Achill Heinrich Böll Association

04/04/2026

Iggy McGovern
Sat Apr 04 2026 - 04:03

Picked on for his size, his lace
a source of teasing by the others,
sent out to extinguish
The Easter Candle.
Alpha and Omega, the wick
lies beyond his tiptoed reach,
afraid to fail, to face the mockery,
he grasps the beeswax in both hands,
eases it up and out of the holder
in arcing elevation:
The molten cup descends upon
his head in fiery baptism:
Crowning the martyr,
capping the jester.

Today’s poem is from Iggy McGovern’s recent collection, Hammer & Spark (Quaternia Press)
Poems of the Week Irish Times.

03/04/2026

Achill Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend
May 1st – May 3rd 2026
The Achill Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend takes place May 1st – May 3rd 2026 in Dugort Achill Island.

Details and Ticket are at: Achill-Heinrich-Boll-Memorial-Weekend-programme-2026.pdf

The weekend will be formally opened by German Ambassador David Gill at St Thomas‘ Hall Dugort F28 H320, Friday May 1st at 19:00.

Weekend includes a full series of Literary Readings, Guided Walks in the landscape, Writing workshop, Lectures, Visual Arts, Music and Comedy.

Featuring readings by John F Deane, Achill Writers Group, Hugo Hamilton, Rita Ann Higgins, Iggy Mc Govern, Timothy Emlyn Jones, and Michelle Walshe.

Lectures and talks by Maria Birger, René Böll, Luke Gibbons, Michael Gibbons, Eoin Halpin, Timothy Emlyn Jones, Micheál O'Briain, Mary Joe O Keefe and Nigel Rolfe.

Visual arts exhibitions and performance by Paula Fitzsimons, Margo Mc Nulty and Nigel Rolfe.

Music Diarmuid Gielty / John Butler.

Comedy with David O'Doherty. www.heinrichboellcottage.com.

02/04/2026

02/04/2026

Achill Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend
May 1st – May 3rd 2026
The Achill Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend takes place May 1st – May 3rd 2026 in Dugort Achill Island.
Details and Ticket are at; https://heinrichboellcottage.com/
Achill-Heinrich-Boll-Memorial-Weekend-programme-2026.pdf

The weelend will be formally opened by German Ambassador David Gill at St Thomas‘ Hall Dugort F28 H320, Friday May 1rst at 19:00.
Weekend includes a full series of Literary Readings, Guided Walks in the landscape, Writing workshop, Lectures, Visual Arts, Music and Comedy.
Featuring readings by John F Deane, Hugo Hamilton, Rita Ann Higgins, Iggy Mc Govern, Timothy Emlyn Jones, and Michelle Walshe.
Lectures and talks by Maria Birger, René Böll, Luke Gibbons, Michael Gibbons, Eoin Halpin, Timothy Emlyn Jones, Micheál O'Briain, Mary Joe O Keefe and Nigel Rolfe.
Visual arts exhibitions and performance by Paula Fitzsimons, Margo Mc Nulty and Nigel Rolfe.
Music Diarmuid Gielty / John Butler. Comedy with David O'Doherty. https://heinrichboellcottage.com/

24/03/2026

Geraldine Mills - Award Winning Writer in Residence at the Henrich Böll Cottage, Achill Island

An invitation for you to meet Geraldine Mills, Galway native, (whose parents come from Belmullet), and is a writer in several genres.

Geraldine will give a reading on Thursday 26 March 2026 from 7pm in the Dooniver Seomra Pobail (F28 K283), hosted by the Dooniver Women’s Group (Buíonn Mna Dhun Eibhir).

All are welcome and light refreshments will be served.

Geraldine is the author of six collections of poetry, four collections of short stories and two children’s novels. She has been awarded many prizes and bursaries.

