The Stoneybatter Festival ran from Friday 22^nd June to Sunday 24^th June. It was a fantastic festival that featured a series of events, which highlighted the pride people have in this area and the sense of community that there is.

The Lilliput Press ran three events on Saturday. We kicked off with a children’s mindfulness workshop in the morning. Louise Shanagher, the author of the Mindfully Me series, led the children with mindfulness exercises, and encouraged them to draw pictures depicting how they felt.

Next up we had Bernard Neary, the author of the ever-popular Dublin 7, give a fascinating talk on the history of Stoneybatter. He was joined by The Cruelty Men writer, Emer Martin who read from her novel and answered questions about the painstaking research she conducted in the writing of the book.

To conclude the day we had Clodagh Emoe and the Crocosmia group, read from their poetry collection, The Plurality of Existence. The group consists of writers who are seeking asylum within Ireland, and currently living within the system of direct provision. The readings were both heartfelt and joyous with a sing along occurring at the end of a poem about weddings in Cameroon.

On Sunday, Lilliput Press set up a stall on Manor St along with the other businesses around Stoneybatter as the street was shut down for the day. With glorious weather and a great atmosphere, it is safe to say that the Stoneybatter Festival was a almighty success.