Festival Timetable

A gentle prologue to the festival weekend begins with a concert for the wonderful Lindy Wilson of the Glencree Valley who left us too soon. In her loving memory, master harp-maker Kevin Harrington has handcrafted an exquisite harp from Irish walnut. The hugely acclaimed harpist Claire O’Donnell, one of Lindy’s closest friends, is the custodian of this remarkable instrument and will lend the instrument to her more advanced students. For this very special concert – the official launch of Lindy’s Harp – Lindy Wilson’s joyous energy and enduring presence will be celebrated with a rare evening of harp and other music from Claire and a number of special musical guests from both the wider world of music and the local community. ‍

“Claire…is an outstanding orchestral musician, consistently demonstrating the highest of professional standards in addition to a keen artistic sensibility.”
‍Dr Ciarán Crilly

Claire O'Donnell photograph by Celine O'Donnell

Starting with a brief talk on arrival, participants will accompany Janic from the village of Enniskerry, along the dark wooded paths of the Bog Meadow and up into Knocksink Wood Nature Reserve, in search of a variety of bats. Learn how to use a bat detector to help locate and identify a range of species and gain a rare insight to these most misunderstood and mythical of mammals.

Easy trail with some uneven ground. Dress for all weathers, and bring a torch if you have one. No dogs (except guide dogs) are permitted. Leave no trace. Please check Plan Your Visit for further site information.

(Featuring the crafters of Fassaroe, spinning and storytelling with Nora Burton, a visit to a neighbouring farm with farmers Joe & Brendan Burton, as well as a talk about the role of wool in nature restoration by Lorna Kelly of the Wicklow Uplands Council)

This open day marks the culmination of a longer project, led by artist Sharon Wells, with the neighbouring community of wool crafters in Fassaroe, Bray. An exhibition of work by those involved in the project will be on display and this will be added to as the day progresses.

The morning will begin with the opportunity to observe and hear about the traditional skills of washing, carding and spinning wool from a raw fleece, as demonstrated by the Black Sheep team. Storytelling of farming life in the Glencree Valley will follow, as everyone is invited to make their way, across a small field, to meet with local farmers, Brendan and Joe Burton in their neighbouring farmyard. After refreshments, Lorna Kelly, from the Wicklow Uplands Council, will speak about the role of wool in nature restoration and everyone can then get crafting with workshops in knitting, crochet and wet felting, with locally sourced wool.

This gorgeous day will end with some collective hand-spinning, with artist Caroline Byrne, to mark the passing down of skills through the generations, as well as the weaving together of communities, stories and skills.

Places are limited, so booking is essential. Families are welcome.

The writer and naturalist Helen MacDonald is probably best known for her remarkable best-selling memoir H is for Hawk, and recently released as a feature film with Claire Foy in the leading role. Probably one of the most important and influential nature books to be published in recent years, it is a deeply affecting work that took the literary world by storm, winning a host of awards and accolades.

Helen MacDonald has since written other acclaimed works including the miraculous Vesper Flights, a wonderfully abundant book of essays about humankind’s diminishing connection with the natural world. Helen is a rare thinker, activist, writer and naturalist who leads us into the natural world with extraordinary empathy but also a deep sense of practical appreciation. The Shaking Bog is honoured to have her as a special guest of the festival.

“Helen MacDonald is one of the best nature writers now working.” Simon Ings, Telegraph “Books of the Year”

Hilary Adam White will host the conversation with Helen MacDonald. He is a writer, journalist and conservationist. City of Hawks, his own literary memoir about his native Dublin and its raptors will be published by Penguin in Spring 2027.

Their many awards include the prestigious Forward Poetry Prize for best collection, the OCM Bocas Prize for Poetry, the Windham-Campbell Prize and the Saltire National Poetry Award. Anthony Vahni Capildeo’s last poetry collection Polkadot Wounds was published to widespread acclaim and they arrive in Ireland hot on the heels of their non-fiction debut, Maqueraders: Selected Essays, published in July 2026.

‘Anthony Vahni Capildeo is among the most original and vital poets writing today. Capildeo’s poetic language is its own creature, a bestiary, fierce and tender, generous and resilient… The poems demonstrate again and again how attention can be an act of radical hospitality.’ Tiffany Atkinson

Writer, academic and sheep farmer Selina Guinness comes from neighbouring Tibradden in the adjoining Dublin mountains. A long-time friend of Anthony Capildeo’s, this should prove to be an extraordinary and illuminating event.

