Joyce never won the Nobel Prize, but to find out more about Ireland’s national poet, WB Yeats (who did!), head for Sligo. Yeats was an important figure in the Irish Revival, helping to establish a new sense of Irish identity through his work with the Abbey Theatre. The Yeats Trail brings you to places from his childhood, while the Yeats Society in Sligo Town runs summer and winter schools exploring his work.
Our love of literature is reflected in the names of pubs, cafés and restaurants, and in the plethora of literary festivals held throughout the year. Meet Ireland’s outstanding writers at the Writers Week in Listowel – forever associated with John B Keane who owned a pub there – the Cúirt International Literary Festival in Galway, the West Cork Literary Festival, or the Flat Lake Literary and Arts Festival in Monaghan. If you’re in a book club, the Ennis Book Club Festival could be a fun group outing, while the 'What's On' section on Poetry Ireland's website has a comprehensive calendar of literary events of all descriptions.
If you’re inspired to start writing yourself, there are possibilities all over the country. Why not sign up to a creative writing workshop run by the Irish Writers’ Centre, take time out to work on your book at the Anam Cara Writers Retreat on the Beara Peninsula or attend a summer school, such as the Trevor Bowen literary weekend.