WRITER Cónal Creedon is among a group of Irish icons who were named cultural 'heroes' at a Cork festival which is only held every seven years.
The novelist, playwright and filmmaker, who hails from Cork, was honoured as one of the ‘laoch reacaire’ or ‘hero storytellers’, at Féile na Laoch 2025, which translates as the ‘festival of heroes’.
Every seven years, Féile na Laoch is hosted in Cúil Aodha, in the Múscraí Gaeltacht in county Cork.
Cónal Creedon, newly named Laoch Reacaire, gives a reading at Féile na Laoch 2025This year's event, which ran from July 31 to August 3, saw Creedon’s London-based niece also in attendance.
“It’s a soulful engagement and a homecoming for me,” Creedon told the Irish Post.
“My father’s people come from these hills and so it has special personal significance that my six-year-old grandniece Edith Blake was here from London, such a wonderful opportunity to connect with her Irish heritage,” he added.
Cónal Creedon pictured (l-r) with his niece Roisin McAvinney, grandniece Edith Blake, Fiona O'Toole and niece Asha Kearney O'Toole holding Murphy the dog“Total immersion in Irish language, culture, the arts – the soul of Ireland is laid bare at Féile na Laoch.”
Inspired by the creative legacy of the iconic Irish composer Sean O’Riada, the event honours the cultural contribution of artists across seven creative disciplines – namely literature, music, dance, art, performance, poetry and song.
The Cork festival only takes place every seven yearsOther artists celebrated this month included Liam Ó Maonlaí of the Hot House Flowers, Altan’s Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, singer Celine Byrne, sculptor John Behan, artist Maria Simonds-Gooding, musician Martin Hayes, actor Stephen Rae and the poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin.
The event is formally opened with a dusk to dawn performance combining music, dance, story and poetry, which is known as An Aeríocht,
It begins at 6.30pm with a parade of fire after which live performances continue until sunrise the following morning.
“It’s such a personal honour to be appointed one of the Laoch 2025, connecting directly with the life-blood, pulse and soul of such a very special place,” Creedon said.
“The parade of the Laochs was a very special experience - marching with the elements of fire and water, and arriving en masse, on foot, led by a piper created such a profound sense of passion and pageantry.”
