Poetry lovers, spoken word fans and anyone curious about the power of live performance are being invited to enjoy a rich programme of poetry events at this year’s Mullingar Literary Festival, running from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th July 2026.

Across the weekend, Caffrey’s, Mount Street, Mullingar will become a vibrant home for verse, spoken word, music, reflection and performance, with five free poetry events bringing together local, national and visiting voices.

The poetry programme opens on Friday 3rd July at 6.00pm with The Verse Men, featuring Barry Currivan, Phil Lynch and Darragh Coady. This dynamic spoken word and poetry event promises wit, rhythm, reflection and performance energy, with three distinctive voices exploring everyday life, memory, identity, history and contemporary experience.

Later that evening, at 10.00pm, audiences can experience Macahar, a moving fusion of poetry and piano from father-and-son duo Caoimhín Ó Mórdha, also known as Kevin Moore, and Naosán Ó Mórdha, also known as Naosán Moore. Combining bilingual poetry in Irish and English with original piano compositions, Macahar offers an intimate performance shaped by family, emotion, language, sound and connection.

On Saturday 4th July at 5.30pm, Her Words will bring together poets Anne Tannam, Clare O’Reilly and Tess McKevitt for a powerful event celebrating women’s voices, creativity and lived experience. Through readings of their own work, the poets will explore memory, love, loss, nature, identity and emotional truth in a thoughtful and lyrical gathering.

Saturday evening continues at 7.30pm with The Poetry Kiln, a Dublin-forged creative collective dedicated to the immediacy and energy of spoken word. Featuring some of Ireland’s leading poets and spoken word artists, The Poetry Kiln brings poetry beyond the page and into a shared live experience full of rhythm, presence, connection and performance fire.

The festival’s poetry programme concludes on Sunday 5th July at 5.00pm with The Bards, featuring Jimmy O’Connell, Seán Ruane and Brendan Martin. This intimate hour of poetry will offer audiences a celebration of language, memory, place and human experience, with three poets bringing warmth, insight and emotional depth to the festival stage.

A spokesperson for Mullingar Literary Festival said:

“Poetry has always been at the heart of literary culture, but it is also one of the most immediate and exciting live art forms. This year’s programme brings together page poets, spoken word performers, local writers, visiting voices, music and bilingual work. It is a celebration of language as something living, shared and deeply human.”

All five poetry events are free to attend, but audiences are advised to arrive early as places may be limited.

The poetry events form part of the wider Mullingar Literary Festival 2026, which will bring three days of books, workshops, children’s events, competitions, readings, music and community creativity to the town.