Birr Theatre to host County Pairings discussion with Offaly and Flemish writers

Birr Theatre will host 'County Pairings', a discussion with Offaly writer Eugene O'Brien and Flemish writer Margot Vanderstraeten this December.

Birr Theatre will host a very special meeting of minds this December, as the two distinguished European writers come together as part of the series County Pairings: Ireland and Europe in Conversation.

The event, organised by organised by Ring of Culture, will take place in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre on Friday, December 4, from 8pm. It has been officially recognised as an Associated Event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.

Offaly's own Eugene O'Brien is a friend of Birr Theatre and needs little introduction. The Edenderry playwright and screenwriter behind the award-winning play Eden and the acclaimed RTÉ series Pure Mule has spent his career capturing the heart, humour and hidden depths of midlands life, on stage, screen and, more recently, the page.

He is joined by celebrated Belgian author and journalist Margot Vanderstraeten, best known for her international bestseller "Mazel Tov", a warm, funny and deeply honest memoir of the unlikely friendship between a young Flemish student and an Orthodox Jewish family in Antwerp.

Together they'll explore literature, identity, memory and the culture of contemporary Europe, tracing the deep and often surprising links between Ireland and Belgium.

The event promises a warm, wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation between two remarkable storytellers, and a celebration of the words and histories that connect us across the continent.

The conversation will be moderated by Vitor Vicente following opening remarks by the Ambassador of Belgium to Ireland, his Excellency Nicolas Nihon.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to: https://birrtheatre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873690564