CORK writer Cónal Creedon has been appointed resident writer at the Princess Grace Library in Monaco, where he will spend a month working on a novel and stageplay alongside presenting a series of lectures.
Creedon, who has strong links to Beara through his mother Siobhán Blake, and is, of course, connected to Inchigeela on his father’s side, has travelled the world presenting his work at international literary festivals and universities, and has won numerous awards and has had his plays staged in far-flung places like Shanghai and New York.
The popular figure said the opportunity to spend time in Monaco is a great honour. ‘It is such a great honour for me to be associated with the Princess Grace Irish Library – an honour that extends beyond my own personal delight,’ he said in a post on LinkedIn. ‘I am looking forward to a most memorable month in Monaco and am so grateful for everything that has been extended to me by the wonderful teams at both The Ireland Funds and the Princess Grace Irish Library.’
The first of Creedon’s lectures, A Sense of Place, will take place on Thursday February 27th and is inspired by his most recent book Spaghetti Bowl which is an anthology of essays exploring the streets of Cork city.
The Princess Grace Library Monaco was established in memory of actress Grace Kelly, who was born into a prominent Irish-American family in Philadelphia. Following her meteoric rise in the world of theatre and film, she retired from acting at age 26 to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco, where she began her duties as Princess Grace of Monaco.
The Princess Grace Library Bursary Award was founded by the prince in November 1984 as a tribute to his late wife, who died in 1982.
Creedon has won numerous international awards in recent years, including the auspicious World Cultural Council Leonardo da Vinci Award of Arts in 2024, which he dedicated to his mother.
