Echoes

28/05/2026

Celebrating the birthday girl - the early bird catches the worm!

Today would have been Maeve's birthday & she always liked a celebration so we celebrate with the launch of the 2026 Echoes programme and a present for our subscribers with early access to discounted full day Saturday tickets!

Echoes of Maeve & Gordon Saturday 3rd October features: A Tribute to Gordon by Dominic Dromgoole, panels featuring John Boyne, Lorraine Kelly, Miriam O'Callaghan, Ryan Tubridy, Martina Devlin, Dermot Bolger, Julia Kelly, Catriona Lally, Neil Hegarty, Faith Hogan, Vicki Notaro, Sinead Crowley, Caroline Erskine, Rory Carroll, Doireann Ní Ghriofa, Margaret Kelleher, Sarah Binchy, Chris Morash, John O’Donnell, Niall MacMonagle, and, as always, entertaining readings from Maeve's work by Lise-Ann McLaughlin.

Early bird tickets available at €65* on a first come, first serve basis.

Normal Price: Full Day Tickets €75. Half day €45

*Plus Booking Fees

https://tinyurl.com/echoesmaeve2026

Keep your eyes peeled to https://www.echoes.ie for further updates.

29/04/2026

To dear, good Gordon, with love and thanks.

It is with the deepest sadness that we mourn the passing this morning of Gordon Snell, author, broadcaster & Maeve's beloved husband of over 35 years.

The Manager and Staff of Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre would like to extend their sympathies to the Snell, Binchy & Dromgoole families, & Gordon's many friends.

Gordon was an only child, born in Singapore, where he grew up. His father was a Surveyor. When it was time for him to go to boarding school, his mother travelled with him to Geelong, Australia. While they were in Australia, Singapore was invaded and his father was a prisoner of war for over three years.

Gordon was a broadcaster and the author of more than forty books for children and adults, published in Ireland, England, Australia, Canada and the USA. Among children’s favourites are: "The Tex and Sheelagh Omnibus", "The King of Quizzical Island", "Amy's Wonderful Nest", "Tina and the Tooth Fairy" and "The Supermarket Ghost". Gordon wrote poetry, song lyrics, musicals and librettos for the stage, and for BBC and RTE radio and television.

He was working as a freelance broadcaster and producer for the BBC when he met Maeve in London in 1970. They married in 1977. They spent their very happily married lives together writing heartfelt dedications to each other in their books & entertaining each other with stories.

Our consolation is that they are reunited together now in love & laughter.

Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam.

10/03/2026

For those who would like to listen back to Henri's chat with Oliver Callan on his show yesterday, the link is: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22590780/

Well worth a listen.

03/03/2026

Our own Henrietta McKervey, curator of Echoes, has her fabulous fifth novel, 'The Woman in the Water', a suspense thriller, for pre-order at: https://henriettamckervey.com

Available where-ever you get your books from this weekend, 'The Woman in the Water' is inspired by a ‘lost’ character in Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 classic 'Rebecca'.

They were best friends. Now they are murderer and witness. Set between 1930s London and the windswept Cornwall coast, this taut, gothic thriller dares to answer one of literature's abiding questions: Who is the woman in the water?

Intrigued? Pick up a copy, we can discuss it together at Echoes!

05/02/2026

One of your last opportunities to catch 'Happy Ever After' - the exhibition at Museum of Literature Ireland

Exploring the forgotten history of Irish romance fiction, the complexity and cultural significance of this misunderstood genre to give romance the respect it deserves.

Exhibition runs until 15th February.

Join us on on Saturday, 14 February, from 7pm to 8.30pm for a discussion with Adiba Jaigidar, Sue Divin and Helen Corcoran in conversation with Prof. Paige Reynolds on YA romance fiction. They'll discuss how their young characters navigate changing times and consider how the familiar narrative structure of romance with its "happy ever after" invites readers into new ways of thinking. The discussion will last approximately 45 minutes with a reception to follow. Book your free ticket at https://moli.ie/events/happy-ever-after-valentines-day.

Presented with the support of the Edward Callahan Support Fund for Irish Studies and the J. D. Power Center for the Liberal Arts at the College of the Holy Cross.

12/01/2026

Happy New Year! Start the year off right by joining us this Wednesday where our lifelong learning instructor, Dr. Caroline Elbay, will commence ‘Ireland on Stage and Screen,’ an online film and theatre course.

This six-week course investigates and challenges iconic representations of modern Ireland on both stage and screen. As a nation and a people oft represented as permanently oscillating between the poles of ‘Paddy Sad/Paddy Mad’ (Lady Morgan) in both musical and theatrical representation, this course invites participants to engage, experience, analyse, and discuss the multifaceted themes and issues (including, but not limited to, identity, language, war/conflict, the revolutionary period, sexuality, religion, the supernatural, friendship, family, music, and marginalisation) addressed by authors, directors, playwrights and screenwriters ranging from Brian Friel, Sean O’Casey, John B. Keane, and Marina Carr.

In addition to a wide variety of theatre masterworks, the course will also include and consider representations of Ireland and the Irish contained in Martin McDonagh’s award-winning film The Banshees of Inisherin, together with Enda Walsh’s masterful adaptation of Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These. Guest speaker(s) from the world of Irish film/theatre will provide practical insights into the art and craft of drama and film.

For more information, please contact Caroline at [email protected].

Course Details
Location: Online
Dates: 7 January – 11 February 2026
Time: Every Wednesday, 6-8pm Irish Standard Time
Registration: €100

Each session will be livestreamed on Zoom, then recorded and available for viewing on Moodle. Recordings are done with the consent of the attendee in accordance with GDRP. If you do not wish to be recorded, you may still enjoy the class but your video and microphone will be disabled. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Spaces are limited so be sure to register soon. Click the link below to register.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

https://jamesjoyce.ie/events/ireland-on-stage-and-screen/

02/12/2025

Highlights of Echoes Festival 2025

Our sincere thanks once again to all our fabulous panellists, for providing such stimulating discussion, & to our wonderful, joyful audience, who make this such a fantastic annual event.

You can browse the archive of videos & photographs at https://www.echoes.ie/highlights

Hopefully we'll see many of you again in 2026!

17/11/2025

MoLI Book Club chooses 'Tara Road' for its December discussion.

The Museum of Literature Ireland Book Club explores a diverse selection of titles with unique insights from a special guest. An informal hour of conversation, discussion and reading, the book club is presented online via Zoom four times per year.

This month, in the company of Professor Paige Reynolds, curator of MoLI’s current Happy Ever After exhibition, (https://moli.ie/exhibitions/happy-ever-after), explore 'Tara Road' with other Maeve aficionados.

https://moli.ie/events/the-moli-book-club-december-2025

13/11/2025

👏 Comhghairdeas mór le Róisín Ingle (), who took home Columnist of the Year (Broadsheet) at last night's Irish Journalism Awards ().

A stalwart of Echoes, she kindly interviewed Marian Keyes for us here this year.

In all Maeve's alma mater, The Irish Times (), won eight awards at the competition, the highest number of any news publisher.

12/11/2025

Special mention when voting for this beloved anthology.

Featured in the TheJournal.ie Best Irish-Published Book of the Year category, the Sunday Miscellany collection features some of the best broadcasts of the past three years

Get your vote in now: https://www.irishbookawards.ie/vote