This Sunday, 12 August, at the Kilkenny Arts Festival, poet, novelist, critic, journalist, biographer, Anthony Cronin looks back on his life and work – from his boyhood in Wexford to his friendship with Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh and Flann O’Brien – in the company of another Enniscorthy writer, Colm Tóibín.

After the interview Cronin will be joined onstage by Dónal Lunny (bouzouki), Graham Henderson (keyboards), Declan O’Rourke (voice) and Allison Sleator (voice) to premiere the musical version of Cronin’s poem, ‘RMS Titanic’ with a score composed by Dónal Lunny.

The idea stemmed from the Ranelagh Arts Festival a few years ago, where Lunny was performing with Jimmy McCarthy for the festival, and at the end of his gig Cronin read some of his poems. The idea of working on a musical collaboration emerged afterwards.

The event takes place at the Kilkenny Ormond Hotel at 1pm.

kilkennyarts.ie/events/details/anthony-cronin-interview.