Boyne Berries - The Trim Launch

Boyne Berries 10 was launched in Trim on Thursday night last by poet, publisher and editor Peter Fallon. A great night! Over fifty attended and listened attentively to twenty one writers read their contributions to the magazine. Our chairman, Paddy Smith, was ill and couldn't do his usual witty introduction so I did the honours instead.

Peter Fallon launched the magazine and congratulated the Boyne Writers Group on their initiative and dedication in keeping the magazine going over the last five years. He pointed out the importance of such magazines and such gatherings of writers. His comments on contributions to past issues as well as to the current issue were greatly appreciated and demonstrated the seriousness with which he approached his task.

Then we had the readings - a wonderfully varied selection of prose and poetry, ably delivered by writers from the group and from outside the group. There were laughs and suprises, great opening lines and chilling endings.

There was a special welcome for our visitor from Montreal, Canada, writer Carolyne Van Der Meer, who came to Ireland especially for the launches in Trim and Galway. Others who attended included Peter Goulding, Susan Connolly, Steve Wade, David Murphy, James Lawless and Brian Kirk and they and others brought us by Tara to Nagasaki, to the Ox Mountains and Croagh Patrick, a Cavan fair day and Central Station, Montreal. We met Francis Ledwidge and Pablo Casals, Zoey and a nameless joyrider.

A feature of this special issue was the inclusion of pictures, graphics, artworks and there was much favourable comment on these, as indeed there was on the colour cover by Greg Hastings using an image of floodlit Trim Castle.

We finished with Peter Fallon reading his new poem The Fields of Meath. Then we had tea and coffee and chatted and mingled. Then we packed and prepared to go west for the Galway launch on Friday evening.

Boyne Berries is on sale in Trim in Antonia’s Bookshop and in Spar and in Galway in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and can be bought by PayPal at this page. Otherwise email editor@boynewriters.com
Issue 10 which is a special issue costs 12 euro plus postage.

Pictures: Top: Carolyne Van Der Meer and Peter Fallon.
Below: Orla Fay, Peter Goulding, James Linnane, Susan Connolly.