerouac for the Internet Age' (USA Today) while TIME Magazine described him as 'a renowned shoestring traveller whose 2003 book, Vagabonding, is a crucial reference for any budget wanderer.' 

An extraordinary gathering of world-wide travel writers will be present in Lismore throughout the weekend, enthralling audiences with tales of their adventures. National and international writers on the programme include our own Conor O'Clery, former Irish Times Foreign Correspondent, and poet and broadcaster Theo Dorgan, as well as American vagabond Rolf Potts, Sara Wheeler, Alex von Tunzelmann, Anthony Sattin and William Blacker from the United Kingdom.

Writing, travelling, canoeing on the River Blackwater, walking, history, music, food, family festival fun and art are all on the bill for the annual festival which takes place from June 9 to 12 in the heritage town of Lismore in County Waterford.

Younger Festival goers will have the opportunity to compete for literary awards, participate in poetry workshops and to join in the traditional 'Free Family Fun Sunday' afternoon programme of events in the Millennium Park on Sunday June 12.

A number of 'Fringe Events' will also take place throughout the weekend, including canoeing along the River Blackwater in the company of Jasper Winn, author of Paddle: A Long Way around Ireland, and a talk on The Artist as Traveller in Lismore Castle Arts on Sunday 12th.  A Gregorian Mass will take place on Sunday morning at St Carthage's Catholic Church, and a Farmers Market will commence at 10am on Sunday June 12 at Lismore Castle Avenue.

The Immrama Festival of Travel Writing will be held in Lismore from June 9 to 12, 2011 and is generously supported by Fáilte Ireland, Waterford County Council, Eason Dungarvan, Waterford Airport and the Arts Council. Tickets and further information can be found on www.lismoreimmrama.com or by contacting 058-53803.

Author Of 'Paddle' Jasper Winn Features On Immrama Programme

Having kayaked his way around the island of Ireland Jasper Winn will lead a trip on the River Blackwater before hosting an audience at the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing which will take place in the picturesque heritage town of Lismore from June 9 to 12.
On Sunday June 12 At 1pm a 'Paddle-Talk' with Jasper Winn, will take place on the River Blackwater, departing from Lismore at Lady Louisa's Walk and finishing at Tourin Quay and Gardens with warming tea and scones and an illustrated talk on his travels. For landlubbers who don't fancy a paddle in a canoe, Jasper Winn's talk will commence at 4.30pm in the Tea House, Tourin House and the gardens will be open for viewing from 3.00pm.

Jasper Winn grew up in West Cork, where he left school at age ten and educated himself by reading, riding horses, learning rural skills and playing music. It was an upbringing that has shaped a lifetime of travel and writing. He has journeyed across the Atlas with nomadic Berbers, canoed along the Danube, and often crosses countries on horseback. He was story consultant on the IMAX film, Ride Around the World, about the world's horse cultures. Paddle is his first book.

Last summer, writer and musician, Jasper Winn set himself an extraordinary task. He would kayak the whole way round Ireland - a thousand miles - camping on remote headlands and islands, carousing in bars and paddling clockwise until he got back where he started. But in the worst Irish summer in living memory the pleasures of idling among seals, fulmars and fishing boats soon gave way to heroic struggles through storm-tossed seas ... and lock-ins playing music in coastal pubs.

Circling the country where he grew up, Jasper reflects on life at the very fringes of Ireland, the nature and lore of its seas, and his own eccentric upbringing - sprung from school at age ten and left free to explore the countryside and its traditional life. Charming, quietly epic, and with an irresistible undertow of wit, Paddle is a low-tech adventure that captures the sheer joy of a misty morning on Ireland's coast.

Jasper joins a host of international travel writers at festival in the heritage town of Lismore including national and international writers featured are our own Conor O'Clery and Theo Dorgan, as well as Rolf Potts from the USA and Sara Wheeler, Alex von Tunzelmann, Anthony Sattin and William Blacker from the United Kingdom.

In a unique approach to creative writing, the festival offers two different opportunities for budding writers to explore their creativity. Writers with a desire to explore the potential for internet publication while refining their travel writing skills can avail of the Blogger's forum event with Rolf Potts and Manchán Magan with special guests Rolf Potts, Áine Goggins of the TG4 Couchsurfing programme "Ó Tholg go Tolg", and Darragh Doyle of the blog boards.ie on Saturday June 11 at 10am, tickets for thie three hour clinic are €25; book your place on 058 53803 . In 'Spirit of Place' join Grace Wells in a guided stroll to experience the beauty and history of Lismore followed by a writing workshop. Course facilitator Grace Wells has being mentoring writers for a number of years and is currently undertaking a writer's mentoring programme for Waterford County Council and Artlinks.

A wealth of local writing talent will be celebrated at the festival opening on Thursday, June 9, with author readings and the launch of new publications by writers Paul Clements, Áine Uí Fhoghlú, Alan Murphy and David Monagan at Lismore Castle.

