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The Dalkey Book Festival founded by Sian Smyth and David Mcwilliams, takes place in one of the most beautiful corners of Ireland. Dalkey is a beautiful little medieval seaside town just half an hour outside Dublin, once home to George Bernard Shaw, schoolhouse of James Joyce and stomping ground of Beckett and Flann O'Brien.
A mix of literature, ideas, history, comedy, politics and world affairs, the festival tackles serious issues but it is also a lot of fun. Many authors return year on year to speak on panels, sign books, meet up in the authors' lounge over drinks and lunches over the long weekend. Here is a short trailer to tempt you: The Magic of the Dalkey Book Festival
In 2025 , we hosted giants of literature, including Pultizer winner Paul Muldoon, Booker winners John Banville and Roddy Doyle and Oscar winner Neil Jordan as well as Elif Shafak, Colum McCann, Joseph O'Connor, Donal Ryan, Elaine Feeney and Wendy Erskine. We also hosted Michael Lewis (The Big Short), Steven Pinker (The Bank Slate), and a host of FInancial Times writers. (The FT Weekend is our international media partner.)

2025
Michael Lewis, Steven Pinker, Lionel Shriver, Elif Shafak, Roddy Doyle, Joseph O'Neill, Colum McCann, Paul Muldoon, James Shapiro, John Banville, Donal Ryan, Kevin Barry, Avi Shlaim, Luke O'Neill, Ed Luce, John Burn-Murdoch, Wendy Erskine, Hallie Rubenhold, Robert Shrimsley, Sean Ronayne, Karen Hao, Fintan O'Toole, Charlie Mackesy, Carlo Gebler, David O'Doherty, Merve Emre, Olesya Khromeychuk, Gordon D'Arcy
2024
Claire Keegan, Paul Lynch, Anne Enright, Colm Toibin, Neil Jordan, David Baddiel, Isabella Hammad, Zarifa Ghafari, Nathan Thrall, Karim Kattan, James Shapiro, James O'Brien, Henry Winkler (The Fonz), Jeff Goldberg, John Boyne, Kevin Barry, Donal Ryan, Nuala O'Connor, Mary Costello, Jan Carson, Merve Emre, Sally Hayden, Robert Shrimsley, Katja Hoyer, Peter Frankopan, Kathy Lette, Manchan Magan, Colin Barret, Luke O'Neill


2023
Bono, Tom Hanks, Brian Cox, Ruby Wax, The Edge, David Brooks, Richard Ford, Sebastian Barry, Dylan Moran, John Banville, Masha Gessen, Peter Frankopan, Jeff Goldberg, Dan Ariely, Lea Ypi, Ramita Navia, Liz Nugent, Linda Yeuh, Fintan O'Toole, Mariella Frostrup
2022
Sally Rooney, Simon Schama, Fiona Hill, Elif Shafak, John Banville, Marian Keyes, Gary Shteyngart, Annie Mac, Robert Shrimsley, Blindboy, Luke O’Neill, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, , David O’Doherty, James O’Brien, Fintan O'Toole, Sarah Winman, Andrew Maxwell, Barry Murphy, Colm O’Regan, Mark Blyth, Marla Dukharan
