Shore Writers Festival

I'm attending the second Shore Free Writers' Festival for young and emerging writers - 1 -3 November 2013 in the Ocean Sands Hotel, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. I qualify as emerging but not as young!

I'm involved in the opening night readings at 8pm along some very talented writers including Máire T. Robinson, Rob Doyle,Patrick O’ Flaherty, Laura Jane Cassidy, Elaine Cosgrove and Stephen Murray.

Open mic slots are available, register on the night. Event hosted by Karen Maloney.

Some interesting workshops on Saturday morning:  Pre-registration to info@wordlegs.com

9.30am – 10.30 am :
Life Writing with Orla McAlinden
Poetry Masterclass with Stephen Murray

10.45am – 12pm
Short Story with Lizann Gorman
The Little Poem That Might Just Yet with Katie Sheehan
Writing Sitcoms for Fun and Profit with Gareth Stack

More information on Facebook and the full programme is online here.

Doghouse Launch and Wake!

I attended the third and final launch of the Doghouse anthology Ten Years in the Doghouse yesterday in Stoker's Lodge, Tralee.

The afternoon started with a Poets' Corner celebrating the 21 years in existence of this group which holds a reading and open mic in Tralee every Bank Holiday. A large number attended and the event was expertly managed by M.C. Tommy Frank O'Connor, himself a Doghouse author.

Then the Doghouse launch. The celebration of ten very productive years turned into a wake when the chairman, Peter Keane, announced that Doghouse were ceasing publishing. This took the audience, many of whom have been published by Doghouse, by surprise but like an Irish wake, it turned into a celebration.

Doghouse have done a wonderful job, have published some beautiful books and have been an important publishing outlet for many Irish poets. Noel King has been a most diligent editor, a pleasure to work with. Doghouse will still be selling their books for some time so go to their website, look at their wares and make a purchase.

The anthology is especially good, containing a short selection from almost every poet published in the ten years of operation. I think eleven of those poets attended on Monday and read their poems. Well done Doghouse, you will be missed!

Pictures: Top: Noel King, Doghouse editor, displaying their range of titles. Below: Doghouse author, Áine Moynihan, reading at the launch with Noel King in pensive mood.

Doghouse Anthology Launch

On Bank Holiday Monday, 28th October 2013, Doghouse Books presents the third and final launch of TEN YEARS IN THE DOGHOUSE, an anthology of poems by DOGHOUSE poets. 

Many of the Doghouse poets featured in the anthology will attend and there will be special offer on all Doghouse books on the day.

Venue: Stoker’s Lodge, Oakpark Road, Tralee, Co. Kerry (adjacent to train/bus station)

Time: 5pm. Admission free. Refreshments will be provided. All welcome.

Earlier on the same day and in the same venue the Bank Holiday Monday Poets' Corner, Tralee celebrate their 21st Birthday, 3pm to 5pm (drop in at any point) Stoker’s Lodge, Oakpark Road, Tralee.

Cuisle International Poetry Festival

This year the Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival will feature evening performances by Anthony Cronin, Biddy Jenkinson, Macdara Woods, Hugh Maxton, David Wheatley, Adam Wyeth, and Jo Slade.

The Festival also welcomes poets from its partner festivals, which this year is extended to Italy. Veronika Dintinjana (Slovenia), John Davies (UK), and Marco Viscomi (Italy) will be bringing their talents to Limerick.

The lunchtime readings at the Hunt Museum feature Ron Carey (Thursday) and Kerrie O'Brien (Friday). Other events include screenings of poetry films, an open mic session, a varied programme for schools, and the Young Poet of the Year Award.

In addition, the yearly poetry anthology The Stony Thursday Book, edited this year by Paddy Bushe, will be launched at the festival.

"The Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival is dedicated to poetry in all its forms and varieties, featuring the best of local, national, and international poets," explained Sheila Deegan, City Arts Officer.

The Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival will be formally launched, today, Wednesday 23 October and will run from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 October.

Full details on the website.

IOTA SHOT AWARDS 2014

Templar Poetry i-SHOT 2014 short poetry pamphlet submission details:

Poets are invited to submit between twelve and sixteen pages of poetry, with no more than forty lines per page, excluding title and stanza breaks.

The submission must be the original work of the author. It must not have been previously published as a whole, but may contain individual poems published in other publications such as magazines or anthologies.

Postal and online submissions welcomed from anywhere in the world.

Postal Submission Fee is £14.50 for each submission and £15.50 for each Online Submission. Postal submissions may include payment by cheque. Postal and Online Submission payments may be made online:

The winning writers will be notified in February 2014 and iOTA shots will be published in early summer 2014. There will be two or three pamphlets published.

