Seamus Heaney HomePlace

08/06/2026

Pinwheel Craft Workshop 🎨

Join us in the Creative Zone for a fun workshop creating your own pinwheel.

Discover Seamus Heaney’s childhood memories of summer trips to the seaside with his aunt and use his words as inspiration for your artwork. Using oil pastels, you will sketch a local landscape or beach scene to feature on your pinwheel.

“Along the Portstewart prom, then round the crescent
To thread the Castle Walk out to the strand…”
- From Seamus Heaney’s poem 'In Memoriam Francis Ledwidge', Field Work (1979).

Landscape images will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own landscape photograph or printout to use. Please wear suitable clothing, as creativity can be messy. Aprons will be provided.

📆 Date: Saturday 20th June
⏰ Time: 12pm – 1pm
🎟️ Tickets: £5

Suitable for ages 8-12 years

Limited spaces available - book now to secure your place! > https://seamusheaneyhome.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873664823

07/06/2026

06/06/2026

We are looking forward to welcoming Patrick Radden Keefe to Seamus Heaney HomePlace on Monday 8th June at 7.30pm for what promises to be a fascinating evening in conversation about his powerful new book, London Falling.

Please note that this event is SOLD OUT. We can't wait to welcome everyone who has secured a ticket. To help ensure a smooth arrival, please have your tickets ready on the evening.

Attendees can pre-purchase a copy of London Falling and collect it at HomePlace on the night, helping you skip the queue and make the most of your evening. Patrick's back catalogue titles will also be available to purchase.

Secure your copy of London Falling today and have it waiting for you at HomePlace on the night > https://tinyurl.com/3an8uzex

05/06/2026

🎟️ Just Released!

A few tickets have become available for An Afternoon with Maggie O'Farrell on Tuesday 16th June at 2pm at Seamus Heaney HomePlace.

Join us for a special afternoon with the bestselling author of Hamnet, as we celebrate the release of her new novel Land.

Inspired by mid-nineteenth-century Ireland, Land is a powerful and intimate portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and survival, told with Maggie O’Farrell’s trademark resilience, emotion and lyricism.

Tickets are limited – secure yours now > https://seamusheaneyhome.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873661365

05/06/2026

What a wonderful weekend of creativity and craftsmanship at Seamus Heaney HomePlace! 👜

We were delighted to welcome artist Enda Kenny for this fantastic two-day leather satchel workshop, where participants learned traditional leatherworking techniques and crafted their own beautifully handmade satchels to take home.

A huge thank you to Enda for sharing his expertise and passion for the craft, and well done to everyone who took part - the finished pieces were truly impressive!

Einincraftwork

04/06/2026

Father's Day Origami Card Workshop 🎨

Join us in the Creative Zone on Saturday 13th June to make an origami Father's Day card inspired by Seamus Heaney's poem 'Follower', from Death of a Naturalist (1966):

"My father worked with a horse-plough,
His shoulders globed like a full sail strung
Between the shafts and the furrow...
all I ever did was follow."

📆 Date: Saturday 13th June
⏰ Time: 1pm
🎟️ Tickets: £5

Suitable for ages 8+

Book your place today and join us for a creative afternoon in the Creative Zone > https://seamusheaneyhome.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873664821

02/06/2026

Frank Ormsby In Conversation

Frank Ormsby’s eighth collection, The Tumbling Paddy, is a rich and deeply evocative work. The poems move from Florence Court and the Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh to sharply observed glimpses of the animal world, from rural and urban landscapes to meditations on Parkinson’s disease and the elusiveness of history. Throughout, Ormsby’s voice is compassionate, wry and finely attuned to the spirit of place.

While researching Florence Court, he discovered references to Juggy, a woman described in the archives as an “imbecile” who once lived in a tree on the estate grounds. In these poems, Ormsby imaginatively restores her presence, recasting her as a kind of guardian spirit of the landscape. His deft handling of forms — including haiku, free verse, quatrain and villanelle — confirms his skill as a craftsman.

Frank Ormsby was born in Enniskillen and has long been recognised as one of Ireland’s most distinctive poetic voices. A former editor of The Honest Ulsterman and a recipient of numerous literary awards, he has published widely over several decades.

Frank will be in conversation with his friend, the writer Malachi O’Doherty. Where Parkinson’s may prevent him from reading, recordings of Frank’s own voice will allow the poems to be heard.

📆 Date: Thursday 18th June
⏰ Time: 7.30pm
🎟️ Tickets: £12

Join us for an evening of poetry, conversation and reflection on a remarkable new collection - book your space now > https://seamusheaneyhome.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873663584

Parkinson's UK Parkinson's Ireland Malachi O'Doherty

01/06/2026

Visiting the exhibition this summer? 🎨

Drop into our Creative Zone and take part in our summertime dragonfly activity!

Create your own dragonfly bookmark inspired by Seamus Heaney's poem 'A Hazel Stick for Catherine Ann' from Station Island (1984):

“The living cobalt of an afternoon
Dragonfly drew my eye…”

There is also plenty of fun to enjoy with colouring sheets and wordsearch activities for all ages.

Come along, get creative and let your imagination take flight this summer!