Events 2024

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Monaco's red carpet will be rolled out for the exclusive cinematic screening of the film Quintessentially Irish, while down the coast the Cannes Film Festival opens.

The film-documentary features an interview with H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and others including Pierce Brosnan, Jeremy Irons and Bob Geldof. The film's award-winning Irish director Frank Mannion will introduce the film to the audience in the Principality and we'll have a chance to chat with him during the welcome cocktail. The Monaco screening takes place at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation conference hall on Port Hercules, thanks to the genorsity of Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. 

Join us for an insightful lecture by academic Dr Maria McHale of TU Dublin who will reveal the story behind 'Eithne' the romantic opera in the Irish language, which was based on an Irish folk story.

Among the collections at the Princess Grace Irish Library is a rare copy of Robert O’Dwyer’s Irish-language opera, Eithne (1910) - which will be on display. What is remarkable about the score is that it contains a large number of signatures dated 21 May 1910, among them Robert O’Dwyer’s along with an array of singers including Joseph O’Mara and Evelyn Duffy, capturing some of the excitement of that particular night which was the last of a week-long run of the opera at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.

Zoë Conway & John Mc Intyre - award-winning, traditional Irish musicians will perform a mix of traditional and contemporary music and song on fiddle, guitar and vocals. Much of their repertoire has been composed by themselves and has links to the landscape of the Cooley mountains where we come from, and some pieces are inspired by artists like Seamus Heaney.

“Simply one of the best folk duos on the planet” (BBC)

An illustrated talk on the relationship between the Prince's Family and successive Irish presidents as seen through their correspondence by Flor MacCarthy, The Ireland Funds Monaco Writer-in-Residence. Based on her bestselling book The Presidents’ Letters: An Unexpected History of Ireland, journalist and author Flor MacCarthy, presents highlights which show the warm friendship between Ireland and Monaco which continues to this day.

Flor will reveal other highlights from her book, including letters between President de Valera, JFK and his widow Jacqueline Kennedy;  and the envelope on which President McAleese scribbled a phonetic message in Irish, which was used by HRH Queen Elizabeth II as the opening words of her historic speech in Ireland in 2011.

The Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco hosted its traditional harp music concert on Wednesday 13th March, followed by a special rendez-vous between H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover and Irish author Flor MacCarthy, whose book contains a letter from five-year old Princess Caroline to the President of Ireland in January 1962.  

This year’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations centred around correspondence to the Presidents of Ireland, including thank you letters from the mother and daughter Princesses of Monaco to President Éamon de Valera for his gift of an Irish pony to Princess Caroline in 1962.

A letter from a Princess to a President about an Irish pony

St Patrick’s Day celebrations with music and correspondence to Ireland.

The Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco hosted its traditional harp music concert on March 13th followed by a special rendez-vous between H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover and Irish author Flor MacCarthy, whose book contains a letter from five-year old Princess Caroline to the President of Ireland in January 1962.  

This year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations centred around correspondence to the Presidents of Ireland, including thank you letters from the mother and daughter Princesses of Monaco to President Éamon de Valera for his gift of an Irish pony. The talk by Flor, The Ireland Funds Monaco spring 2024 Writer-in-Residence was inspired by her book, The Presidents’ Letters – An Unexpected History of Ireland.

Enjoy an evening of storytelling and a multimedia, virtual tour of county Mayo, in the west of Ireland with anecdotes by Neal Doherty, author and tourist guide. Discover the history, the heritage, the ancestral home of the Kelly family and many French links to the county, as well as the sculpture in Newport unveiled by H.S.H. Prince Albert II in 2023, near the birthplace of Princess Grace's paternal grandfather John Henry Kelly. Hear about the pirate Queen, Grace O’Malley, and the impact that Mayo had on world history, the influence of St Patrick and the victories of General Humbert when he arrived with French troops in 1798. 

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St. Brigid’s Day is celebrated on February 1st in Ireland. The ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc, traditionally marks the beginning of spring and has evolved into a celebration of the achievements and creativity of women with a connection to Ireland. Princess Grace's legacy is representative of the vibrant voices of the women of Ireland.

Wednesday 24th January 2024 at 7pm  

Join author and historian, Patrick O'Sullivan Greene, who will give a lecture entitled 'Revolution to Royalty - The making of an Irish-American Princess', weaving in the experiences of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judge Daniel F. Cohalan and Jack Kelly (Olympic champion, self-made millionaire, politician and father of Princess Grace née Kelly). 

Online ticket sales now open! 

The Princess Grace Irish Library announces the theme for its 2024 cultural programme of events in the context of the 40th year celebration of the inauguration of the library in 1984 by Prince Rainier III.

We are delighted to announce the recipient of the spring 2024 bursary, generously supported by The Ireland Funds Monaco. Flor MacCarthy is a celebrated author, journalist and former RTÉ TV presenter who will spend the month of March as Writer-in-Residence.