Dr Rosaleen McDonagh with Mark O’Halloran

Rosaleen McDonagh writes fearlessly about a diverse experience of being Irish. Unsettled explores racism, ableism, abuse and resistance as well as the bonds of community, family and friendship. As an Irish Traveller writing from a feminist perspective, McDonagh’s essays are rich and complex, raw and honest, and, above all else, uncompromising.

“Don’t read this memoir in sorrow and outrage, read it because Rosaleen McDonagh is so proud, smart and ingenious, she will make you feel more properly alive. Beautifully written, this book beats back the darkness. It brings us all further on.” — Anne Enright on Unsettled by Rosaleen McDonagh.

Dr Rosaleen McDonagh is an exceptional person in many ways. As one of Ireland’s Traveller community, a traditionally nomadic ethnic group, she has burst through the educational barriers that have blocked so many. Not only that but she has achieved two dedgrees, her Masters and Doctorate while living with severe disability. In her memoir, Unsettled, she brings us with her on her life’s journey as she was taken away from her family into the care system, with a fearless collection of essays exploring racism, ableism and abuse she has experienced, as well as the bonds of community, family, and friendship that have supported her.

The conversation will be chaired by Alex Clark, a literary journalist and editor who has written for The Guardian, The Observer and The Times Literary Supplement.

The Dingle Literary Festival was established in 2019 to create an annual book festival to bring readers and authors together in West Kerry. It’s a literary festival that celebrates living writers as well as honouring the literary heritage of the area. Festival events happen in both Irish and English and range across all genres and age groups. We present both author events and writers’ workshops.

Our vision is of a festival where literature, language and landscape converge to create moments to share stories, to connect minds and allow magic to blossom. It’s a place that sparks discussion, fosters innovation and collaboration in the arts and creates a multigenerational community of readers and writers.

The Dingle Literary Festival is a book festival that elevates and celebrates the richness of Irish language and literature in contemporary life. We encourage a vibrant, relevant literary community to support both established and emerging writers.

Follow this link for news of this year’s festival