Anthony Vahni Capildeo photo by Aileen Lees

The evening will begin with a soulful and honest conversation with filmmaker Alan Gilsenan and will then be followed by a full concert where Mary will be joined on stage by the brilliant singer-song writer Ultan Conlan, along with longtime musical collaborators Miceál O’Connor and Diarmuid Lally.

Mary’s seminal first album Tired and Emotional rocketed her to overnight fame in 1985, and fifteen albums later, her ability to deeply connect with both the song and her audience remains undiminished, a testament to her inner strength and to the power of redemption.

Mary is truly in a league of her own, her glorious husky voice pulling every ounce of emotion from the music. This is the real thing, sung from the depths of her soul, a survivor who - to paraphrase Leonard Cohen - “was born with the gift of a golden voice.” This is why she is so loved.

“Mary Coughlan’s talent is awesome. Resonant with the grief of Billie Holiday, the soul of Van Morrison and the defiance of Edith Piaf, to hear Mary sing is to hear the depths of the human heart.” The Observer ‍

“A song is not complete unless it has been sung by Mary Coughlan.”
- Melody Maker

This year, The Shaking Bog is finally making its way up onto the very boglands that gave the organisation its name, to more closely explore these landscapes of the Glencree Valley.

Guided by Andrea Webb, National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) Conservation Ranger at Wicklow Mountains National Park, who  has expertise in bogland environments, people will learn about the precious ecosystems specific to bogs and the importance of their protection and restoration.

A beautiful time of year to visit the heather clad boglands surrounding Lough Bray, as the shifting light and carpets of pink and mauve will be truly spectacular.

Easy/moderate trail with some uneven ground. Sturdy shoes recommended and dress for all weathers. No dogs (except guide dogs) are permitted. Leave no trace. Please check Plan Your Visit for further site information.

A strong advocate for hedgerow appreciation, protection and maintenance, he will lead a walk through the fields of Lackendarragh looking at recent planting by An Óige and Rewild Wicklow and inspiring people to take action to safeguard and restore this precious natural resource.

This Walk & Talk is in memory of Leesha O’Driscoll, a valued member of the Enniskerry community, who played a crucial role in drafting the groundbreaking Protection of Hedgerows Bill in 2023.  

Easy/moderate trail with some uneven ground. Sturdy shoes recommended and dress for all weathers. No dogs (except guide dogs) are permitted. Leave no trace. Please check Plan Your Visit for further site information.

This is a very special event for all ages that celebrates place, nature and community with artists of the very highest calibre - The Gathering Field is essentially what The Shaking Bog is all about.

Burton’s field - adjoining Curtlestown School - will become a place of connection and celebration, where people of all ages are invited to gather in the spirit of community. Inspired by the old traditions of harvest gatherings, the afternoon will be filled with music, song, dance, games and fun.  

For the first time ever, The Shaking Bog is introducing dance to its programme with the wonderfully accomplished sean nós dancer, Edwina Guckian who has blazed a trail in her native Leitrim and beyond, getting everybody, of all ages up on their feet to dance. Edwina was selected as one of the 50 people to watch in 2026 by The Irish Times: “In an era of increasing appreciation for traditional culture amonst new generations, Guckian is an inspiring cultural figure, full of ideas and ambition.” Una Mullaly

At The Gathering Field, Edwina will be accompanied by a stellar group of renowned Irish musicians and dancers.

For those who wish to participate - and even for those who don’t - this will hopefully be an  afternoon like no other, a time to connect, to share, to celebrate and to remember.

Her multi award-winning books mix fiction and non-fiction and often embrace the natural world, frequently inhabiting rugged landscapes and exploring our relationships with animals. They include Spill, Simmer, Falter, Whither, A Line Made By Walking and her newest novel Opening Night.

In her visual art practice, she says that she is “interested in ritual and sacred objects, and in miniatures, and by the uniquely human tendency to create miniaturised utopias”.

This in-depth conversation with poet John Fitzgerald will explore her creative work, her complex relationship with nature as well as the delicate intertwining of her life and her art.

“Sara Baume is a writer’s writer, able to clothe her insights on life, art and human connection in beautifully evocative language. There are few living writers who can artistically convey compassion in a single sentence” Derek Owusu

“Baume is a writer of outstanding grace and style. She writes beyond the time we live in.” Colum McCann

They will be joined by a group of supremely talented musicians and dancers, including; Andrew Caden, Conor McDonagh, Ryan Sheridan, Aoife Duignan and Fiachra Guihan.  This rousing and authentic finale concert will take place in the atmospheric surroundings of Curtlestown Church. As night falls across the valley, this will be a musical gathering to remember..

“Guckian has a particularly organic and inclusive approach to what she prefers to call percussive dance.” Siobhán Long