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comedy · Friday 26 June 2026 · 8:00pm 
Eoin Colfer: My Sci-Fi
At The Cornmarket · Cornmarket, Wexford, Co. Wexford
At The Cornmarket · Cornmarket, Wexford, Co. Wexford
Eoin Colfer is one of Wexford’s most celebrated exports - a former primary school teacher who became one of Ireland’s most widely read authors. This evening at Wexford Arts Centre brings him home for an intimate conversation about the genre that has shaped his career: science fiction and speculative fiction. If you grew up with Artemis Fowl, have a soft spot for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, or are simply curious about how a Wexford man ended up writing the sixth instalment of Douglas Adams’s beloved series, this is the kind of event that makes a Friday night memorable.
This is an intimate conversation rather than a scripted performance - the format suits Colfer well. He is known as a sharp and funny speaker, and the discussion is set to cover the full range of his career in speculative fiction: the Artemis Fowl universe and characters like Captain Holly Short and Artemis himself, the Lord Highfire and Cosmo Hill books, and his relationship with Irish science fiction more broadly.
The event is presented by the Otherworlds Science Fiction Festival in partnership with Wexford Arts Centre, and it marks the launch of that festival’s inaugural year. Otherworlds is a dedicated celebration of sci-fi and fantasy in the south-east, so expect an audience of genuine enthusiasts rather than a passive crowd. Questions and discussion are likely to be part of the evening.
The venue itself adds to the occasion. Wexford Arts Centre is housed in a neoclassical building on the Cornmarket that dates from 1776 - originally the town’s market house, converted to an arts centre in 1974, making it the oldest regional arts centre in Ireland. The theatre is compact and intimate, which makes conversations like this one work well.
Wexford town is about 2 hours south of Dublin on the N11 / M11 motorway. From Cork or Waterford, the N25 brings you up through New Ross. Bus Eireann runs regular services from Dublin Busaras (route 2) directly into Wexford town; the journey takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes. The train from Dublin Connolly stops at Wexford station on O’Hanrahan Street, a short walk from the arts centre. Parking is available along the quays and in the Redmond Square car park nearby.
Wexford town has a compact and walkable centre, with the long Wexford quay running along the harbour and the medieval street pattern still visible in the narrow streets behind it. June is a fine time to be there, with long evenings and the summer season in full swing. There is more to see in Wexford and across Co. Wexford.
Heading to The Cornmarket in Wexford? Wexford has plenty more to see. Read the Wexford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.