Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize Winning Poet, Writes:

The prospect of a re-launch of the Synge Summer School is a cheering one. In the past, great benefit has flowed from this annual gathering which brings together so many interested parties in a single creative endeavour. Every year, the enduring link of one of the world’s great dramatists with his Wicklow region is celebrated with proper style and confidence. Scholars and critics of Synge’s work and of Irish theatre attend the event; the local community commits itself to it, local pride is fortified by it and local culture showcased. The great natural beauty of Rathdrum and district makes an ideal setting, and the many sites of literary and historical interest in the area give this particular summer school a special appeal for visitors. And not just for visitors: people on the ground come alive to the advantages of their native place. From my own participation in different years, I can attest to the vitality of the proceedings, both intellectual and social. Hard work goes into the organizing, but participants give as good as they get. Not only is the good standing of Wicklow’s playwright ratified, but the good name of his county and its people is enhanced. It’s encouraging to know that a new start is being made on this admirable work.

Email: syngesummerschool@iolfree.ie