BUTTE, Mont. — In its second year, The Festival of Irish Writing in Butte has been an economic and creative catalyst for the community. Writers from across the state are showing up for the many activities that are offered over the weekend, including a workshop with Irish author Billy O'Callaghan.
WATCH THE STORY BELOW:
"A person’s story is their story. It comes from the heart or the soul. You know, we’re all a product of everything that came before us... All the people that came before us and their stories, they make us who we are," said O’Callaghan.
Seated at a table in the middle of a ballroom on the second floor of the Carpenters Union Hall, O’Callaghan was surrounded by Montana writers as he leads a workshop to kick off the writing festival.
Based in County Cork, a place where many Butte families have ties, Billy said his guidance in the writing workshop is an invitation for others to reconnect with their own stories.
"Maybe it’ll be an invitation to reconnect. You know, I would think it would be a good thing for everyone, really, to look into their own family stories because if somebody doesn’t write them down, they’ll be lost," said O'Callaghan.
Montana author and Butte native Lynn Ingham traveled from Seeley Lake for the workshop. She attended the inaugural festival last year and is completing a novel inspired by Butte.
"When anyone comes from Ireland and offers to teach you writing, you should not pass up that opportunity," said Ingham.
Ingham grew up in Butte and spent half a month last year working on her novel at a Dear Butte residency program, the nonprofit that organized the festival.
"Bringing people together like this is just really hard...It’s a monumental effort, and it’s so...It’s all really interesting. There isn’t a minute that you will, you know, participate that you won’t learn something new about Butte," said Ingham.
The festival is offered through local nonprofits Dear Butte and Working Quiet, and was created by singer-songwriter Christy Hays, who has brought hundreds of creators to Butte over the years.
"It really is about just getting the community interested and involved in sharing, and it really amounts to sharing," said Hays.
With funding from the Butte Chamber, the Butte Silver Bow TIBID, and a grant from the Montana Department of Commerce, the three-day festival also features free events like a ghost sign walking tour, a trolley ride, and speaker events at Montana Tech and the Butte archives.
CLICK HERE to check out the festival schedule and sign up for free events at Dear Butte.
