Boyne Writers Group Annual Report

After a number of postponements because of the weather we finally had our 2010 AGM last evening. This a short version of the annual report.

Boyne Writers Group has had another very successful year with increased membership and increased attendance at fortnightly meetings.

Two issues of our magazine Boyne Berries, 7 and 8, have been published during 2010. Boyne Berries 7 was launched in March 2010 by Meath county Librarian Ciaran Mangan and Boyne Berries 8 was launched in September by Noel French of the Meath Heritage Centre. Issues 9 and 10 will be published in 2011. We hope to make issue 10 a special issue and would welcome suggestions as to content or format.

The group started the Boyne Readings and Open Mic in 2009 and this has proved a success. Readers in 2010 were: February: Susan Connolly. March: Ross Hattaway and Oran Ryan. April: Kate Dempsey. May: Willie Hodgins. October: Emer Davis. November: Grainne Toher. December: Kieran Furey. We are very grateful to Knightsbridge Village for allowing us use The Village Hall.

Once again we played a significant role in the Trim Swift Festival. We again organised the Satire Competition. The prizes totalling 1000 euro were given by the Trim Swift Festival Committee. This year’s judge was John Murray of RTE.

We also took part in the second Battle of the Books satire competition which was part of the Swift Festival. Our team of Barbara Flood, Caroline Finn, James Linnane and Michael Farry was narrowly defeated by the Meath Writers Circle team. Congratulations to the victors and thanks to all our members who took part and those who supported the team. We thank the Trim Swift Festival committee for their generous contribution towards the Group’s ongoing work.

We organised a poetry reading in the Church of Ireland cathedral, Trim for All Ireland Poetry Day 2010.

Members of our group were invited to read at Readings and Open Mics in Dublin and Drogheda. Four members read at a session organised by the Viaduct Bards in Drogheda and two members read at a Last Wednesday event in Westmoreland St organised by Seven Towers.

Three Boyne Writers Group members read poetry to residents of Knightsbridge Retirement Village each Wednesday and this has proven a great success. In 2010 the group was invited to organise events in Knightsbridge for the annual Bealtaine Festival which celebrates creativity in older age. The group was also invited to be part of the Positive Ageing Week and they organised an event in Knightsbridge which involved them reading some of their work designed to spark memories and discussion. Two members also read poetry every second Friday in St Joseph’s Nursing Home, Trim.

Congratulations to all of our members who enjoyed success in having their work published in newspapers and magazines, were commended or were prize winners in competitions.

A special thanks goes to the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim who accommodate us in the lounge every second Thursday night and host our launches. Thanks especially to our members who make each meeting a special occasion and who continue not only to write but to have the courage to read it to the rest of us and put up with the ensuing criticism. Well done!