Last Friday evening, the Seamus Heaney Centre buzzed with anticipation as the 4 Corners Festival 2025 kicked off its highly anticipated programme. This year’s theme, ‘Home?’, invites us to explore the profound meaning of home and belonging in a shared community. The launch event was a perfect embodiment of the festival’s spirit, offering an evening of laughter, connection, and shared humanity.
It was an honour to be treated to a captivating poetry recitation by Stephen Connelly, Outreach and Engagement Officer at the Seamus Heaney Centre. Stephen not only shared with us some of Heaney’s famous work, but also some of his own. Stephen’s own poetry delved deep into the emotional and sensory layers of home, evoking a profound sense of place and memory.
The evening continued with a dose of wit and humor as the fantastically talented and hilarious Tiff Minson took the stage for a stand-up comedy performance; a first for the 4 Corners Festival after 13 years. Tiff is a history graduate of QUB who was raised in England, and now calls Belfast home. Her razor-sharp observations and relatable anecdotes about this city we call home filled the room with laughter.
Karen Campbell helped draw the evening to a close with a poignant reflection on the theme of ‘home.’ Drawing on personal experiences, she eloquently explored how home is more than just a physical space—it’s a source of identity, connection, and belonging. Her words resonated with all present, leaving a collective pause for thought as the evening concluded.
Throughout the evening, festival founders Fr Martin Magill and Rev Steve Stockman shared with attendees some highlights of the 2025 programme. The 2025 festival programme promises a rich tapestry of events, blending art, conversation, and action to explore the concept of home from multiple perspectives.
Highlights include Iain Archer’s 30th Anniversary Homecoming Concert, which celebrates the celebrated songwriter’s journey, and Nuala McKeever’s one-woman play Truth, Love, or Promise; a poignant exploration of love and resilience. Sixth form students from across the city will also have the opportunity to partake in a songwriter workshop with Iain at Ulster University.
Care for our Common Home once again continues as a thread running throughout the festival programme. Events such as ‘Caring for Our Earthly Home’ and community clean-up activities along the Connswater Community Greenway emphasise sustainability and shared responsibility for our planet. 2 Royal Avenue will become the temporary home of Gardner and Gardner’s ‘Peacemakers’ throughout the festival – the knitting loom of all knitting looms!
Discussions will take place throughout festival week such as ‘Home in a Time of Homelessness,’ led by theologian Siobhán Garrigan, and a literary evening featuring Glenn Patterson, Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre, as we reflect on the deeper meanings of home in faith, history, and literature. Not to be missed!
It was a joy to host this year’s launch in the beautiful new Seamus Heaney Centre at QUB. A hub of literary and creative excellence, the centre opened its doors just 6 months ago and is much more than just a building. The centre is a tribute to one of Ireland’s greatest poets, and a beacon for artistic exploration, celebrating our cultural heritage, drawing as many people as possible into a world of creativity, and inspiring a new generation of poets, writers, and artists. It was recalled on the evening that Seamus Heaney was Secretary to the Catholic Student Society during his time at Queen’s. The minutes of one meeting recorded by Heaney read “as usual, the meeting opened with a prayer, and ended with a row.” We are delighted that the 4 Corners Festival 2025 launch did indeed open in prayer, and thankfully didn’t end in a row!
The 4 Corners Festival continues to be a beacon of hope for our city. The festival will, as always, challenge us to imagine Belfast as a home that welcomes all, breaking down barriers and building bridges of understanding, but in a particularly special way this year.
As the launch reminded us, home is where laughter echoes, creativity flourishes, and connections deepen. The 2025 4 Corners Festival promises to be a transformative journey, inviting everyone to explore new corners of what it means to belong.
Tickets for all events are free but should be reserved in advance. For more details, visit 4 Corners Festival.