The Power of Light – Remembering John McGahern

  • Date: 27 March 2026
  • Time: 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
  • Location: The Dock, St. George’s Terrace, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, Ireland N41T2X2
  • Type: Literary Event
  • Learn More: View Event Website

MYLES DUNGAN, JANE BRENNAN and SINEAD GLEESON  in conversation with VINCENT WOODS

Tickets €18.00 or €15.00 (student/unwaged)

To mark the twentieth anniversary of John McGahern’s death, the Iron Mountain Literature Festival and The Dock present an evening of readings and shared memories of the great Leitrim writer. Broadcaster and author Myles Dungan, celebrated actor Jane Brennan and author Sinéad Gleeson will discuss McGahern’s work and legacy, share memories of the writer and man, and read from his work. The evening will be presented by festival director, writer and broadcaster Vincent Woods.

Guests

Sinéad Gleeson is a broadcaster, essayist and critic, the author of Irish Book Award-winning essay collection Constellations, and editor of a number of acclaimed literary anthologies, among them This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music, co-edited with Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, and The Art of Glimpse: 100 Irish Short Stories, which includes John McGahern’s short story High Ground. Her debut novel Hagstone, an atmospheric tale exploring the mysteries of art, faith and desire, set on a remote Irish island, was published by Fourth Estate in 2024.

Myles Dungan is a broadcaster and historian. He presents The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1, and is an adjunct lecturer and Fulbright scholar in the School of History and Archives, University College, Dublin. He has also compiled and presented a number of award-winning historical documentaries. He is the author of numerous works on Irish and American history, and holds a PhD from Trinity College, Dublin.

Jane Brennan’s professional debut at the Abbey Theatre in 1979 was followed by more than 50 Abbey and Peacock productions in works by Brian Friel, Marina Carr, Martin McDonagh, and her husband, playwright Tom Murphy. Brennan’s film and TV work includes Intermission, Veronica Guerin, Herself, and her acclaimed role as Mary Lacey in Brooklyn, which won her the IFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. On television, she is known for The Tudors, Striking Out, Bloodlands, and her lead role in Hidden Assets.