Trim Swift Festival 2011

Suddenly it's upon us, the Trim Swift Festival starts on this Thursday. That must mean that our annual Battle of the Books is on Sunday. I understand that the other group has been hard at work preparing to defeat us again this year. While we were listening to Italian poets last Thursday they were locked away in an upper room finalising their line ups, their content and getting their timings just right.

Our spies tell us that we haven't a hope. Their finely honed content is excellent, no out of date jibes at bankers, politicians or the like - so last season! - but really good satire at unexpected targets, very Swiftian. Our own final (also the first) rehearsal is on later this week - well it has to be before Sunday! - at a secret location (I hope somebody tells me where). Seriously our only hope is that the others have peaked (peeked?) too early and will have gone stale by Sunday.

Next year they will be going for three in a row!! Oh dear. The Battle of the Books is part of the Theatre as you Dine event on Sunday in the Trim Castle hotel. Details here.

Picture above: Local artists put the finishing touch to a brilliant painting of Gulliver at the old salesyard, Summerhill Road, Trim. I love the watch detail. Now is that a murial or an alfresco? And who asked was there going to be anything about Swift in this year's festival?

Battle of the Books: Bob Dylan

Congratulations to Meath Writers Circle who won the Battle of the Books yesterday at the Trim Swift Festival. They defeated us by two points I think after a very exciting and close contest. Very good contributions by everyone and what was especially pleasing was the range of satire on offer. Well done to captain Tommy Murray, Frank Murphy, Jimmy Peppard and Mark Doyle. We will be back next year! Frank has pictures here and Tommy here.

The Battle ran late so a dash to Limerick for Bob Dylan's fourth of July concert - the last of his present European tour. Made it with plenty of time to spare and enjoyed a great concert with some standout performances. Set list here.

More later perhaps on both events. Home 2am - some work this morning.

Trim Swift Festival: Thursday - Friday

The official opening of this Festival last night was an enjoyable affair. A great mixture of the academic, the official and the ordinary. It was held in the very impressive new headquarters of the Office of Public Works in Trim. The building is either a great example of official overspending during, or a wonderful legacy of, the Celtic Tiger years.

Speakers included the chairman of the Town Council Trevor Golden, the chairman of Meath Co Council Willie Carey, the academic director James Ward, the local government minister Noel Dempsey and the star of the night, Professor Andrew Carpenter of UCD, an eighteenth century scholar (OK that came out wrong but you know what I mean).

Andrew gave a witty rousing address which ranged over Swift being a Tory rather than a Whig and therefore against such building as the OPW headquarters, the delight in handling a completely hand-made eighteenth century book, Trim as the satire centre of Ireland, and Swift attitude to the men's toilets in the building.

The night continued with the final of the Stand Up Row in the Malt house. I didn't attend but am told that the house was full, the contest exciting and that The Steps pub team won in a close contest. James Ward the academic director of the Festival was a judge and I'm told some of his marking was quite severe. He is also a judge at The Battle of the Books on Sunday.

Some of the opposition Meath Writers Circle were there last night looking very confident and talking of secret weapons. Wait until they see our secret weapons! Two of their members Frank Murphy and Tommy Murray were shortlisted in the Swift Satire Competition and Tommy won third prize. So they have a lot to be confident about.

Today during the day we have short poetry reading in the streets. I've just been asked to read some poetry by Swift there so I'm looking at the Verses on the Death of Doctor Swift and finding a manageable piece.

Tonight sees one of the highlights: An evening with Alastair Campbell and other media and political figures. Confirmed guests are: Senator David Norris, John Waters, Noel Whelan, Minister Dara Calleary, Terry Prone, Senator Dan Boyle, Fergus Finlay, Dan O’Brien, Deputy Leo Varadkar, Brendan Keenan, Danny McCoy and Deputy Joanna Tuffy.

The Battle of the Books

One of the innovative ideas which the Trim Swift Festival came up with this year was a live spoken satire contest which they have entitled The Battle of the Books. This is in addition to the written satire competition the short list for which was announced last week. Two teams representing the Boyne Writers Group and Meath Writers Circle will deliver their satirical pieces as part of a Swift Literary Cabaret on the Sunday night of the festival.

The rules are simple, four per team, two poems, two prose pieces, satire on any topic, must be written by the person who delivers it, time limits - 3 minutes poem, 5 minutes prose. A panel of three judges will deliver their verdicts round by round in an X Factor style.

Tommy Murray is the captain of the Meath Writers Circle and I am the captain of the Boyne Writers. Our group is holding rehearsals at a secret location this week to hone our delivery and no doubt the opposition is doing likewise. Any reports or secret information welcomed.

Full details of the Festival on their website including booking details should you wish to attend the contest. Other items on the programme are the reading of the winning entry in the written satire conpetition and a rehearsed reading from Gulliver's Travels by Trim Drama Group.