A selection of Geraldine Mills published works:
Survival Games (Arlen House, 2025)
When the Light: New and Selected Poems (Arlen House, 2023)
Bone Road in Word and Image (Arlen House, 2020)
Gold (Little Island, 2016)
Hellkite (Arlen House, 2014)

25/10/2025

John Twin

le Colman Cassidy

Aon agus naoi ins an líne
naoi eile ansin is a dó
an bhliain ísligh Máire de Búrca
in Acla i gContae Mhuigheó
John Twin a thug cuireadh don Uachtarán
'teacht siar agus ligint a scíth
i nDubh Éige ag oscailt Scoil Acla
's i dTeach Heinrich Böll leis an saoi

Our sympathies on the passing of John “Twin” McNamara, Dooagh,– beloved teacher, historian, musician and lifelong champion of Irish language, Arts and culture in Achill and beyond. He is deeply mourned by his wife Mary, his family, friends, former pupils, and the entire Achill community.

01/09/2025

Ealaín na Gaeltachta
August 27 at 8:00 PM ·
Tá Cumann Heinrich Böll ag lorg iarratais ó ealaíontóirí le Gaeilge atá lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht (scríbhneoirí, ceoltóirí, amharc-ealaíontóirí) le haghaidh cónaitheacht choicíse i dTeachín Heinrich Böll in Acaill sa bhliain 2026.

Le tacaíocht ó Ealaín na Gaeltachta agus ó Chumann Heinrich Böll, cuirfear liúntas €600 agus lóistín ar fáil mar chuid den chónaitheacht. Beidh an t-ealaíontóir féin freagrach as costais bhia, ábhair agus taistil.

Is tearmann uathúil é seo, oiriúnach dóibh siúd ar mian leo éalú ó fhuadar an tsaoil laethúil. Is é an aidhm atá ann go mbeidh an t-ealaíontóir in ann díriú go hiomlán ar a gcuid oibre, agus ag an am céanna, Oileán Acla a úsáid mar fhoinse inspioráide dá gcuid saothair. Tá dhá sheomra leapa, cistin, seomra suí, dhá sheomra staidéir agus stiúideo sa teach. Níl aon nasc teileafóin ná idirlín ann.

Tugtar cuireadh d'ealaíontóirí, más mian leo, cuairt a thabhairt ar scoileanna nó clubanna áitiúla ar an oileán agus a saothar féin a chur chun cinn trí ócáidí poiblí.
Glacfar le hiarratais suas go dtí an 30 Meán Fómhair 2025.
Cuir d’iarratas isteach ar líne ag www.heinrichboellcottage.com

23/06/2025

🎥 WATCH NOW: Guided Nature Walk at Keem Bay with Micheál Ó Briain 🌿🐚

As part of the 2025 Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend on Achill, we were honoured to host a captivating guided nature walk at Keem Bay, led by conservationist and wildlife expert Micheál Ó Briain.

📍Starting from the top car park, the group explored one of Ireland’s most breathtaking locations – Keem Bay – a site of European conservation importance and home to rare flora, seabirds, marine life, and sweeping Atlantic views.

From basking sharks and bottle-nosed dolphins to ravens and black guillemots, Micheál offered insights drawn from decades of work in Irish and EU conservation – including his leading role in establishing the Natura 2000 network of protected areas.

Since retiring in 2021, Micheál has made Achill his base and continues to document the island’s natural wonders through his lens and fieldwork. This walk was a rare opportunity to see Keem Bay through the eyes of someone who knows and loves it deeply.

📺 Click below to watch the full walk and join us in discovering the wild beauty of Achill’s western edge.

12/05/2025

Great news from German Film Awards Doris Metz film, Petra Kelly Act-Now , won best documentary - straight from exhibit at Achill Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend 2025 - many congratulation Doris Metz and all. https://www.deutscher-filmpreis.de/film/petra-kelly-act-now/

07/05/2025

The 22nd annual Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend, held on Achill Island in May 2025, was a vibrant celebration of literature, art, politics, nature, and cultur...