It was a pleasure to participate at the 2025 Librarians Association of Ireland conference in the Dromoland Inn.
Former RTE news anchor Bryan Dobson chaired a panel discussion entitled How Reading Anchors us as AI reshapes the Creative Landscape. My fellow panellists were authors Kathleen Mc Mahon and Ashwin Chacko, and with plenty of audience participation, there was a lively and wide-ranging discussion.
It was a privilege to be invited as the opening speaker at the Aras Inis Gluaire Literary Festival in Belmullet in County Mayo. A great few day of wonderful talks and events.
It was great to meet the enthusiastic students from St. Stephen’s School during my visit to Waterford library during the Waterford Writers weekend.
It’s been great to see such a positive response to my new novel, The Case of the Vanishing Painting, the first book in a new mystery series that I’m writing for O’Brien Press.
I was pleased to work with two Meath primary schools, Lismullen NS, Navan and Scoil
Cholmcille Skryne, over a two-month period, to help the children explore the history of the revolutionary period in their local areas.
The project is an initiative of the Meath County Council Decade of Centenaries programme,and is managed by the County Library service.
The picture shows l-r Brian Gallagher, Maedhbh Rogan-McGann, Ciarán Mangan, Dympna Herward, Tom French, Cllr Nick Killian, Cathaoirleach of MCC, Barry Lynch DoS, Jackie Maguire CE MCC.
I was delighted to see my children’s picture book, Millie and the Magical Moon, featuring on the most-watched TV programme in Ireland, the Late Late Toy Show.
During the month of October I’ve been busy travelling around the country as part of the Children’s Book Festival, visiting Libraries and schools in Westmeath, Offaly, Mayo, and Cork.
Here’s a picture of the display done by pupils in Scoil Naomh Eltin in Kinsale where I had a really enjoyable visit.
Drama on Newstalk recently aired the premiere of “PAID IN FULL”, my radio play that looks at the murder-mystery genre in an Irish setting, with twists, turns, and nothing being quite what it seems.
Written in the style of “DEATHTRAP” and “SLEUTH”, “PAID IN FULL” goes beneath the surface in a small Irish village that seems peaceful and law-abiding. But appearances can be deceptive, and dangerous game-paying is taking place behind closed doors. Who is telling the truth, and who is lying? And more importantly, who is likely to live and who is going to die? With greed, adultery and murder on the menu, a lethal cocktail is served up to the listener.
Can anyone guess what’s going to happen next as the twisting plot leads this way and that? Tune in to the podcast, to hear a top-rate cast immerse themselves in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Starring Aonghus Og McAnally, Sharon Hogan, Mark O’Regan, Mary Murray and Marion O’Dwyer, PAID IN FULL was written and produced by Brian Gallagher. The programme was funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television License Fee.
PAID IN FULL can also be listened to as a podcast at http://www.newstalk.com/documentaryonnewstalk
Exciting news is that my radio play, CAPTIVES, has been nominated in the drama category in the IMRO Radio Awards 2018. The Awards Ceremony takes place on October 5th in The Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny.
Pupils, teachers, and librarians in Killenaule in County Tipperary have just finished a month-long One Book One Community project based on my 2106 novel, Friend or Foe. Well done to all involved in a very successful undertaking.
Brian Gallagher 