Discussion events @ #Phizzfest2025
Writer/actor Donal O’Kelly navigates the roiling quagmire of historical influences that drove Irish policy makers to concoct the system of Direct Provision for accommodating people needing international refuge a quarter-century ago.
Performance followed by a panel discussion in association with Afri, Action from Ireland
Louise Lowe is director and co-founder of multi-award-winning ANU Theatre Company, whose socially engaged work encompasses both theatre and visual art. Dr Austin O’Carroll is a GP whose radical rethinking of health care systems has created alternative possibilities for many of our most vulnerable citizens. Both work in and share a passionate interest in the north inner city and will discuss place-making and community.
Award-winning author Katriona O’Sullivan, whose memoir Poor became an international bestseller, will be interviewed by leading psychologist and author Richard Hogan. From her journey through poverty and early motherhood to overcoming barriers to education, Katriona has become an inspiring voice for equality and inclusion. A festival highlight.
Paul Murray, whose bestselling novel The Bee Sting won numerous awards and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, is joined by fellow author, and academic, Kevin Power (Bad Day at Blackrock) to discuss novel writing, the author’s life and why, if a book is gripping, you don’t care about the page count. A festival highlight.
This lively panel discussion will cover the growth of Bohemian FC in the Free State, referring to key events and personalities in the club’s history and social history. The panel will include Gerry Farrell, Irish football and Bohemian club historian; Dr Gerri O’Neill, DCU history tutor and former Bohemian FC PRO; and Brian Trench, retired DCU lecturer and former Bohemian FC media officer.