Former Ambassador to the US Dan Mulhall to Address Goldsmith Festival
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Pictured are Goldsmith Festival committee members Seamus McCormack, Niall Nally, Brona Cox, Claire Mc Cormack, Michael Conlon, Arthur Conlon, Sean Ryan, and Joe Farrell at the festival launch in Ballymahon, Co. Longford.Image 2 of 4
Pictured are the Goldsmith Festival committee, local political representatives, 2026 speakers, and friends at the festival launch in Ballymahon, Co. Longford.Image 3 of 4
Pictured are the Goldsmith Festival committee members Tom Seery, Seamus McCormack, speaker Una Byrne, poet Mary Melvin Geoghegan, and contributor Seamus O'Brien at the festival launch in the Goldsmith Reading Room in Ballymahon, Co. Longford.Image 4 of 4
Pictured are Goldsmith Festival committee members Niall Nally, Seamus McCormack and Arthur Conlon with local political representatives cllr Pat O'Toole (Fianna Fail, Longford), cllr Martin Skelly (Fine Gael, Longford) and cllr Tom Farrell (Fine Gael, Westmeath) at the festival launch.Brona Cox
The 42nd Annual Goldsmith Festival will be returning on Friday, 29 May.
This year's festival is inspired by a line in its namesakes, Oliver Goldsmith’s, poem The Deserted Village, in which he describes the famous and beloved figure of the village preacher: ‘Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway.’
To Goldsmith, good preaching and good poetry were doubly persuasive in telling the truth. In his evocative description of the village preacher, Goldsmith paints a picture of someone that can be truly trusted, someone who is not motivated by self-interest or by greed or by political ambition, and someone who, at the end of the day, wants to do right by his community.
Today, we find that distrust is on the increase and that information is becoming less reliable the more varied the media environment becomes.
The festival this year picks up on Goldsmith's image to discuss the theme of truth and sway and the sometimes-difficult relationship between the two.
Who better at addressing such matters than those who have navigated the worlds of politics, persuasion, and even poetry?
Our festival will be opened at The Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule, on Friday, May 29, by our local Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy, chaired by local author and historian Seamus O’Brien, and our keynote given by one of the most accomplished diplomats in Irish history.
As ambassador to the UK, Daniel Mulhall was at the frontline as Brexit threatened to undo the great advances in Anglo-Irish relations of recent decades.
As ambassador to the US in Donald Trump’s first term, he met the challenges presented by an American administration with a novel approach to diplomatic norms.
Throughout, he has been a great asset to Ireland, a steadying presence in our evolving relationships with sometimes volatile neighbours and friends. And as Professor of Irish Studies at New York University, he has always known the value of poetry, storytelling and literary heritage as national assets that do not depreciate.
Throughout the Saturday of the festival, we will celebrate Goldsmith the poet and the arts of poetry and music that he so cherished.
The day begins with our tour of the scenes of Goldsmith’s life and his great poem The Deserted Village before a lunchtime session in Ballymahon sees Professor of English Michael Griffin of the University of Limerick giving a short introduction to Goldsmith’s poetry before two of our finest poets, Emily Cullen and Gerry Hanberry, give a recital of poems, among them pieces on Goldsmith and by Goldsmith, performing also music on harp and guitar from Goldsmith’s own time.
Which sets us up nicely for an afternoon of classical and Irish music across the road in Skelly’s courtyard, where we will be entertained by Simply Strings and Avril McLoughlin and friends.
There will be a bookstall, costumes and craft beer: an afternoon’s entertainment to savour before an evening of further conviviality at the Three Jolly Pigeons in Tang, with music from Tony Dunne, Jim Mulkerrins and friends.
Festivities recommence at 12 noon on Sunday in the Goldsmith Room, Ballymahon Library, for the always popular ‘Goldsmith Miscellany with Musical Accompaniment', where fascinating short contributions will be shared by Raymond O’Hanlon, Aengus Finnegan, Una Byrne, Ita Kiernan, and Dr Ciarán McCabe based on a variety of topics, alongside music composed by Turlough O’Carolan.
The festival’s grand finale takes place at 3.30pm at Goldsmith’s birthplace in Pallas with poetry readings from the winning entrants of the Goldsmith Poetry competitions – adjudicated by poets Gerry Boland and Mary Melvin Geoghegan and chaired by local poet Anne Tully.
Mr Boland, Dublin, will then provide a poetry reading of his finest works, followed by a cheese and wine reception to bring the 42nd festival to a close.
Speaking at the press launch, Goldsmith Festival interim chairman Seamus McCormack said, “We are proud to say this has been an annual event since 1985. As usual, we have a very topical theme to explore this year, “Who to Trust in an Age of Misinformation", and we can look forward to thought-provoking content, ideas and lively discussion.
“I want to say a warm word of thanks to our generous and loyal sponsors, without whom we couldn’t continue.
I want to give a special mention to Longford County Council, Westmeath County Council, the Heritage Council, Longford Tourism, Westmeath Tourism, the Creative Ireland Programme, Nally Bros Circle K Ballymahon, and Joe and Chris Farrell.”
For more details on the Goldsmith Festival 2026 programme and to book tickets for our festival and literary tour, please visit www.olivergoldsmithfestival.com.