Patrick Kavanagh Centre

27/08/2026

The wonderful Sandi Toksvig visited Inniskeen and the Patrick Kavanagh Centre back in April. We were delighted to relate Patricks story and bring Sandi around the Kavanagh Trail where she was joined by Oliver Callan.

Check out Sandi's Ireland: A Literary Journey (three part series) starting next week on More 4.

📺 Sandi’s Ireland: A Literary Journey
🗓️ Thursday 3 September
🕘 9pm on More4

26/08/2026

Great piece in yesterdays The Irish Times about forthcoming Kavanagh Weekend festival.

06/08/2026

live at the in Inniskeen this evening at 6pm!

Jamie makes a return to Scenic Sessions by popular demand - there was standing room only at his gig at St. Peter's Tin Church in Laragh Village last summer, and we expect there to be incredibly high demand once again.

Doors open at 5.30pm for a 6 o'clock start. No tickets required, but please note, numbers will be strictly limited in accordance with venue capacity. Once the venue is full, there will be no further admissions.

Scenic Sessions is brought to you by Monaghan Tourism together with , supported by . Additional thanks to the Culture Programme for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union

29/07/2026

“In her study of the turbulent imagination of this turbulent man, Una Agnew has succeeded in unveiling the still centre.” — The Irish Times on Una Agnew’s work of literature, 'The Mystical Imagination of Patrick Kavanagh: A Buttonhole in Heaven'
Written by Una Agnew, who holds a PhD in literature, this book offers a thoughtful insight into Patrick Kavanagh’s mind and the inspirations behind his poetry over the years.
It is available for purchase using the link below:
https://patrickkavanaghcentre.com/product/a-buttonhole-in-heaven/

29/07/2026

''Patrick Kavanagh arrived at the home of Elizabeth O'Toole and her family in Stillorgan in 1961.He was in bad shape, spitting blood. When he left six months later, he was healthy enough to go swimming in the sea.''
This remarkable memoir is available to purchase at the Patrick Kavanagh centre or online, https://patrickkavanaghcentre.com/product/a-poet-in-the-house-patrick-kavanagh-at-priory-grove/

25/07/2026

"That I was bounded by the whitethorn hedges of the little farm and did not know the world"; an excerpt from the poem 'Innocence', which is included in the card 'Donaghmoyne' from the 'A Hole in Heaven's Gable' collection featuring artwork by Geraldine Martin. This card may be purchased in the Patrick Kavanagh Centre, or online using the link: https://patrickkavanaghcentre.com/product/donaghmoyne-featuring-innocence-by-patrick-kavanagh/

‘Donaghmoyne’ by Geraldine Martin is part of ‘A Hole in Heavens Gable’, a new greeting card collection from the Patrick Kavanagh Centre. It includes the poem ‘Innocence’ by Patrick Kavanagh. This new collection, based on an exhibition of new work by Geraldine, is inspired by the rural la...

24/07/2026

Magical day in Shancoduff

18/07/2026

My "Black Shanco" - what does Patrick Kavanagh refer to when he uses this affectionate term endearingly? Well, its his little hill farm sitting upon the hill crests of the townland of Shancoduff. Shancoduff from the Gaelic "Sean Chuach Dubh" means the 'Old Dark Hollow' and informs us that this glacial feature is an enclosed North facing hollow or valley, a shadowy depression in the landscape that rarely feels the warm of the sun and traps snow in shady corners.

My black hills have never seen the sun rising
My hills hoard the bright shillings (snow skiffs) of March
While the sun searches in every pocket (shady corners)
They are my Alps and I have climbed the Matterhorn............

Nearby is the townland of Shancobane (Sean Chuach Bán) - the 'Old White Hollow' as this glacial feature of a bowl-shaped depression, or enclosed valley in the landscape faces due South and is therefore 'White' or brightly lit with sunshine, its warmth promoting the growth of grasses and crops - it is fertile here, whereas Patrick's farmlands are cold and stunted in growth because 'eternally they look North towards Armagh'.

17/07/2026

Sitting in the golden glow of a July sunset listening to a recent podcast on Patrick Kavanagh discussed by Diarmaid Ferritear and Catriona Crowe entitled: Patrick Kavanagh's Brilliant Poetry and Turbulent Life. View the link below:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MPslaeYt5Y

's Ancient East

Monaghan-born Patrick Kavanagh was a notorious presence in Dublin f...