St. Nathy's College Ballaghaderreen

18.00 – 20.00 - Registration

20.00 – 20.30 - Opening Remarks

20.40 – 21.00 - Official Opening of Conference
Brian Cowen TD, Minister for Finance

21.00 – 22.00 - Gaelic Hit Factory
The High Kings of a new Gaelic Order, musician John Spillane and poet Louis De Paor as the Gaelic Hit Factory are a compelling refutation of the notion that rock n' roll and the Irish Language don't mix.

22.00 – 23.00 - Reception

St. Nathy's College Ballaghaderreen

10.00 - 10.15 - Coffee

10.15 - 11.15 - Inaugural Douglas Hyde Lecture - "Day-Lates and Dirty Far-Downers"
Professor of Folklore at UCD, Séamas Ó Catháin delivers the 1st annual Douglas Hyde Lecture examing particular events from Hyde's experiences that pertain to the conference theme

11.15 - 12.15 - Readings - Rex Lee Jim & Meg Elis
Rex Lee Jim is possible the foremeost Navajo poet writing today. His book “Duchas Taa Koo Dine” is the only Navajo poetry to have been translated into Irish. Meg Elis is an award winning novelist and poet from Wales. She is also a translator, editor and former member of the Arts Council of Wales.

12.15 - 12.30 - Coffee

12.30 - 13.30 - Panel Discussion - The value of creative writing to the development of minority languages
With Rex Lee Jim and Meg Elis chaired by Alan Titley

13.30 - 14.30 - Lunch

14.30 - 15.30 - Panel Discussion - Collective Responsibility for the Promotion of Culture.
Why are all arms of public life are concerned with the promotion of Irish Language Literature? Micheál Ó Chongaile, Sinéad Mac Aodha, Sean Kielty chaired by Alan Titley. Sinead is the director of Ireland Literature Exchange and was literature officer at the Arts Council from 1995 to 2003. Sean Kielty retired from Leitrim County Council in 2002 where he was committed to the development of both the Irish language and the arts.

15.45 - 16.45 - Aran singer, Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola and her father, writer and poet Dara Ó Conaola
Both creative people, they come from two consecutive generations of a rich Aran Island tradition. Lasairfhíona brings a breath of fresh air into the genre of sean-nós singing while Dara creates his very distinctive blend of storytelling and poetry.

17.00 - 18.30 - Dinner

18.30 - 19.30 - Readings - Alan Titley and Micheál Ó Conghaile
Professor of Modern Irish at UCC, Alan Titley is a scholar, columnist, novelist, literary historian, dramatist, and winner of many writing awards. He reads with the award winning prolific writer and member of Aosdána, Micheál Ó Conghaile, founder of Cló Iar-Chonnachta.

19.45 - 21.15 - Music with Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Maighread and Tríona’s unforgettable performances are heart rending events marked by high tides of emotion which rank them among the finest singers in Ireland today

21.30 - late - Traditional Music Session @ Spells Bar

Douglas Hyde Interpretative Centre, Portahard

10.00 – 10.45 - Service and Dr. Douglas Hyde Graveside Commemoration

10.45 - 11.45 - Lecture by Dr. Kieran O Conor
Dr. Kieran O Conor, discusses the medieval archaeology of the Lough Key region.

11.45 – 12.30 - Lunch

13.00 - 16.00 - Field Trip by Dr. Kieran O Conor
The field trip led by Kieran O'Conor observes early settlements on the islands of Lough Key from the comfortable atmosphere of one of the river’s largest pleasure cruisers. The trip also provides the opportunity to visit Roscommon’s award winning flagship tourism project – The Lough Key Experience.

16.00 - Bus returns to Douglas Hyde Interpretative Centre and Ballaghaderreen

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Throughout the weekend adjoining the main auditorium, there will be a series of exhibition stands presented by national organisations from the areas of the Irish language, arts, heritage, architecture and environment where delegates will have the opportunity to speak with representatives of those organisations.

A full list of participating organisations is available here.