Féile Fidelma 2019

The committee of Cashel Arts Festival is delighted to announce the seventh Féile Fidelma - an international gathering of fans of Peter Tremayne's Sr Fidelma mysteries and those interested in 7th Century Ireland. The Féile will take place from Friday September 6th until Sunday September 8th 2019 in Cashel.

1.Venue

The venue for the seventh Féile Fidelma will be Brú Ború Cultural Centre which is located at the foot Rock of Cashel. The venue is located about a five to ten minute walk from the centre of Cashel Town.

2. Programme of Events and Speakers

Friday, 6th September
7pm-8pm:  Registration, wine reception, and the official opening of the 7th international Féile Fidelma by actress and 'Voice of Fidelma' Caroline Lennon.

8pm - 9pm: An evening with Peter Tremayne, chaired by David Robert Wooten (Director of The International Sister Fidelma Society and publisher/editor of The Brehon).


Saturday, 7th September
9.30am -10.30am:  ‘Royalty and Revenge in the Recent Fidelma Mysteries'-Professor Nancy Marck Cantwell (chair of English Department, Daemen College, Amherst, New York).

10.30am-11am:  Tea/Coffee & scones.

11am-12pm:  'Love Poetry in Fidelma's time'- introduced by Peter Tremayne, performed by actress Caroline Lennon and local theatre producer Oliver Corbett.

12pm-1pm: 'Fidelma's Travels’- a talk on some of the places Fidelma has visited by John G. O'Dwyer, author and travel consultant.

3pm- 5pm: Screening of "The Camino Voyage"- An epic 2,500 km modern day Celtic odyssey followed by Q&A session with producer/director Dónal Ó Céilleachair.

From 7pm: Assemble for dinner in Brú Ború Cultural Centre.

7.20pm: Official Photo

7.30pm -9.30pm:  Gala Dinner followed by entertainment. Toasts by Séamus King and Peter Tremayne.

Sunday, 8th September 
10am-11am:  ‘Sex and Marriage in Fidelma's time'- a talk on the Brehon Laws of marriage, separation and divorce by Dr Kevin Murray (University College Cork).

11am: Tea/coffee & scones.

11.30am -12.30pm: 'Looking for Fidelma’s Cashel – the Eóghanacht dynasty and the geo-phys survey of The Rock of Cashel’- Dr Patrick Gleeson (Queen's University Belfast).   

12.30pm: ‘The Féile and International Sister Fidelma Society – past and future’ - David Robert Wooten, director of the International Sister Fidelma Society and editor of The Brehon.

2.30pm:  Coach excursion to the Vee (St. Declan's Way) including a visit to Clogheen (Cloichín), location of murders in 'Blood in Eden'.

3. Registration

Weekend registration will be €190 with a €20 discount for those who register on or before February 1st 2019. The registration fee covers the opening reception, a special registration pack with a souvenir booklet produced by the International Sr Fidelma Society, all lectures, talks, workshops and trips, tea/coffee breaks and the gala dinner. Day rates are also available on request. Please contact cashelartsfestival@gmail.com for further information.

Registration will open October 1st 2018. Registrations are non-refundable.

Click here to book event online

4. About Féile Fidelma

Féile Fidelma is a bi-annual weekend centred around the Sr Fidelma mysteries by the author Peter Tremayne. The Sr Fidelma mysteries are set mainly in Ireland during the mid-seventh century AD. Sr Fidelma is not simply a religieuse, a former member of the community of St Brigid of Kildare. She is also a qualified dálaigh, or advocate of the ancient law courts of Ireland. The series has appeared in 18 languages. The full series is available in Cashel Library, Cashel Heritage Centre and in bookshops nationwide. More information on the series can be found on www.sisterfidelma.com.

5. About Cashel

Cashel is a heritage town located on the M8 motorway in County Tipperary which is famous for the ancient and iconic Rock of Cashel. www.cashel.ie has further information about the town.

6. Getting here

• Bus: There is a regular bus service that runs from Dublin to Cork and Cashel is on this route.Timetables can be found on https://www.buseireann.ie/ and busses run every day Monday-Sunday.
• Train: The nearest stations are Thurles (From Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Kerry) or Clonmel (from Limerick or Waterford). Check out www.irishrail.ie for more details. You would need a car to travel from Thurles/Clonmel to Cashel.
• Airports: Registrants travelling from abroad have a choice of three airports- Dublin, Cork or Shannon. Dublin and Cork airports have regular bus services to Cashel.
• Car: Registrants also have the option of leasing a car from any of the three main airports. Cashel is located on the M8 Dublin-Cork motorway.

7. Accommodation

There is a good variety of guest houses and b&bs located in the town and within the vicinity of the town. www.cashel.ie has more information on these. If you are having difficulty deciding where to stay please contact us.

8. Visitor Info

Cashel has the most iconic skyline of any town in Ireland.

Now home to more than 3000 inhabitants, it was once the seat of power for the High Kings of Munster, the southern province of Ireland.

St Patrick’s Rock in Cashel was the situation for this royal seat. According to legend, Aonghus of the Eoganacht, King of Munster, was baptised here by St Patrick in the 5th Century AD. The site later served an ecclesiastical purpose when it was handed over to the Church by Muircheartach O’Brien in 1101.

Cashel is now a small but bustling town with a rich heritage. A captivating sense of history echoes through the buildings and lanes and streets around the town. Due to its location in the rich, fertile countryside of the Golden Vale, Cashel has always had a sense of energy through the farmers and traders who focus their business here. There are also a number of charming pubs and shops as well as a good choice of cafes and restaurants.

It is well worth staying in Cashel during the Féile Fidelma. There is a wide range of accommodation on offer, details of which are supplied on www.cashel.ie or by the Heritage Centre located on the Main Plaza in the centre of the town.

Cashel Heritage Centre and Tourist Information:

Open: November-February 9.30-17.30 Monday- Friday February- November 9.30-17.30 Monday-Sunday.

9. Other queries

For any other queries relating to the town or travelling to Cashel please do not hesitate in contacting us. We are glad to assist in whatever way we can. Please e-mail cashelartsfestival@gmail.com. Please note that our mobile number is only in operation during the festival.