Templar Poetry will collaborate with individual writers to promote their pamphlets at live events where this is possible.

The winning pamphlets will be advertised and sold on the Iota website, the Templar Poetry Bookshop website, in our retail stockists and at live events and book fairs.

Submissions are invited from both new and previously published poets.

Full details on website.

Cork Spring Poetry Festival

Full details of this festival, which takes place 12 - 15 February 2014, will be available on the website by early January. Details of two associated events are available.

A poetry masterclass with Jo Shapcott will run for four mornings during the Cork Spring Poetry Festival, 12 - 15 February 2014. Pre-requisite of recent publication in a professional literary journal. Price €200. More info on the website.

The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition is now open for entries! First prize: €1000, a week’s residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, publication in Southword Journal, and the chance to read your work at the Cork Spring Poetry Festival. Two more cash prizes will be awarded, plus publications for 10 runners up in Southword Journal.

The entry fee is €5 per poem or €20 per batch of five.  Judge: Patrick Cotter. Deadline: 15 December. Full details here.

Francis Ledwidge Poetry Award

This is a great annual competition run by those dedicated members of the Inchicore Ledwidge Society who have done so much to keep the memory and works of the Meath poet to the fore.

There is also a wonderful presentation and reading night in Inchicore. I've been lucky enough to be short listed a few times and always attend if at all possible. Last year's winner was Boyne Writer Evan Costigan, pictured above with Liam O'Meara of the society.

This year’s closing date is 5 November.

1st Prize is the Ledwidge plaque (a keepsake) inscribed with the winner’s name & cash prize.  Cash prizes and books for second and third and merit certificates for finalists. The first 3 poems will be entered in the Forward Prize UK

In addition, the winner will be invited to read at the annual Francis Ledwidge Commemoration at the National War Memorial Gardens in July 2014.

Poems must be the competitor’s own work, not previously published or broadcast.
Poems should not exceed 40 lines of type. € 4 per poem, 3 for €10.
Maximum 6 poems (€20) payable to the Inchicore Ledwidge Society

Name and address and telephone number on a separate sheet.
S.A.E. or Email address for winners list. Poems will not be returned.

Entries must be submitted before 5th. November 2013 to The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Award 2013, c/o 20, Emmet Crescent, Inchicore, Dublin 8

Winners will be notified and results will be announced at the annual awards night. Enquiries 0858497531: check out the Inchicore Ledwidge Society Facebook page.

Troubadour International Poetry Prize

Five great reasons for entering the 7th annual Troubadour International Poetry Prize:

Shortest turnaround, —just 5 weeks from deadline (21 Oct) to contacting winners (25 Nov), tying up those valuable poems for the shortest time possible….
 
Every poem is read —by both distinguished judges—, Deryn Rees-Jones and George Szirtes, (pictured above) no sifters, no shortlisters….

Prizes: —Not just the £2,500 top prize but twenty-two more prizes plus Troubadour season tickets.

Prize reading: —The chance to read your prize-winning poem at the Troubadour alongside George, Deryn and fellow prize-winners at our December prize-celebration.

Enter by e-mail or post, full details on website….

Paying Attention - Creative Writing Workshop

Paying Attention - A one-day workshop of creative writing

The poem is not a discussion, not a lecture, but an instance- an instance of attention, of noticing something in the world - Mary Oliver

Paying Attention invites you to slow down and connect with your own creativity. The workshop introduces examples from short stories and poetry as well as simple mindfulness techniques to lead you into writing.

When? Sunday 3rd November 2013 from 10.00 - 17.00

Where? Oscailt, 8 Pembroke Rd, Dublin 4. http://www.oscailt.com/ for map.
Free parking. Close to city centre.

Cost : €65 (unwaged €50)

Bookings via 086-603 4481 or shirleymcclure2@gmail.com

www.shirleymcclure.com
www.thepoetryvein.com

Quilt A Poem Competition - Bailieborough

I judged the Quilt A Poem Competition, sponsored by Cara Pharmacy and Beauty which was part of Bailieborough Poetry Festival. We were delighted with the response to this competition and the number and quality of the entries.

It was a difficult task to pick a shortlist and a winner but I enjoyed the challenge. The standard was very high, I can now see why I fail in some many poetry competitions.

I was impressed by the number of poets who started from scratch and came up with a great poem based on a quilt in the relatively short time involved. It was clear also that some found a poem already written which chimed with something in a quilt and entered it. No problem with that either.

The variety of approach was also impressive. Some wrote of the process of quilting, created a story behind the quilting or made quilting a metaphor for something else, including for writing a poem.

I created a longlist of about seventeen fairly easily but cutting that down to ten was difficult with various poems entering and leaving on each new reading. One poem did stand out at this stage and it became the winner.

And the winner was Annette Skade from west Cork for her poem Wedding Quilt. Pictured above with Paddy Halligan, chair LitLab, and myself.

The results are here on the website and the winning and highly commended poems are on this page. Paddy Smith, LitLab member, videoed the prizegiving and has uploaded the proceedings onto YouTube. Search for Bailieborough Poetry Festival in YouTube to find them.

The one thing I haven't had the courage to do yet is look at the full list of those who entered. I'm there are many well-known poets and friends among those. Maybe better not to know!

Sligo 1913 - Yeats Society, Sligo

I'm giving a talk on Sligo 1913 for the Yeats Society at the Yeats Memorial Building Hyde Bridge, Sligo at 8pm on Thursday 10 October. All welcome.

I'll be talking about the excitement and apprehension at the approach of Home Rule, about the successful Sligo Strike and the importance of labour in Sligo town politics but also about the All Red Route, the SS Liverpool, the Rink Picture Palace and 'Before the Dawn in Erin'.

Speaking in the Yeats Building I can't ignore the Yeats brothers of course. In 1913 Jack exhibited in the famous Armory Show in New York and W B published September 1913 in the Irish Times - For men were born to pray and save.

But less than an hour to speak so a little bit of everything I think.

Bailieborough Poetry Festival 2013

The first Bailieborough Poetry Festival on Friday and Saturday was a great success. Friday night's launch of the anthology by Nessa O'Mahony with readings by the LitLab members, Nessa and anthology editor, Barbara Smith was a most enjoyable, well attended event.

The venue, Bia Restaurant, Bailieborough, was perfect, the food was very good, the MC Paddy Smith had some wonderfully bad puns in his introductions and the audience responded very well to the various tones of the readings. The anthology is called Under a Thrupenny Moon and should be available for purchase online at the festival website soon.

Nessa's workshop on Saturday morning, which focused on imagery, had twelve participants all of whom responded enthusiastically to Nessa's thoughtful and challenging exercises. She conducted the workshop with her customary enthusiasm, friendliness and professionalism. The scones and jam were also much appreciated!

In the afternoon we announced the winner of the Cara "Quilt A Poem" Competition in Bailieborough Library where the quilts involved, the work of Mary Halligan were hanging. Having only previously seen the quilts on the internet everyone was impressed by their physical presence.

Four of the short listed poets attended, from Dublin, Fermanagh, Cork and London. They read their poems and LitLab members read the other shortlisted poems. I spoke of the experience of judging, what I was entranced by in the poems and made a short comment on each poem.

The competition winner was Annette Skade from West Cork for her poem Wedding Quilt. Well done Annette! She won the Cork Literary Review Poetry Manuscript Competition in 2012 and her winning collection, Thimblerig, has been published by Bradshaw Books. Above: Annette with LitLab chair, Paddy Halligan and the competition judge.

The final event was the Poetry by Candlelight readings in the Wesleyan Chapel. Another wonderful atmospheric venue with a great audience of local and a group who has traveled from Kells and some fine musicians who entertained the gathering crowd.

The three readers, Heather Brett, Rebecca O'Connor and Noel Monahan, pictured above, were polished performer who delivered their well-crafted work with great assurance and the audience enjoyed the event greatly.

So that's it! Thanks to all who helped, to Poetry Ireland who funded readings, to the sponsors especially Cara Pharmacy and Beauty who sponsored the competition prize and well done LitLab. Some members are even talking about next year's festival already!

Bailieborough Poetry Festival

And next it's Bailieborough Poetry Festival which starts tonight.

The LitLab group of writers are hosting a weekend of readings, workshops, a poetry competition and launch of a new anthology of the group’s work.

This evening sees the official opening of the Festival in Bia Restaurant, Bailieborough, poetry readings by Nessa O’Mahony and Barbara Smith.

Nessa will also official launch the anthology of LitLab members work, edited by Barbara. The anthology is entitled Under a Thrupenny Moon and contains a selection of prose and poetry by ten LitLab members.

Saturday sees a poetry workshop in the Library at 10am facilitated by Nessa O'Mahony - still some places left on this.

At 3pm the prize giving for the Cara Poetry Competition will take place with readings of the ten shortlisted poems and the announcement of the winner. In conjunction with the poetry festival there is a quilt exhibition hanging in the arts space of the library.

