Maria Edgeworth Festival

Maria Edgeworth Festival of Literature & Arts in Edgeworthstown

The annual Maria Edgeworth Festival takes place every May. From it’s initial beginnings over twenty five years ago the Festival has grown to incorporate talks for second Level students, primary school poetry competitions, adult poetry, short story competitions and workshops, readings, historical trails, musical performances, nature walks, theatre performances and an 18th Century Costume Tea Party.  The Maria Edgeworth Festival in Edgeworthstown has established itself as one of the best Literary events on the Irish Calendar and has attracted visitors from all over Ireland and abroad who share an interest in Literary History. 

For Festival related enquiries please contact us festival@mariaedgeworthcentre.com

What is the Literary Festival?

Maria Edgeworth, a contemporary of Jane Austen, was an 18th century enlightenment figure who made leaps and contributions in the subjects of science, education and politics. It’s the goal of the festival and the society to build on her legacy, and the legacy of her whole family, in the hopes that awareness will keep her ideals alive and benefit the wider community.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of our visitor centre, with audio options in a number of different languages. We also have our Edgeworthstown history trail, where you can see the impact great minds have had on our town, including Goldsmith, Scott, Wordsworth, and more.