Paul Howard Confirmed for Inaugural Jonathan Swift Festival

Described by the Irish Independent as “one of the world’s funniest writers,” Paul Howard is a four-time Irish Book Award winner, collecting the Best Popular Fiction prize for ‘Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade’ in 2007, ‘The Oh My God Delusion’ in 2010, and ‘Downturn Abbey’ in 2013.
The seventeenth book in the series, ‘Operation Trumpsformation’, will be published in September 2017.
Paul Howard’s use of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly, a fictional Irish rugby jock, reflects Swift’s own work featuring invented characters to critique the events of his time. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of Ireland’s preeminent satirists and cultural critics on fiction, satire, and Ireland today.
Honouring Swift on the anniversary of his 350th Birthday, the Jonathan Swift Festival takes place from 23-26 November, and celebrates his legacy as a writer, satirist, poet, and Dubliner of note.
As a champion in his time for Irish rights, Swift’s actions on behalf of the people earned him the Freedom of the City of Dublin. Swift’s best-known work of fiction, Gulliver’s Travels, has never been out of print since it was first published in 1726, and has been adapted for screen, radio, and television across decades and throughout the world.
Animating the area around Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, the Festival will be packed with surprising, unique experiences, including special walking tours of Swift’s Dublin guided by Pat Liddy, unmissable concerts in the stunning setting of St Patrick’s Cathedral, talks, animations, workshops and amazing special events including the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eat a 17th century inspired candlelit dinner in Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
Few Irish authors can claim as close a connection to Dublin city as Swift. Born in Hoey’s Court and buried in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Swift spent his most productive years in the environs around Dublin 8.
Another big name to perform at this festival is Glen Hansard. He will perform in the stunning setting of St Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday 25th November, as one of the highlights of the inaugural Jonathan Swift Festival.
The concert will be a rare chance to hear Glen and his stripped down band of five musicians perform in the beautiful acoustical Cathedral venue.
Tickets for the gig are priced at €40, with all profits going to a number of Irish charities – NALA project, Crosscare Teen Counselling Service, Little Flower Penny Dinners, The Alice Leahy Trust and St Patrick’s Cathedral Swift Series’ community initiatives. Support act to be announced.
Honouring Swift on the anniversary of his 350th Birthday, the Jonathan Swift Festival takes place from 23-26 November, and celebrates his legacy as a writer, satirist, poet, and Dubliner of note.
As a champion in his time for Irish rights, Swift’s actions on behalf of the people earned him the Freedom of the City of Dublin. Swift’s best-known work of fiction, Gulliver’s Travels, has never been out of print since it was first published in 1726, and has been adapted for screen, radio, and television across decades and throughout the world.
The festival organisers promise that it will be "packed with surprising, unique experiences", including special walking tours of Swift’s Dublin guided by Pat Liddy, unmissable concerts in the stunning setting of St Patrick’s Cathedral, talks, animations, workshops and amazing special events including the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eat a 17th century inspired candlelit dinner in Saint Patrick's Cathedral.

Few Irish authors can claim as close a connection to Dublin city as Swift. Born in Hoey’s Court and buried in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Swift’s life is book ended by the environs around Dublin 8 and the institutions of significance in his time including Trinity College, the Bank of Ireland (Parliament House) and Dublin Castle.
The Jonathan Swift Festival is run by Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. It is supported by both Failté Ireland and Dublin City Council and collaborates with a number of cultural institutions across the city with a historic or thematic link to Jonathan Swift’s life and work, including Marsh’s Library, Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, The Science Gallery, The Irish Writers Centre, Epic Ireland and St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.
For further information for log onto www.jonathanswiftfestival.ie r check them out on Facebook: facebook.com/JonathanSwiftFestival/ @swift_festival