About Cúirt
The Cúirt International Festival of Literature will take place April 18–23, 2023, bringing together world-renowned authors, thinkers, and passionate readers.
Cúirt International Festival of Literature, Galway is one of Europe’s oldest book festivals, and a leading voice for literature both internationally and across Ireland. Cúirt brings readers and writers together to tell stories, share new perspectives, and to celebrate writing, books and reading in all forms.Through our festival every April and our year-round programme of engagement, we nurture a community of readers interested in the world, creating a space for conversation, debate and reflection.
What We Do
Rooted in Galway on the west coast of Ireland, we are committed to creating a space where the broadest audience is empowered to engage with books and reading, and a commitment to equality and inclusion underpins our core values.
We are proud to create a festival that showcases brilliant and diverse writing, championing new voices and celebrating Irish and international writing talent. At the core of Cúirt’s programme lives an enduring curiosity, a desire to ask questions and to understand how we make meaning in a changing world. Cúirt contributes in essential ways to Ireland’s literature ecology, providing an international platform for new writing, developmental opportunities for writers and the wider sector, and fostering and nurturing Ireland’s nation of readers.
Frequently Asked Questions
This years Festival is taking place from the 18 – 23 April 2023.
This year our box office is managed by the Town Hall Theatre. You can contact them by phone, email or drop in.
Address:
Town Hall Theatre
Courthouse Square,
Galway,
Ireland
H91 H3C2
Telephone / Box Office: 091-569777
Email: thtsales@galwaycity.ie
The term ‘Cúirt’ is inspired by the Gaelic court of poets and so the festival arises from the idea of a gathering of like-minded people who share a love of literature, ideas and debate. This tradition has been the festival’s inspiration ever since it was founded in 1985.
Our festival bookseller, Charlie Byrnes Bookshop, has an online shop with a dedicated page stocking all your favourite writers appearing at Cúirt this year.
There will be a pop up bookshop at the Town Hall Theatre. We will also have the relevant books on sale at all venues before and after each event.
Cúirt does not have an open submissions process. Our planning for the following year normally takes place between August and December of each year.
If you are a writer or publicist interested in appearing at the festival, or an organisation who would like to partner with Cúirt, please get in touch via info@cuirt.ie.
Given that we are a small team, we may not be able to respond to every unsolicited query, though we will try our best.
Each year we recruit a large number of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers for our annual festival. Volunteers are an important part of the Cúirt team and help to deliver an unforgettable experience for audiences and festival participants alike.
The festival will take place across three core venues; the Town Hall Theatre, Nuns Island and An Taibhdhearc (pronounced un tie-vyark).
The online box office at tht.ie will close one hour before each event. Tickets will be available on the door at each event’s specific venue up to one hour before the event. Cash and card will be accepted. We advise booking all tickets in advance.
Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop
Cúirt is proudly supported by our festival bookseller, Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop. Nestled in the heart of Galway, its seven rooms and over a hundred thousand new and second-hand titles are a magical space for any wandering reader to explore.
Find Out MoreCúirt Festival Team Members
Manuela Moser
Director
Aisling O’ Riordan
Festival Manager
Rita McMahon
Author Logistics Coordinator
Aisling Dolan
Marketing Officer
Mags Mullen Hughes
Administrative Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator
