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.

Boyne Berries Launched in Trim

Poet and publisher, Peter Fallon, launched Boyne Berries 10 in Trim tonight, Thursday 29 September. Available for purchase in Antonia's bookshop, Trim and Spar, Trim. Galway launch Friday 30 September, 6.00pm Charlie Byrne's bookshop. also can be purchased online here.

Boyne Berries Launch

All set for the launch tomorrow evening in Trim. just a few little things to finalise.
That's great. Well done. You seem better organised than usual.
No, not better than usual, as good as usual!
Oh dear, as bad as that.
Peter Fallon is launching the magazine, I sent him a proof copy. He did a marvellous job the last time.
Oh so you don't actually have the magazine yet?
And we're having almost twenty contributors in Trim on the night to read their contributions. Probably our biggest launch yet.
Are there enough chairs in the room?
And a Canadian poet, Carolyne Van Der Meer, who is a contributor is arriving from Montreal tomorrow morning to read in Trim and at the Galway launch. An international event!
So what does this wonderful special 10th issue of Boyne Berries actually look like?
The proofs looked great.
But the finished, printed article?
I'll tell you tomorrow.
You haven't actually got the magazine yet and the launch is only a day away!
No panic! All is well! The Castle Arch Hotel, Trim, 8pm, tomorrow Thursday 29 September 2011. And Charlie Byrne's Bookshop, Galway, the following evening 6pm.
Have you checked that they corrected that comma on page 34?

New Poetry Collections

A new series of miniature poetry books called the moth editions is being launched next month.

The moth editions are small (at a mere 10cm high and 32 pages long) but perfectly formed. The aim of the series is to present new work by up-and-coming writers and selected work by already established writers ‒ from Ireland and abroad.

The first four titles in the series are Some Poems by Dermot Healy, Ciarán O’Rourke, Kate Dempsey and Ted McCarthy.

The series is edited by the editor of The Moth magazine, Rebecca O’Connor, whose collection Poems was published by the Wordsworth Trust, where she was a writer-in-residence in 2005. Her poems have appeared in The Guardian, The Spectator, The Stinging Fly, Poetry Ireland Review and Poetry Review.

The books cost just €4 each, and will be available at select outlets and to order online at the website (postage is free).

Launch: Friday 7 October, 2011, from 7.30 p.m at The Moth office in the Second Floor Studios in the former bishop’s palace just outside Cavan Town (the first turn on the right after the Radisson Hotel) ‒ with readings by Dermot Healy, Ted McCarthy, Kate Dempsey and Ciarán O’Rourke. All very welcome.

The Bord Gáis Energy Book Shop of the Year

Bord Gáis Energy has launched a competition to find Ireland’s top bookshop.

The competition, The Bord Gáis Energy Book Shop of the Year, offers readers and members of The Bord Gais Energy Book Club the opportunity to vote for their favourite store.

The competition asks those voting to ask themselves:

Does the book shop provide a wide range of books for you to choose from?
Are the staff in the shop approachable, helpful and knowledgeable?
Is it easy to find the book you are looking for?
Do you trust that you will enjoy the books recommended by the shop?
What is your overall impression of the shop?

Ten stores, (two from each of five regions; Leinster, Munster, Ulster, Connacht and Greater Dublin) will be shortlisted for the award. The winner will be announced on 17 November 2011 at a Gala Dinner to celebrate the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards in the Convention Centre, Dublin.

The winning store will receive an honorary award as well as €5000 worth of gas and electricity from Bord Gáis Energy.

On recent visits to Sligo I noticed that Keohane's Bookshop has closed. The Book Nest bookshop in the town centre also closed some time ago.

In Trim we are lucky to have Antonia's bookshop. And of course on Friday this week we go to Charlie Byrne's bookshop in Galway for our Galway Boyne Berries launch.

Votes can be cast here.

Busy, Busy

In Sligo all day on Thursday (or was it Wednesday? No, Wednesday I was in Knightsbridge Retirement Home reading poetry) on a final (or nearly final) search for photographs for The Book. I got some wonderful ones, thanks to Sligo Library and some new and newly found relations. Photographs aren't easy to come by for Sligo 1912-1923 and many have been printed many times already. We prefer images not published before.

Trying to write The Conclusion, 2,000 words or so to sum up the period, as if that was possible. A rough draft done and sometimes as with poetry on second look the rough draft seems much better than you first thought. The target? All finished in two weeks. Finished is an uncertain term, there will be revision, rewriting etc afterwards of course.

And Boyne Berries? Presently the calm in the centre of the storm. It's with the printers who never failed us before. The venue is booked, the launcher, Peter Fallon, is primed and we have a rough idea of which contributors will attend. Galway launch is new territory for us but it's in the capable hands of Kevin Higgins so no worries there.

Hunky Dorys Park, Drogheda last night to see Sligo Rovers continue their push for the title. Today fundraising for Hope foundation's work in Kolkata (Calcutta) in Dunderry, Co. Meath.
And did I hear something about minding a grandchild on Monday?

It's great to be retired and have nothing to do!!

Writers Groups - The Rules

One of the writers groups I'm a member of, LitLab, had a workshop with writer Patrick Chapman earlier this year. He conducted the workshop with the rules used in a workshop he's a member of. We decided to adopt these rules when we came back after summer so we start this week.

The rules include:
All pieces to be presented for criticism must be circulated beforehand.
Each member must print out each piece and make notes, criticisms, suggestions on it.
This will be used at the meeting and then given to the author.
Criticism must be positive as well as negative and not personal.
At the meeting the author reads his/her piece.
Each member in turn offers thoughts on the piece without interruptions.
The author responds at the end.

So I've been printing out the pieces from the other members, reading them and making notes on them. This is a different experience to hearing them read once and immediately responding. I've no idea how it will go at the meeting. I imagine the 'no interrupting' rule might be the most difficult to enforce!!

Margaret Brock (1920-2011) RIP

Margaret Brock (1920-2011) RIP. The last of the aunts and uncles who emigrated to the UK, USA and Australia.

Last year myself and her son, who was visiting from Australia, climbed Knocknashee on her instructions. Knocknashee is the hill which overlooks her and my native parish in Sligo and features in the image at the head of this blog. This poem came as a result of that climb.

Climbing Knocknashee
(For Margaret and Bridget)

We picked the perfect weather.
No sun-tanned tourist jaunt,
but wind-swept, rain-scoured,

mission for memory, pilgrimage
proving our resolve, our ancestry
and gifting us something else -

the feel of wet earth underfoot,
the mark of real clay on hands,
cheeks burning with achievement.


We picked the perfect date -
All Souls. Their misty shapes
crisscrossed the dim patchwork,

moved between landmarks,
their birth and resting places -
cottages, schools, spring wells –

as they made their silent ways
to dances, doctors, chapels,
left by cemetery or railway station.


We picked the perfect place,
Knocknashee’s proud stump
demands attention, stranded

like an upturned ark, pointing
to something better somewhere
else. Crowned with cairns

and the worn-down wreckage
of unknown ages, a becalmed
benediction on life’s complexities.


We stood silent on the summit
wished you were there beside us.

You were there beside us.

Boyne Berries 10

At last! The final proof read, last comma in place! The special Boyne Berries to mark our tenth issue is with the printers. It's a much different production to the black and white, spare magazine we usually produce. This is a larger format, has colour throughout, and has a number of colour images, some full page, included.

The usual mix of prose and poetry (and drama!) though with contributions from Trim, Meath, rest of Ireland, UK, North America and other parts.

Peter Fallon, poet and publisher, contributed a poem which is perfect for the magazine and has been given pride of place at the front. He is also performing the Trim launch which takes place on Thursday 29 September in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim at 8.00pm All welcome!!

Kevin Higgins, who will perform the Galway launch in Charlie Byrne's bookshop on 30 September at 6pm, has a poem included as well. Others included are James Lawless, Susan Connolly, Niamh Boyce, Alan McMonagle, Deirdre McClay etc etc.

We are looking forward to the two launches. The only problem might be what do we do for Boyne Berries 11. Will we be able to return to our quiet little magazine after the gloss and colour of issue 10? We'll see!!

Poetry and Paintings

This seems like a great idea by the Irish Writers' Centre, Dublin.

"In celebration of Frank X. Buckley and his extensive collection of art, which is on permanent display in the Irish Writers' Centre, we are inviting all writers of both poetry and fiction to write poems and flash fiction based on pieces from the Frank X. Buckley Collection.

The collection includes an exciting array of well-known Irish art including the likes of Felim Egan, Michael Mulcahy, Graham Knuttel and Thomas Ryan. The entire collection was donated by Frank X. Buckley. His desire was to make the Irish Writers' Centre a more pleasant place to work in and create. Art is another creative outlet not far removed from creative writing where crucially a scene or a moment is imaginatively conceived.

On November 24th we will be hosting a night celebrating Frank X. Buckley and his collection along with an abundance of exclusive guests from artistic and literary circles. The authors of our three favourite pieces will be invited along to read on the night. We have a selection of the paintings on our website and will be adding more in the next week. You are also welcome to come in and look at them in the Centre if you would like to write about a piece that is not on our website.

Submission Guidelines -

Up the three poems of maximum 40 lines or up to three flash fiction entries of maximum 500 words. Please send all entries to info@writerscentre.ie and put either 'Poetry Submission' or 'Flash Fiction Submission' in the subject line. All submissions should be attached as Word documents.

A selection of paintings from the collection are here."

Dromineer Literary Festival 2011

I'm going to miss the Dromineer Festival this year. The Poetry Divas and C.S. Lewis! It clashes with our Boyne Berries launches in Trim on Thursday 29 September and Galway Friday 30 September. I didn't enter their poetry competition either, no time!

Another memo to post history book self - enter Dromineer 2012 and go to the weekend.

"The eighth annual Dromineer Literary Festival will take place from Thursday September 29 to Sunday October 2 at Lough Derg Yacht Club in Dromineer village.

At 8pm, Thursday night September 29, Dermot Healy, Kerry Hardie and Catherine Phil McCarthy will give a poetry reading, Lough Derg Yacht Club, and on Saturday night, October 1, The Poetry Divas will perform at The Whiskey Still pub in the village.

The Meet the Authors event attracts huge audiences each year, and we are delighted that Jennifer Johnston and John MacKenna will be reading and in discussion on Saturday night, October 1, at 8pm at Lough Derg Yacht Club. We encourage our audience to read these authors to increase their enjoyment of the event.

A performance presented by the renowned Nenagh Players to close the weekend is of CS Lewis' A Grief Observed. This one man show, adapted and performed by Ronan Dodd, will take place from 8pm, Sunday night, October 2. A Grief Observed was written by Lewis after the death of his wife, Joy Gresham, from cancer in 1960.

The Sunday afternoon event afloat aboard the passenger vessel The Spirit of Killaloe, is entitled The Living Lake. Scientists Rick Boelens and Dan Minchin will give a talk on the hidden depths of Lough Derg; its biodiversity and environmental heritage. Places are strictly limited, to ensure a place, please contact Eleanor at emhooker@ eircom.net

This year, for the first time, the festival will feature film. A Short Movie written and directed by George Hooker, and produced by Sorcha MacKenna, students at DIT, will be premiered at 3pm on Saturday afternoon October 1 at Lough Derg Yacht Club. Filmed on location in Dromineer in June 2010, the short movie stars Nenagh Players actors, the late Stephen Toohey (with the kind blessings of his family), Niamh Hogan and Olly Griffin. All welcome. Admission is free.

Also on Saturday October 1, David Shaw-Smith will give a talk on his landmark documentary series ‘Hands’ Boatbuilder with Shannon-one-Design Boatbuilder Jimmy Furey attending as our special guest. Other films in the Hands series will be screened at Neddy’s Cottage in the village, throughout the weekend.

We look forward to welcoming you to Dromineer at the end of September. For full details visit the website"

The First Time

I've cracked the trip to Dublin to the National Library for a research day. Drive to Heuston Station and park there, only 7 euro for the day, Luas to Abbey St and walk from there. Cheapest, quick, includes exercise.

The Luas from Heuston at 9 in the morning is usually packed so it's standing for the short ride to Abbey St. On Tuesday a little later than 9 it wasn't packed but all the seats were occupied so I stood. Just in front of me a youth turned round, looked at me, got up and offered me the seat. Shock! What to do? I just sat down.

Ah well, old age has some compensations.

Back to School

Yes it's that time of year, usually means little to me now except a silent chuckle. This year the two first grandchildren, Cian and Donnacha, are starting school, today and tomorrow, so it is special.

One of the nice things that has happened at our Knightsbrook readings is the number of residents who read with us. This has grown as the weeks pass and last week I think I only had to read four poems. One resident does a lovely rendition by heart of this Wee Hughie poem by Elizabeth Shane. Most suitable for the day.

Wee Hughie

He’s gone to school, wee Hughie,
An' him not four,
Sure I saw the fright was in him
When he left the door.

But he took a hand o’ Denny,
An’ a hand o’ Dan,
Wi’ Joe’s owld coat upon him –
Och the poor wee man!

He cut the quarest figure,
More stout not thin:
An’ trotting right and steady
Wi’ his toes turned in.

I watched him to the corner
O' the big turf stack,
An' the more his feet went forrit,
Still his head turned back.

I followed to the turnin’
When they passed it by,
God help him he was cryin',
An', maybe, so was I.

Boyne Berries 10

The material for Boyne Berries 10 has been selected and is with the printers. We await the first proof. Because this is issue 10 we decided to change the format so instead of the simple, unadorned Boyne Berries we usually see, this is to be larger, colourful and contain illustrations/pictures/graphics. So lots more work to do.

The launch date has been fixed. Two launches actually, the first as usual in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim on Thursday 29 September at 8pm. Peter Fallon, poet and publisher, had kindly agreed to officially launch the magazine for us.

The following night we launch in Galway, in Charlie Byrne's Bookshop at 6pm. Kevin Higgins will perform the honours there and we look forward to seeing all our Galway and neighbourhood contributors, past and present. All welcome to either or both launches. Contributors will be present and will read from the magazine.

Ealú - Frank Carty Rescue from Sligo Gaol 1920

I attended the preview of the Carty escape Magamedia drama/documentary for TG4 in the series Ealú which is about prison escapes. It took place in the impressive Cinema North West mobile facility in the yard of Sligo Gaol last Monday.

It's interesting to see how such programmes are put together. Three or four 'experts' were interviewed and their interviews were cut and jig sawed together to make a more or less coherent account. There was also a narrator, someone with one of those authoritative voices which carries the ring of truth about it.

Then there was the reconstruction. Very effective though quite simple. Some shots of a prison wall, rope ladder being thrown and falling, men running in a yard. Nicely filmed sequences of the overpowering of a guard, of the waking of the governor and the taking of the keys and the opening of Carty's cell. Also some nice shots of a small IRA column moving in the mountains, crossing picturesque streams etc. All expertly put together in a coherent story.

I was surprised by how close-up my filming was - though maybe this was just the effect of the big screen. I was pleased that my Irish seemed OK and I didn't spot any glaring grammatical mistake. Nor indeed any glaring historical inaccuracy.

Paddy Hayes, the series director introduced the programme in Sligo and stressed that this was a jailbreak, a rescue not just an escape. Billy Pilkington, the Sligo IRA O/C planned and carried out the rescue. It's ironic that Carty and Pilkington didn't get on well afterwards though both took the anti-Treaty side in the civil war. Pilkington became a Redemptorist priest afterwards and spent most of his life in South Africa. Carty joined Fianna Fáil and became a TD.

I don't know when the programme will be shown, sometime in this autumn or winter. Watch the TV schedules!

Sligo Gaol

A great visit to Sligo Gaol, or what remains of it, on Monday. Quite a lot remains actually. Some parts have been converted to modern offices inside with the outside stonework repointed and very well maintained. Other parts especially the cell block have been left exactly as they were when it was closed in the fifties. You can walk in through the corridors and cells and get a feeling for what it was like - gloomy and claustrophobic actually.

The Gaol was built with a central Governor’s House from which the cell blocks, which formed a semi-polygon on plan, could be observed. See picture in a previous post. Within its high boundary walls there was separate accommodation for men and women, criminals, lunatics, and debtors. It was built around 1814-1820 and must be the finest surviving gaol of its time in the country.

The Governor's house still stands, see picture above, and to the left the front three storey end section and much of the left-hand side two storey blocks. Most of the structures to the right of the governor's house are gone.

A conservation plan for the Gaol was launched on Monday by Sligo County Council and some work will start very soon. Michael Collins and Sean MacEoin were imprisoned there during the war of independence and of course Sligo IRA leader Frank Carty was rescued from the jail in 1920. The TG4 Magamedia programmes on the escape in the Ealú series was premiered in the Gaol grounds on Monday. More on that later.

Trim Walled Town Heritage Day

A very enjoyable day in Trim on Sunday last celebrating the Walled Town and Heritage Week. Jousing on bicycles, fencing, stilt walking, irish music, bouncing castles, an Elvis impersonator, dancing, pig roasting a Redcoat looking for rebels etc etc.

And poetry and prose. Members of the two Trim writing groups, The Meath Writers Circle and the Boyne Writers Group in perfect harmony, read poetry and prose.

In the welter of activity they didn't attract all that much attention but those who did listen were treated to a piece from Paddy Smith especially written for the occasion about town walls and taxes and tolls. Tommy Murray read from his newly published Famine Trilogy and Paul Kerr, James Linnane and the Sheriff from Navan also read.

Above Orla Fay reads some of her poems on notable landmarks including Newtown Abbey.

In Sligo Gaol Today

Today, as part of Heritage Week 2011 two of the TG4 documentaries in the Ealú series with sligo connections will be screened at Sligo Gaol by cinema North West. The Linda Kearns programme has already been shown on TG4 but the other, about Frank Carty's 1920 rescue from the jail, will be shown for the first time. It will be aired sometime in the autumn.

I was interviewed as an historian for the Carty programme and I've been invited to the 5pm showing. I'm looking forward to see how my Irish sounds and which bits of my interview they included.

The 5pm event will also include the launch of the County Council's Sligo Gaol Conservation Plan. I have to admit that I have never visited the gaol but it seems there are substantial parts of the jail still in reasonably good shape. I'm looking forward to seeing the wall the rescuers climbed in 1920, a long wooden ladder to get on to the wall, a rope ladder to get down inside.

Screenings will take place at 1pm, 3pm, lasting 50 minutes in total and suitable for a general audience . Aof the Frank Carty story only will also take place at 5pm on Monday 22nd August (duration 25 minutes and GA).

Admission is free, but booking is essential. To book your place at any of the screenings above email heritage@sligococo.ie

Top: Aerial photograph of Sligo gaol 1947, photo National Library of Ireland.

LitLab Fleadh Reading - Saturday

The LitLab reading at the Art Space, Bullock Lane yesterday went very well - a quiet space in the middle of a lot of loud music and huge crowds.

The venue is small but at one o'clock it looked like there would be more readers than audience. However an audience assembled two by two and by the time we were in full flow there was a respectable number present.

Six LitLab members and two others read. A respectful, responsive audience enjoyed the content, laughing and remaining silent at appropriate places.

We had a short story, a prose piece poking fun at Wordsworth, writers' groups, poetry criticism and a LitLab member and poems about Tara, travellers, swallows, crows, water, climbing mountains etc.

An exhibition is currently on display in the Art Space entitled Traveller’s Memories Pavee Tales and the artwork provided a suitable background. Full details of the exhibition here. Another LitLab reading today in the same venue at 1pm.

Poetry Readings and more Poetry Readings

Tomorrow back to Cavan for more poetry as part of the LitLab's contribution to the Fleadh. This time indoor, no live feed I presume, at the Artspace, Bullock Lane, just off the main street in Cavan town. This is an intimate space perfectly suited for events like this. Don't know how many will be reading, five or six probably with an invitation to audience to join in.

And on Sunday there's a Town Walled Town Fun Heritage Day. We have been asked to do a short reading, not necessarily poetry, even though we don't seem to appear on the programmes. The other group based in Trim is also reading I understand. I'm looking for something suitable to the town, walls etc theme.

Cavan Fleadh Poetry Reading 2

More pictures from yesterday's event which was briefly, very briefly, featured on RTE news bulletins at 6 pm and 9 pm yesterday. Above Tony, below myself.

Cavan Fleadh Poetry Reading

Just home from Cavan Fleadh where LitLab read poetry at the stage at Farnham St. Library from 1 to 2pm. Very enjoyable session. Three of us read, Paddy, Tony and myself and we were assisted by a number of audience members who read favourite poems. Also a Cavan poet, P.J., was passing by and recited two of his own poems by heart. Very impressive.

The very energetic Cavan Arts Officer, Catriona O'Reilly was there and as well as encouraging audience participation she read some of the LitLab postcard poems (picture below).

An appreciative audience, some sat on the chairs and benches and stayed for the whole hour, others drifted in and out as they passed by, got interested and then left for work or something else. Nice to see Heather Brett, the Cavan poet, who has been associated with LitLab for some time in the audience.

I began the proceedings with The Lake Isle of Innisfree and continued with my own poems. Paddy read classic poems and finished the session with his current favourite The Owl and the Pussycat (picture above) and Tony read a number of his poems.


The set up was great - a large stage in a covered area in the open space outside the library, with benches and chairs for listeners. A very good sound system ensured that everyone passing by, walking, in cars and on the other side of the street heard something of what was going on.

A particular bonus was that fact that proceedings were being streamed live on the internet so I texted my daughter in Perth, Australia and she watched her Dad read in Cavan. Most of the session is now available here on the website of CavanTV. Check the two latest videos under the live feed. I'm the person in blue.

There is a nice cosmopolitan feel to the streets of Cavan at the moment with visitors there from many parts for the week. Next Saturday and Sunday LitLab are reading again, this time in the Arts space, Bullock Lane, just off the main street, 1 to 2 each day. I'll be there on Saturday.

More picture from today later.

Cavan Fleadh 2011

Our Meath/Cavan writing group, LitLab, is taking part in a number of events in this year's Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Cavan. Last year in collaboration with Cavan Arts Office we produced a set of coasters/beer mats which had haiku from members of the group. This year the coasters were reprinted and are being distributed free to hotels and pubs.

This year we have produced a set of ten postcards for the Fleadh with short poems from LitLab members and photographs and artwork. The postcards are being distributed free to hotels, shops etc in Cavan and environs for the Fleadh.

Mine is pictured above. I found a reference somewhere in my research to a blind nineteenth century woman called Sibby Durkin who lived near Coolaney and earned money by playing the fiddle. So this little poem remembers the long gone fiddler. The picture is by Desmond Connors.

LitLab members are reading at the Johnstown Library Bandstand on Monday and Tuesday from 1 - 2pm. Poetry, prose, our own and classics, whatever seems most suitable I suppose. Audience participation welcome. We also will read in the Schoolhouse in Cavan town on Saturday and Sunday, again 1-2pm.

The Early August Garden

Our garden never looks at its best this time of year. It will be OK in a few weeks with Rudbekia and Japanese Anemone in bloom but there's a gap at the moment. The woodbines are in full flower and the climbing roses just fading. The trick is to look for the small hidden things like the Harebells and Houttuynia above. They grow and expand year after year with little care or attention. My kind of flowers!

Peter McDonald on Yeats's Juvenilia

I managed to attend one session of the Yeats Summer School in Sligo and heard two interesting lectures on early Yeats.

Peter McDonald of Oxford University lectured on Yeats's Juvenilia. He started by asking Where/When does a poet begin? Some very early and he mentioned Wordsworth, Tennyson, Shelley and Pope as prolific teenage poets. Others write a lot in their youth which later is rightly forgotten. This is what is usually classed as juvenilia.

He wondered why there wasn't a similar name for poetry produced at the other end and did say that in Walter Savage Landor's 14 volume collected works there was a section at the end called senilia. Leigh Hunt called his debut collection Juvenilia with the subtitle a Collection of Poems Written between the ages of Twelve and Sixteen.

There is no juvenilia section in Yeats just some carefully winnowed works of youth in the early books.

A poet starts with another poet, McDonald said, meaning that poets write under others' influences until they find their own voice. And he looked at the poets who influenced Yeats from the evidence in his first published poem The Island of Statues and early versions of Oisin. Spencer, Shelley, Tennyson are the great influences at this time.

The lecture ended with the admission that most of this early work by Yeats is not of great quality and of interest only to the scholar and that there is no answer to the question posed at the start.

Yeats' first play, Love and Death, 1885, previously unpublished has just been published by Boston College on the internet and a reading was given at the Summer School.

Peter McDonald is a poet himself and his recent volume Torchlight is reviewed here.

I didn't have time to attend Peter's poetry reading or the Yeats play reading. History called. Note to self : After the book is finished attend at least one week of the Yeats Summer School.

Boyne Berries 10 Magazine

The submission deadline is over, the submissions are with the readers and decisions will be made in the next two weeks. Those whose poetry or prose will be included in our special Boyne Berries 10 will be notified before the beginning of September. The launch will be in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim on Thursday 29 September at 8pm and all contributors will be invited to attend and read.

For the first time ever we will have a second launch, in Galway in Charlie Byrne's Bookshop on Friday 30 September. We hope contributors from the west, and others will be able to attend that event which starts at 6pm.

At the moment we are finalising the design of the magazine which will be different to the usual black and white spare design. Boyne Berries 10 will have colour and photographs and artwork but the emphasis will be as usual on the poetry and prose from Meath, Ireland and the world. a nice selection of submissions from all over the world as usual.

Sligo Rovers Exit Europe

The man at the Sligo cafe checkout looked at me and made a choice. Here for the races? No, I told him, for the football, disappointed with his choice.

Yesterday Sligo town was busy. An evening race meeting (ladies' day), and a European soccer match.

The Showgrounds looked great, a new stand, fresh paint, a perfect pitch, flags, a full house, lots of excitement. Not many Vorskla Poltava supporters unfortunately but it's a long way from the Ukraine. There was a small group in the main stand who made lots of noise when they scored. We also had someone from there to read out their team list which was good. And there were commentators in the press box who got very excited I'm told.

It rained earlier but stayed dry for the match so neither Knocknarea nor Benbulben was visible both bundled up in clouds.

And the result. Two quick goals for the visitors after 15 minutes spoiled the party. There was a clear difference in class and Vorskla Poltava's quick crisp passing often left Sligo chasing shadows. Rovers did have chances and gave a good account of themselves after the two goals to keep the score respectable.

Vorskla Poltava's website is here, English version. No report from Sligo there yet but they have pictures here. Jessica's report is on extratime.ie.

Pictures:
Top: Rovers welcomed on to the field.

Below:
1. Vorskla Poltava arrive at the grounds. Second from left is Sergei Zakarlyuka who scored their first goal.
2. Flags, including that of Ukraine, fly at the Showgrounds.
3. Manager Paul Cook relaxed before the match.

The Sligo Trip

Just back from a most enjoyable exhausting few days in Sligo. I attended a lecture on Sunday night at the Ballymote Heritage Weekend Eva Gore Booth, Champion of the worker by Cllr Ruth Illingworth from Mullingar. A most informative talk by an enthusiast. Eva is the gazelle in Yeats' poem In memory of Eva Gore Booth and Constance Markiewicz.

The light of evening, Lissadell,
Great windows open to the south,
Two girls in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one a gazelle.

Eva spent most of her life in Manchester working for women's right to vote and the betterment of women workers. Some good touches in the lecture especially contrasts between the attitudes of the two Gore Booth sisters and the difference among suffragettes on questions like attitude to the war and attitude to the female working class. No slides, no illustrations though and I would have liked to see some of those paintings and pictures of Eva. Still enjoyable.

Monday morning I attended two lectures at the Yeats Summer School. Again no slides just academic lectures. More about them later in the week maybe.

And Monday night was my turn. I was worried having seen three lectures none of which had used any slides or display. My lecture relied heavily on pictures and text in a presentation. some great, never before seen in public pictures from the Bedford Archives at that. A good crowd attended and seemed to enjoy the talk. I think it went on for an hour and half - good thing I cut it out ten slides last week!

Lots of people came up afterwards to congratulate me and tell me things they knew, some of which I didn't know. As a result I have got copies of an Sligo IRA battalion account book from 1921-22, an autograph book of IRA prisoners - including some Sligo ones - in Crumlin Road jail Belfast in 1920-21 and some extracts from a diary of 1920 telling what it was like in south Sligo then. Great stuff! More work!

A relief when it was over. A visit to Sligo Library today - some nice photographs - then home. Submissions for Boyne Berries closed, now to start the selection process. And the BOOK, always the BOOK.

The good news is I may have managed to get a ticket for the game on Thursday!! My favourite niece!!

The Trip to Sligo

All ready for Ballymote Heritage Weekend talk on Monday evening. Presentation was way too long so a spot of skilful surgery performed has it around 45 minutes. The title is Lawlessness Prevails everywhere: South Sligo 1918-1921.

Another draft of book finished. The news that footnotes are included in the 70,000 word limit was a disappointment but more surgery has resulted in 80,000 words. Last draft will start next week. Anybody want 10,000 spare words?

The Yeats Summer School is on in Sligo at the moment, two talks each morning. I hope to catch at least one morning's talks early next week.

Also an afternoon in Sligo library looking at photographs for the book and a newly discovered document relating to the civil war period found in the roof of a house.

Nice to get away for a relaxing week-end.

Sligo Rovers Draw in Europe

A great night for Sligo Rovers. A 0-0 draw in Ukraine against Vorskla Poltava in the third round qualifying of the Europa League. The second leg takes place in Sligo next Thursday evening. A great chance to progress to the next round.

I watched most of the match on Ukrainian TV on the computer having followed a link on the Sligo Rovers twitter. What did we do before the internet? I must watch more in Ukrainian, a great commentator, never got too excited, had a little difficulty with some of the Sligo names but then try Iarfhlaith Davoren yourself. Great not to be told what to think by commentators.

I watched the after match discussion as well, Two experts, Giles and Dunphy types apparently, and interviews including one with Paul Cook the Sligo Rovers manager (above). The interviewer asked the questions in reasonably good English.The first question was: What are you drinking? Answer: Good English tea. (Cook had a cup in his hand.)

The funniest thing about the interview was that Cook who has a strong Liverpool accent spoke especially slowly and clearly though his answers were translated by the interviewer. He doesn't do that for RTE!

Well done Paul. Well done Sligo Rovers.

Epididymal Cyst Excision Poetry

I'm going to write a poem about the epididymal cyst excision.
No way, poems should be about flowers, cute landscapes and fathers on the bog.

I don't care. I was thinking about it waiting for the anaesthetic. Great images came to mind.
Forget it. It certainly won't win the Bard of Swords competition. (Swords/blades, get it?)

There's not many poems about male medicine procedures.
No wonder. We are men after all! Operations just part of what happens.

Procedures not operations. There are some hospital poems here.
Does it matter?

In surgery like poetry words are vital. The right word in the right place.
A stitch in time. Ha Ha.

Stop! This will be a serious reflection on the invasion of private parts and . . .
They'll think it was written by a woman!
. . . and the terror of the strange lump.
You're straying across gender boundaries.

I was in East Coker during the summer. Maybe bring in a reference to those great Eliot lines :
The wounded surgeon plies the steel
That questions the distempered part;

Ouch! Easy with the italics, you're confusing me.
Perhaps a bit of humour. Surgeon was a Fitz, one of the Normans, maybe a reference to their skill with blades.

I can't stop laughing. So how is the distempered part?
Fine. Recovering. doesn't affect the brain.

A few days complete rest?
You must be joking. I've a book to finish. Well actually it's finished, just too long.

Ah some excising needed! Wield the scalpel.
Ouch!

I was afraid to ask earlier but what exactly is . . .
Google it!

Ballymote Heritage Weekend

The 22nd annual Ballymote Heritage Weekend takes place next weekend, Friday 29 July to Monday 1st August, in the Coach House Hotel, Ballymote, Co Sligo.

Friday 29 July:
8.30 Official Opening by Peta Taaffe.
Lecture: A Family called Taaffe - Peta Taaffe

Saturday 30 July:
9.00 am: Outing to Foxford Woolen Mills and Turlough Park Museum.
8.30 pm: Lecture: Woolworths and the Irish Main Street - Barbara Walsh

Sunday 31 July:
2.00 pm: Outing to Glenview folk Museum, Ballinamore.
8.30 pm: Lecture: Eva Gore Booth, Champion of the worker - Cllr Ruth Illingworth

Monday 1 August:
9.00 am: Outing to Rosserk Abbey, Downpatrick Head, Céide Fields.
8.30 pm: Lecture: Lawlessness prevails everywhere - South Sligo 1918-1821 - Michael Farry

Should be a great weekend. I hope to make the Eva Gore Booth lecture on the Sunday. My own talk is nearly finished (I hope), plenty of slides in my presentation with some great pictures of south Sligo taken by members of the Bedfordshire Regiment in 1920/21. Hope to make the words as interesting!

Desire

Desire, when written in the early morning dust of a suburban squat is a sweat-driven afterthought, filled with the stench of stale coffee and cigarettes.

Write it in ink and it may be legally binding.
Write it in dust and it will be blown away on the wings of a curse.

These may be shallow waters yet we chase these Lorca/Cohen-esque visions of attic bound lust as if they are our life blood. Desire tastes best under a thin sliver ...of dust.
It implies a narrative filled with lust, love, limpness and loss. Little death and a big dearth; It’s more than the individual; there’s a societal longing in the dust of ages, be it through ignorance, nostalgia, hopelessness or even recreation.
There’s a hunger to destroy a present that doesn’t fit. And a future that won’t.
There’s a past that excuses, a path that justifies. Filled with Desire and Dust.

Abridged, the poetry/art magazine is looking for submissions for its Desire and Dust issue. A maximum of 3 poems may be submitted of any length.

Art can be up to A4 size and can be in any media. It should be at least 300 dpi. Submissions can be emailed to abridged@ymail.com or posted to: Abridged c/o The Verbal Arts Centre, Stable Lane and Mall Wall, Bishop Street Within, Derry BT48 6PU.

Closing date for submissions is 8th September

The Garden in July

It's not as chaotic as it might appear. Herbs in the foreground, borage, fennel and feverfew prominent. Some Sweet Pea next and the end of the Foxgloves. An old climbing rose from Sligo entwined with Woodbine on a arch. Some clematis on the right and willow at the back.

Ledwidge Day Sunday 31 July

The annual celebrations of the life and writings of World War I poet Francis Ledwidge will take place on Sunday 31st July, the ninety fourth anniversary of his death. Two events have just come to my attention and you can actually attend both.

There is a wreath laying ceremony and poetry reading in the National War Memorial Gardens, Islandbridge, Dublin at 12 noon. The guest speaker is the long time custodian on the War Memorial Park, David McFarlane Johnson. This event is sponsored by the Inchicore Ledwidge Society.

Then at 5.30 in the evening the Meath celebration takes place in Slane Castle on the banks of the River Boyne, home to the Conyngham family since 1701. The event begins with a Reception in the splendid Entrance Hall at 5.30pm. sharp. This will be followed by a short talk on the history of Slane Castle.

The Special Guest is Gerard Smyth, poet, Irish Times journalist and Aosdána member. The title of Gerard’s talk is ‘It must be lovely down in Wilkinstown’. On sharing common ground with Ledwidge, the talk will link Ledwidge’s love of the bog of Wilkinstown, Lizzie Healy and Gerard’s own roots in this rural Meath village. Gerard spent the summers of his childhood and teen years there with his grandmother on the farm, including working on the bog, and wrote his first poems there at age 17.

Frances Mulley, international poetry reader from Belfast will read and also from Limavaddy, Co. Derry, Bobby Forrest will sing and recite some Ledwidge poems. From Drogheda, Michael Holohan, Composer and Aosdána member, together with Miriam St Lawrence mezzo-soprano will perform for the first time Michael’s composition of Lament for Thomas McDonagh. Classical Flautist Julie Maisel-Doyle will perform and poet Susan Connolly will read her poem on Francis Ledwidge. Traditional Irish music will be provided by a very talented group of musicians from North County Dublin.

Boyne Berries 10

Battle of the Books done and dusted, Swift Festival finished and filed. Second draft of Irish Revolution Sligo book done - only 3,467 words too many- and first draft of talk and presentation at Ballymote Heritage Weekend done.

So a gap to have a quick look at how preparations for Boyne Berries 10 are going. Submissions, prose and poetry, coming in with a remarkable number of writers obeying the rules - maximum of three poems, attachment and in body of email, bio and postal address included.

We hope to make this 10th issue and its launch special. We haven't finalised plans yet but we are hoping for a larger format page, a colour cover and some colour and black and white pictures, images, illustrations inside.

There's still time to submit. Deadline 31 July. Check out the guidelines here and please follow them!

Irish Politician Makes Joke, Gets into Trouble

Did you see the headlines? A politician makes a joke in the Dáil about another politician.
Great, it's nice to see them having a bit of a laugh for a change.
Well not exactly. It didn't go down well.
Oh! But the media, the newspapers, the stand-up comedians, the sitting-on-bar-stools comedians, the talk show hosts, the talk show guests, the chat show hosts and everyone else in the country are always making fun of politicians and calling them names.
I know but this was different, I think.
How different? Was it satire? Can I use it in the Battle of the Books next year?
You better not. Not exactly satire. But I'm not sure how it was different.
A bitter public attack on a fellow politician using Dáil privilege?
No, it wasn't even public. Heard by accident.
What! A casual aside! I'd better be careful. Big brother may be listening.
Big sister more like!!
Ha, Ha. Sorry!!
One member of the Senate who failed to get elected to the Dáil at the recent election thinks that such comments "indicate that a culture of sexism still exists in the Oireachtas".
Right, so all men are damned because of one joke by one man. Surely that's sexism!
No way. Haven't you realised yet, you muppet? Sexism only works one way.

Why do we always come here
I guess we'll never know
It's like a kind of torture
To have to watch the show

Tullaghan Holy Well

I call to the eye of the mind
A well long choked up and dry
And boughs long stripped by the wind
Yeats

Beside the chipped statue of St Christopher
I offered a bunch of keys to obsolete cars
waiting vainly in unlit parking lots
for their hour to come again.
Farry

Two extracts from works based on (I hate that phrase inspired by!) the holy well on the summit of Tullaghan Hill near Coolaney, Co Sligo, Yeats' play At the Hawk's Well and a poem from my chapbook The Hawk's Rock which accompanied Conor Gallagher's exhibition of the same name last summer.

I mention this because I had an email some time ago from the creator of a website called Voices from the Dawn on the folklore of Ireland's ancient monuments. It seems a well designed website with some very good content, far better than some of the rubbish on the internet about ancient Irish monuments, ancient Celtic gods, fanciful theories and Tara. This site even has footnotes and references! Well done Howard. The Tullaghan well page, from which the picture above is taken, is here.

Ballinacree Banner Launch

As a result of a post about the Keash, Co Sligo, UIL banner I was contacted by some people in Ballinacree, Oldcastle, Co Meath who have a similar banner by the same artist, Samuel Watson. Their banner is in better condition and has been in the possession of the community at Ballinacree since it was bought in 1911 and often used in parish events.

They have just published a booklet to celebrate the centenary of the banner and launched it in Ballinacree last Friday evening. I attended the launch, a great celebration of a vibrant local community proud of its past. The banner was on display and experts talked about its iconography and its significance. Noel French of Meath Heritage Centre put the banner in its historical context.

It's interesting to compare the banners. The Keash one (below) is said to have been bought for the 1798 centenary while the Ballinacree one was bought in 1911. It appears that the lady representing Ireland had become tired of standing around waiting and has dumped the flag, changed into something more suitable for outdoors, sat down and is giving us a tune on her harp. The Irish wolfhound likewise has settled by 1911.

Little did they know what history was about to throw at them - World War 1, 1916 rising, War of Independence, Civil War.

Irish Writers' Centre Novel Fair Competition

This seems like a great opportunity for unpublished novelists!

The inaugural Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair for first-time novelists will take place on March 10th 2012. The Novel Fair aims to introduce up-and-coming writers to top Irish publishers and literary agents, giving novelists the opportunity to bypass the slush pile, pitch their ideas and place their synopsis and sample chapters directly into the hands of publishers and agents.

A judging panel of experienced industry professionals will be asked to select a shortlist of successful entries, presented to them anonymously. There is no limitation on style, genre, or target market, the only requirement being that the writer has not published a novel before.

Publishers and agents will be invited to come along on the day to the Irish Writers’ Centre and meet these writers in person. Each writer in attendance will have a stand at the fair with copies of the synopsis of their novel, the finished novel itself and biographical material.

Representatives from Penguin Ireland, Transworld, O’ Brien Press, Lilliput Press, Hachette Books, Liberties Press, Little Island and Arlen House will be present on the day. Literary agents such as Marianne Gunn O’ Connor, Yvonne Kinsella, Emma Walsh, Ger Nichol and Paul Feldstein will also be present.

This is an incredible opportunity for first-time novelists.
For details and how to enter please see the website.

Deadline for submissions: November 11th 2011
For more information or queries e-mail: novelfair@writerscentre.ie

Orla Fay at the Irish Writers Centre

On Wednesday evening last the June winners of the Lonely Voice Short Story Introductions read their stories at the Irish Writers Centre. I'm not a great fan of short stories having been overexposed to Frank O'Connor, Seán O'Faoilean etc in younger days but I enjoyed the readings. The judge for the month was Leo Cullen and in his introduction he stressed the need for audacity in short stories.

The four we heard had audacity. I loved the gradual accumulation of details in each story, the slow build up and revelation of the full picture or almost the full picture, there is always a question afterwards, Why? What? Who?

The reason we were there, of course, was that one of our own was reading, Orla Fay from Boyne Writers Group. Her reading of her story Safa was great, confident and clear. It had the same build up of information and details but had it own voice and and its own uncertainty. We had heard and commented on an early version of the story at the group. Great to see she had taken our advice!!!

Above: Orla reading. Below the four readers, from left: Guy Barriscale, Deirdre McClay, judge Leo Cullen, Orla Fay and Sarah Gilmartin.

Tullamore Poetry Competition

Here's a poetry competition you might otherwise miss. You don't often come across poetry and agricultural shows but this one is part of the annual Tullamore Agricultural Show. Full detains of the poetry guidelines are listed under the "Art and Photography" pdf link.

The Rules & Conditions are fairly standard: 40 lines in length. €5 entrance fee. The name of the entrant must not appear on the entry itself. Entries must be in English and not previously published in any form (including appearing on the internet). The competition is open until 22 July 2011. There are sections for under-17 and Senior (which presumably means over 17.).

The judge, is Connie Roberts, Adjunct Professor of English, Hofstra University, New York.
Connie recently won the Patrick Kavanagh and Dromineer poetry competitions (picture right) and must be close to having her first collection published.

Victorious Boyne Writers Group

Don't we look happy! The victorious Boyne Writers Group team after winning back the Battle of the Books trophy from the local rivals, Meath Writers Circle, last Sunday at the Trim Swift Festival. another happy photo on our website.

From the back: Bill Comerford, James Linnane, Caroline Carey Finn and Michael Farry. It's a nice trophy presented by Noel Dempsey, pity it's hiding my satire tie which probably gained me an extra mark or two on the day.

Some comments by members of the opposition on blogs, Tommy Murray here and Frank Murphy here including some generous compliments, thanks. I'm not going to get into a debate about satire and judging but exceeding the time limit was something we were determined to avoid having lost points two years ago for that.

It's the backlash next year I'm worried about!

Orla Fay at the Irish Writers Centre Tomorrow

We are delighted that one of our members, Orla Fay, has been chosen to take part in tomorrow evening's The Lonely Voice: Short Story Introductions in the Irish Writers Centre at 7.00pm.
Orla is better know as a poet having been published widely in magazines and commended and highly commended in poetry competitions.

We have heard Orla read some of her prose at our meetings and we know that one of her aims is to write a novel so we're delighted at this honour. PIcture: Orla reading at a Boyne Reading and Open Mic.

The Lonely Voice Short Story readings in the Irish Writers Centre, Dublin will take place on Wednesday, 6th July, at 7pm. The readers are Sarah Gilmartin, Deirdre McClay, Orla Fay and Guy Barriscale, reading from their winning stories. The readers were selected anonymously by guest judge Leo Cullen.

Trim Swift Festival: Battle of the Books

Boyne Writers Group won the Battle of the Books today in the Trim Castle Hotel so the Noel Dempsey trophy is back with us after a year's absence. A strangely anti-climatic contest but still great to win. The opposition, Meath Writers Circle, made a great start with Mark Doyle reading a wonderfully clever story mixing ancient legend with modern technology. Unfortunately he went over the time limit of five minutes and lost marks. Their next contestant also infringed the time limit and with our openers scoring solidly all we had to do was keep our heads. We did and we won easily in the end.

Ours was a great team performance with three members scoring identical marks. James Linnane started with, O Come to Ireland, what one of the judges called an angry look at modern Ireland. Caroline Finn likewise took a swipe at the state of the country through Micheál Martin on a bus planning scrap metal collections for China.

My piece was an amendment of the 1916 proclamation in the light of political correctness and the indebtedness of the country. Bill Comerford had a poem of rhyming couplets in which Prince Charles has a dream that the Queen's Irish itinerary has been planned to maximise the possibility of her being harmed and his becoming king.

Some debate about what is satire, not easy to define but relatively easy to recognise.

So the score after three years' Battle of the Book contests is Boyne Writers - 2, Meath Writers Circle - 1.

Photos later.

Trim Swift Festival: Reading Gulliver's Travels

Day two, or is it three, of the Swift Festival. The reading of Gulliver's Travels is progressing well and it should be finished tomorrow before three o'clock at which time the Battle of the Books is to take place. Among the readers today was Irish Times columnist John Waters, pictured above with listener Joe Barry who himself was a prizewinner in our satire competition a year or two ago and is a contributor to the Farming Independent.

The free satire marquee beside Trim Castle had performances from noon to 8pm and seemed to be crowded all day. Trim Drama Society kept the Poetry in Motion going and found many willing readers among the public.

I attended only two lectures at the conference today both to do with graveyards. Greg Hastings gave a fascinating account of a unusual mausoleum in Castlerickard churchyard, Co Meath entitled The Esquire, his Wife, her Lover and the Mausoleum. The mausoleum contains the remains of Godwin Swift (d. 1814) and his wife Jane Sophia (d. 1851). These were distant cousins of Jonathan Swift. This was followed by Fionnuala Parnell's discussion of the eighteenth century headstones of Dublin, Meath and Louth in which she pointed out the importance of these items and the sort of information they contain and made a plea for their better preservation.

And now rest and preparation for the Battle of the Books. I met the captain of the other team today and the happy smile he wore suggests that their secret weapon is in place and their confidence is high. We of course have resigned ourselves to defeat this year but next year - now that's another matter! In the satire marquee today I got a brilliant idea for my piece next year.

Lots of pictures from the festival launch here.

Trim Swift Festival: Poetry in the Street

I'm hoarse. This reading poetry on a soap box in the street is hard on the vocal cords. You have a choice, read quietly hoping that no-one will notice or give it all you've got so that the person at the cash machine half way down the street turns round to see what's up. I favour the latter - let it rip.

A good gang of readers entertained the indifferent and interested today on the streets of Trim with all kinds of poetry, Yeats to Wordsworth. Paddy Smith kicked off with This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams chosen I think because of its brevity. Members of Trim Drama society took part in their wonderful costumes which got as much attention as the poetry. Picture above.

Then there was the marathon reading of Gulliver's Travels in a Suzuki Swift car in the main street of Trim. Noel French, president of the Chamber of Commerce, was the first reader. Picture below: Noel just about to enter the car.

By the end of the day the Travels had reached Brobdingnag. Paddy's list of 93 readers is full but listeners who pay two euro to sit in the car and listen are still welcome. Indeed if you are anxious to read come along and Paddy will probably squeeze you in. All proceeds to Aware.


I only got the chance to attend two talks in the Eighteenth Century Ireland Society Conference which is being held in conjunction with the festival. Both were about the development of the novel in eighteenth century Ireland.

Lucy Cogan talked about women novelists including Sarah Butler who wrote Irish Tales (1716) an historical fiction about Brian Boru which may be a Jacobite version of recent Irish history and Dorothea Du Bois who wrote Theodora (1770), a fictionalised autobiography, to put hers and her mother's side of a notorious scandal of the time.

Moyra Haslett talked about the rise of the Irish novel especially dealing with the works of Richard Head. She speculated about the influence of his work on Gulliver's Travels. An appreciative, knowledgeable audience including the ubiquitous Dr. James Ward.

It was obvious from questions and discussions that I was the only one in the room who never heard of any of these three. It was also obvious that there are lively academic debates about what constitutes a novel, what can claim to be the first Irish novel, is Gulliver's Travel a novel and is publishing by subscription real publishing. Great stuff. I immediately felt like going online and ordering some of the novels mentioned but . . . I have a book to finish.

Something else to add to the TO DO WHEN THE BOOK IS FINISHED list.
And there's more tomorrow! Check the website.

.

Trim Swift Festival Launch

The 2011 Trim Swift Festival was launched last night in the usual great style. An "authentic" eighteenth century style Samba band paraded the streets of Trim and Dr. James Ward of the University of Ulster spoke about Swift, Jedward, mobile phone speak, the death of literacy, the relevance of Swift, questioning everything and overeducated academics.

The winner of the Boyne Writers Satire competition, Elizabeth Power from Galway, was presented with her prize and she read her winning entry. Third placed Margaret Costello from Drogheda was also there. The three winning entries have been added to the contest page here. Picture: Elizabeth with Paddy Smith, Boyne Writers chairman and member of the Trim Swift committee.

Ex-minister Noel Dempsey said politicians and satirists had much in common, each wanted to change the world and the efforts of each always ended in failure. He begged present day satirists to leave politicians alone for a while and instead attack economists who have been no help in the present crisis and continually give contradictory advice. Unlikely to happen he thought. He complimented Trim on the number of events and festivals held during the summer but said that the Swift Festival was the one most likely to give us a laugh during these times.

We had a laugh or two later in the Priory Pub where the Stand Up Row took place. This is the contest where speakers have to speak for one minute on one side of an argument then change sides and speak for another minute. Great fun and the judges including the aforementioned Dr. James Ward added to the fun with their comments. Kiely's Pub won the team event and Vinnie O'Brien, (a past pupil!) the individual contest.

Phew! Today there's the Gulliver's Travels Reading in the Suzuki Swift, Poetry in Motion street readings, Day 1 of the academic conference and tonight the Round Table Discussion with Rory Bremner, George Hook, John Waters, Leo Varadkar, Pat Rabbitte etc etc. And it's only Friday!