Poetry and Wine in Carton

Last night's wine and poetry event in Carton house was an enjoyable affair. It couldn't have been anything else with such a mixture. And both the wine and the poetry were great.

I was driving so my wine tasting was restricted but I enjoyed the three reds I sampled courtesy of Mitchell and Son, Dublin. The Mexican red was particularly good. Do I know much about wine? No. As much as I know about poetry I hear you say. Hmmm.

The poetry was excellent. Kate Dempsey was her usual self, delivering well-crafted, witty reflections in her direct, knowing style. Her wine poem Blind Tasting was a "found" poem (or "stolen" poem - she said) composed of phrases found in descriptions of wine:
This wine wants to uncork you.

Eleanor Hooker, who was in Poetry Ireland Introductions 2011 with me, read from her first collection recently published by Dedalus The Shadow Owner's Companion. Her poems about the boats and boat builders of Lough Derg made a great impression. Eleanor is a helm for the Lough Derg lifeboat and her poem Recovery, which deals with the recovery of a body, is spare and striking with a powerful opening line:
He's overdue, that's all we know.

It was my first time to hear Iggy McGovern read and he was impressive with a relaxed delivery and poems with humour and wit. He grew up in a pub, he told us, and read his poem, The Licensed Trade describing how his house was full of advertising for drink: a clock advertising Tennants, milk in a jug saying Guinness is Good for You and the children using pencils with Double Diamond advertising slogans - another "found" poem of sorts. You can hear him read this poem here.

It was a most enjoyable evening, well done to all concerned.