As ever, the MindField spoken word arena of Electric Picnic had a host of intelligent, entertaining and diverse events, its panels and performances providing a haven for all the festival nerds looking to be informed and inflamed.
The Leviathan tent is now famous for its lively discussions. Economist David McWilliams again hosted the nightly Political Cabaret, where witty and wise guests such as Gunther Grunn, Margaret E.Ward, Carol Hunt and Eamonn McCann dissected everything from Martin Luther King and the inspiring power of speech to how we should fix the economy. Miriam O’Callaghan hosted the Sunday Brunch, where comedian Al Porter stole the show during discussions about the week’s news – everything from Miley Cyrus to Pat Kenny.
In the Theatre tent, there was an array of good shows, including Death of the Tradesman and Connected, an interesting and funny musing on the isolating nature of technology. Bressie stopped by for a talk on mental health, giving a blunt, self-deprecating account of his own depression and anxiety.  The tent closed on Sunday with the Caca Milis Cabaret, a brilliantly fun combination of comedy, dancing, singing, poetry and performance. Hosted by Helena Mulkerns, highlights included belly-dancer Kadri, and a gorgeous performance from singer-songwriter Tara Stacey, whose song ‘Jonathan McLoughlin’s Electric Picnic Scam’ brought the house down, and is well worth a listen on YouTube.
Up on The Word stage, the slam poetry and storytelling slots proved a very mixed bag, though Cuirt’s Slam Showcase Champion Seamas O’Sullibhean impressed with his Irish language blend of poetry and rap.  Journalist and writer Olaf Tyaransen gave a fantastic reading, with his fascinating piece on Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair proving that his sharply observant prose is as engaging and insightful to listen to as to read it is to read.
Journalist, editor and arts critic Sinead Gleeson curated the Arts Council Literary tent, and the impressive line-up boasted a gorgeous mix of musicians, writers, comedians and filmmakers. Highlights included a joint interview with Paul Murray, author of Skippy Dies, and singer Lisa Hannigan, whose song ‘Home’ was inspired by Murray’s bittersweet tale of teenage love. Love/Hate creator Stuart Carolan and actor Aidan Gillen were rewarded with a jam-packed tent for their conversation about television and Irish culture. Finally, comedian Dylan Moran got one of the biggest audiences of the weekend, and rewarded them with a hilarious and intelligent conversation about the competitive nature of comedy; his belief that comedy is a “personal failing – you’re daring people to reject you”; and his favourite moments from Black Books. He also apologised for his highlighted hair, saying “There’s a reason I look like a Euro wanker, it’s for a part!” We thought he pulled off the frosted tips quite well, actually.
Following the death of Seamus Heaney last week, the MindField arena was dedicated to the poet. Many speakers paid tribute to him, including Pauline McLynn and Amy Huberman, who each read one of his poems during their chat with Roisin Ingle. Miriam O’Callgahan spoke warmly of the poet’s kindness and generosity, saying that “it’s not just that he was a genius and the poet laureate, it’s that he was also a brilliantly decent human being.” May he rest in peace.