The funeral cortege of the late Philly Ryan passing through Clonmel on Wednesday afternoon. Picture John D Kelly
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23 Oct 2025
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23 Oct 2025
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The fourth annual Circling the Square Festival is set to return to The Source Arts Centre in Thurles over the weekend of October 31 to November 1. The event pays tribute to Thurles-born poet Dennis O'Driscoll and will feature an array of prominent poets from Ireland and abroad.
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The festival will feature three main performances across Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening, blending poetry with live music and song.
Activities begin on Friday at 4pm with a poetry reading by US poet and novelist Joseph Bathanti at Bookworm in Thurles. The evening’s main programme will commence at The Source Arts Centre at 7:45pm, with performances from musicians Brendan Collins, Gina Oberoi, and Pat O’Callaghan, alongside poetry from Polina Cosgrave, Sean Lysaght, and Mary O’Donnell.
On Saturday, a poetry workshop will take place at 10:30am in the Community Rooms at The Source Arts Centre, followed by a discussion on Seamus Heaney’s work and a series of readings at 2:30pm from Amy Abdullah Barry, Michael Dooley, Charlotte Buckley, and others.
The evening’s main event, starting at 7:45pm, will feature music from Emma Roche, Hidden Pathways, Leslie Dowdall and Hugh Buckley, and the Ed Dwan Quartet, with poetry from Eleanor Hooker, Mark Roper, and Jane Clarke.
Both Friday and Saturday evenings will conclude with an Aprés Festival at the Monks Pub.
Sunday’s schedule begins with a guided tour of Thurles at 11:30am led by Jimmy Duggan. The festival will close with a poetry reading and open-mic session at the Monks Pub from 2:30pm, showcasing recently published poets including D’or Seifer, Philip Lynch, John Noonan, Cathy Conlon, and Trish Bennett. Those wishing to participate in the open mic are asked to register their interest in advance.
Tickets for the festival can be purchased here: Tickets
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