For young festival goers a Free Family Fun Day in the Millennium Park will involve a host of entertainment from 2 to 5pm on Sunday, June 12, courtesy of Wobbly Circus and with live music by Loudest Whisper. Events include stilt-walking, face painting, music, dance and storytelling.

Saturday, June 11 sees The Molly Keane Writers Award take place at 2pm in Lismore Branch Library and on Sunday, June 12, at noon former County Librarian and Historian Donald Brady will host a free presentation at The Courthouse Theatre. Eamon Maxwell, of Lismore Castle Arts will give a talk at 2pm on Sunday June 12 on the Artist as Traveller. Music lovers are in for a treat, when the Kidderminster Choir, conducted by Liam Brady, will perform at Lismore Cathedral at 8 pm on Saturday 11 June, in conjunction with the Dungarvan Brass Band.

The Immrama Festival of Travel Writing will be held in Lismore from June 9 to 12, 2011 and is generously supported by Fáilte Ireland, Waterford County Council, Eason Dungarvan, Waterford Airport and the Arts Council. Tickets and further information can be found on www.lismoreimmrama.com or by contacting 058-53803.

Anthony Sattin & William Blacker Visit The Immrama Festival Of Travel Writing

From Egypt to Romania and further afield Acclaimed authors Anthony Sattin and William Blacker visit the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing, Lismore.

Critically acclaimed author and broadcaster Anthony Sattin and author William Blacker will open and close the literary menu on Sunday, June 12 at the ninth annual Immrama Lismore Festival of Travel Writing, which will take place in Co. Waterford from June 9 to 12.

Writer and broadcaster Anthony Sattin has spent much of his life travelling in, and writing about, the Middle East and North Africa. His writing has appeared in many UK newspapers, including The Guardian, The Independent, and The Daily Telegraph, and he is on the editorial advisory board of the Geographical Magazine.

He will talk of his travels and adventures at a Literary Breakfast in Ballyrafter House Hotel at 8.30am on the last day of the Lismore Immrama Festival, Sunday June 12. Sattin's books include the highly-acclaimed The Pharaoh's Shadow (2001), an account of his search for surviving ancient culture in Egypt and The Gates of Africa (2004), the story of the 18th century search for Timbuktu. His recently published book Winter on the Nile (2010) is based on the travels of Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert in Egypt in 1849-50, following Sattin's discovery of Florence Nightingale's previously unpublished letters from Egypt. Both Nightingale and Flaubert arrived in Egypt in their late twenties, yet to embark on their respective careers. Flaubert began Madame Bovary on his return to France; Florence travelled to Scutari for the Crimean War a few years later and became famous as the founder of modern nursing.

Sattin's "Winter on the Nile" has been described as "a triumph of the historical imagination" by Geoffrey Wall, Literary Review and "A compelling snapshot of two of the most celebrated figures of the age, before their fame, and of a time when travel was leisurely and scholarly" by Traveller Magazine

Anthony Sattin has been a long-time regular contributor to the Sunday Times travel and book review pages and to the UK's leading travel magazine, Conde Nast Traveller. He has also contributed to several guidebook series, including the Lonely Planet volumes on Egypt and Algeria.Giles Foden, writing in the Conde Nast Traveller magazine, has called Anthony Sattin one of the "ten key influences in modern travel writing."

Author of the title which inspired the 2011 Immrama Festival theme 'Along The Enchanted Way', William Blacker will close the 2011 festival on Sunday, June 12 at 7pm at Lismore House Hotel, where he will explore the festival theme 'Along the Enchanted Way… Travellers Past and Present'.

Along the Enchanted Way is an account of the years Blacker spent in northern Romania, living a life that has hardly changed since the Middle Ages, having discovered the 200-odd Saxon villages of Transylvania, with their fortified churches that have not been touched since they were built between the 14th and 16th centuries. There, for many years he lived, side by side with the country people, a life ruled by the slow cycle of the seasons, far away from the frantic rush of the modern world.

Patrick Leigh Fermor of The Sunday Telegraph says of the critically acclaimed 'Along the Enchanted Way',  "This is a wild and captivating story.... William Blacker has written a book close to my heart."

Also joining Anthony Sattin and William Blacker on this year's Immrama programme are international and award winning authors Conor O'Clery, Rolf Potts and Alex Von Tunzelmann. Theo Dorgan and Sara Wheeler also feature on the diverse programme.

The 2011 festival also sees a brand new addition to the programme, a 'Blogger's Forum', facilitated by Manchán Magan, with special guests Rolf Potts, Áine Goggins of the TG4 Couchsurfing programme "Ó Tholg go Tolg", and Darragh Doyle of boards.ie.

A variety of fringe events will also take place over the weekend, including an International visual arts exhibition at Lismore Castle Arts, exhibition and events at Lismore Library, the launch of seven new Travel books, creative writing workshops, book readings and much more.

The Immrama Festival of Travel Writing will be held in Lismore from June 9 to 12, 2011 and is generously supported by Fáilte Ireland, Waterford County Council, Eason Dungarvan,  Waterford Airport and the Arts Council. Tickets and further information can be found on www.lismoreimmrama.com or by contacting 058-53803.