Sunday, August 22, 2010

LitLab at the All Ireland Fleadh

Our LitLab group are making their contribution the the All Ireland Fleadh in Cavan this weekend. Yesterday Saturday we held a poetry and prose reading in the small intimate venue, The Book House, Bullock Lane, just off the main street in the town. It was an oasis of quiet away from the excitement and hurry and noises of the Fleadh with its wandering crowds, street sessions and loudspeaker music.

The small room was full and the audience was responsive and interested. They even joined in the chorus of my Commuters' Song. The chorus is Virginia, Kells, Navan, Dunshaughlin naming the main towns on the Cavan - Dublin commute. The confusion arose because every second chorus has the towns in reverse order (returning home!). Anyway they enjoyed it.

The general theme was Journeys and we each read poems or prose more or less on the topic. We were Paddy Smith, Paddy Halligan (pictured), Ina Olohan, Honor Duff, Pat Devaney, Mairead Donnellan and Irene O'Dea. Paddy Halligan also treated us to a song specially composed for the fleadh by LitLab member Honor Duff.

The group performs again today at 12.30 in the same venue. I won't make this one - too much going on!

2 comments:

Paddy Smith said...

A POETRY reading. Fancy that, Michael! And I'm sure Paddy Halligan, the man in the photo, is highly insulted to be captioned as Paddy Smith!

Michael Farry said...

Sorry Paddy, too many things on at the same time is my excuse. Poetry and PROSE reading of course and that's Paddy Halligan in the picture not Paddy Smith.