We, belatedly, but no less gratefully, want to thank everyone who helped and supported our 2022 festival.  

Thank you for your kind support: -

April and everyone at Breslin’s Supervalu, Abbeyleix

Ross and all the staff of Preston House  

April, Alex and all the team at Abbeyleix Manor Hotel

Dr. Mark Hilliard & everyone at Hilliard Press, Tennessee

J. Allan Smith Books, Tennessee  

Vera, Lori, Tommy and everyone at Abbeyleix Library and Laois Libraries.  

Eoin, Pat, Ruby and Oisin and all at Heritage House

Mary, Garry, Mark, Catriona, Fiona and all the team at Abbeyleix Community Garden & Wood Fire Stove

Sean & Alice and all the team at Mac’s @McEvoys Bar & Restaurant

John Purcell, Mooney’s Bar

John, Orla & all the team at Morrissey’s Pub

Caroline Bergin, CBPM Real Estate

Helen, Abbeyleix Laundrette

Claudette & staff at Sue Ryder

All the staff at Vincent’s

Aine, James & Mark, thebookmark.ie bookstore

Dunamaise Arts Centre

We did not have the opportunity to engage with every business in Abbeyleix again this year, but we thank you for all the support to our festival by way of displaying our posters and sharing news of our festival.  

We would like to thank all the local and National Media, especially: -

Laois Nationalist, Stan Henderson, Robbie @ Abbeyleix Facebook page, John Hayes @ Laois People, Laois Today, Leinster Express/Laois Live, Claire O’Brien @ Midlands 103, Anthony Sullivan @ Tullamore Tribune & Midlands Tribune, Anne-Marie Kelly @Midlands Ireland, Jillian Godsil @Dublin City FM, Vivienne Clarke, Irish Times, Irish Independent.

Thank you for all your help and continuous support Kevin Byrne, Photography, Lawrence Vesey, Spink Comhaltas, David Delaney - The Creative PR Dude, Mairead Connell Graphic Design and Illustration, Tara Doyle - Paul Moore Furniture, Noelle O’Connell - N.M. O’Connell & Associates.

Thank you to our wonderful writers, performers and musicians for your readings, workshops, plays, music, interviews and the sharing of your expertise. Thank you: -

Angela Keogh and John MacKenna – The Hedge School, Eleanor Merriman, Jessa R. Sexton, K. Mark Hilliard, Brian Killeen, Laura Murphy, Colleen & Erin Lalor, Spink Comhaltas, Arthur Broomfield, Frances Harney, John Whelan, Martina Murphy (Reilly), Danielle McLaughlin, Andrea Carter, Jimmy Rhatigan, Geoff Rose, Michael Somers, David Delaney, Mary Pat Moloney and Claire Blennerhassett.  

Special Congratulations to the recipient of our 2022 ‘Living Poets Society Award’ – Medbh McGuckian.

To everyone who came and shared a story, poem or song at our Open Mic events, thank you so much for sharing your talent with us.

Thank you to our friends and festival team members who conducted interviews and facilitated events: - Mairead Connell, Mary Hanrahan, Siobhan Hoy and Noelle O’Connell.

Thank you to photographer Kevin Byrne, for your always amazing photographs of our weekend and to Alan Smyth and team for your professionalism and impeccable sound quality and control.

Thank you to Laois Tourism and to everyone who liked and shared any of our social media posts, or helped us in any way. We really appreciate the support.

We would really like to thank all who volunteered at our 2022 festival weekend! So, THANK YOU Chelsea Barrett, Robbie Byrne, Conor Carroll, Mary Connell, Conor Dooley, Valerie Dooley, Stephen Dunphy, Alan Kelly, Gavin Kelly, Orla Kelly, Mary Miller, Karen Phelan, Miho Reilly, Pauline Swaine and Katy White.  

Thank you for your enthusiasm and hard work over the weekend and in the run up to it. We look forward to your involvement again this year!  

Thank you also to Mary Byrne for your support.  

We particularly want to remember our wonderful friend and team member, Ann Oxley, for all the ideas, good humour and help she gave to our festival. May her kind and gentle soul rest in peace.

Last, but not least, we’d like to thank everyone who came to The Power of Words Festival. We really appreciated you being here.  

If we have inadvertently forgotten to mention you, please accept our apologies and our thanks for your contribution to the festival.

From The Power of Words Festival Team 2022  

Amanda Kelly, Mairead Connell, David Delaney, Tara Doyle, Ruth Miller, Noelle O’Connell and Evelyn Quinlan  

 We look forward to seeing you all again this year on the weekend of 18th -20th August 2023! x