The Festival concludes on Saturday evening in the Wesleyan Church with Poetry by Candlelight. Poets, Rebecca O'Connor, Heather Brett and Noel Monahan will read and there will also be music. Should be a good weekend.

All-Ireland Poetry Day - Meath

Boyne Berries launched, now for All-Ireland Poetry Day!

All-Ireland Poetry Day 3 October 2013

‘OUR MOST LOVELY MEATH’ - A Tribute to the Poets of Meath

12 noon:   Laracor Graveyard  F.R. Higgins.

1pm    St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trim  Jonathan Swift.

4pm    Ledwidge Museum, Slane   Francis Ledwidge.

5pm    O’Reilly Memorial, Dowth  John Boyle O’Reilly.

Boyne Writers Group, Trim, are marking All-Ireland Poetry Day on Thursday 3 October  by holding a series of short readings celebrating the poetic heritage of Meath at places associated with well-known Meath poets. Two of the poets are Meath-born and two others spent many years in the county. At each venue there will be readings from the works of the featured poets.

People are invited to attend at any or all of the venues, to listen to the poetry, to join in by reading their own favourite poems either by the featured poets or by any other poet irrespective of county or country of origin.

At 12 noon they will read at the grave of F.R. Higgins in Laracor Graveyard. Higgins was a native of Foxford, Co. Mayo but spend much time around Trim. He served on the board of the Abbey Theatre from 1935 until his death in 1941. His Father and son: Selected Poems has recently been published by Arlen House.

Then on to Trim where at 1pm they will celebrate the poetry of another “blow-in” to Meath, Jonathan Swift, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Loman Street. Though more famous for his satiric prose Swift also was a prolific poet and his poetry often has the same sharp wit.

At 4pm there will be a reading in the Ledwidge Museum, Slane to remember the most famous Meath poet, Francis Ledwidge. Sometimes known as the "poet of the blackbirds", he had not reached the age of 30 when he was killed in action at the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I.

Finally the group will congregate at the John Boyle O’Reilly Memorial, Dowth at 5pm to read some of the poems of the Dowth born poet, journalist and fiction writer. As a youth in Ireland, he was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, or Fenians, for which He was transported to Western Australia as a Fenian but escaped to the United States, where he became editor of the Boston Pilot newspaper.

Boyne Berries Launched

A most enjoyable launch last evening in the Castle Arch Hotel. We had, I think, the largest number of contributor-readers ever.

Paddy Smith, our chairman, made everyone welcome and introduced our guest editor who also launched the issue. Paddy's introduction was his usual mix of seriousness and fun, setting a nice tone for the evening. Be careful what personal details you mention on Facebook - they may be used in a Boyne Berries introduction!

Kate then spoke about the experience of editing blindly. She mentioned her fears - omitting friends and well-known writers - and told us how carefully she read each of the three hundred or so submissions.

She discussed what got a piece omitted and what ensured selection. She stressed the importance of spelling, grammar, punctuation, knowing where to start and finish, creating something fresh and new, including the unexpected, the off-beat, the memorable line.

Then we had the readings - twenty or so, mostly from the Leinster area but some from further afield, Galway for instance. A great mixture of prose and poetry, varied topics including the light-hearted as well as the tragic.

We ended the formal proceedings by presenting Kate with a framed print of Greg Hastings' cover image.

And the chat afterwards over tea and coffee is a vital part of the event. Thanks to all who submitted, to those who attended and read on the night and to those who would have loved to be there.

Next launch March or April 2014!

Boyne Berries 14

It's ready! There have been times, twice I think, when copies of our magazine Boyne Berries were collected from the printers on the afternoon of the launch - no fault of the printers.

This time it's ready in plenty of time and boxes are in the office and in the boot of the car ready for the launch on next Thursday evening. It looks good and reads better - seventy two pages of prose and poetry from all parts of the country and also from the UK, USA, Canada and France.

The cover is by Greg Hastings who has designed all our fourteen covers. This is the fourth in a series of photographs of windows in derelict Irish houses.

Our guest editor, Kate Dempsey, has done a great job of selection and arranging the material. Among those whose work is included are Nessa O'Mahony, Breda Wall Ryan, Edward O'Dwyer, Patricia Byrne, Noel King and Dimitra Xidous. We are also delighted to include many lesser known writers, some gaining their first publication here.

The launch is in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim at 8pm on Thursday next 26 September 2013. The guest editor, Kate, will launch the issue and many of the contributors will be present and will read their contributions. All welcome, no entry charge. Looking forward to a great evening.

Boyne Berries 14 can be purchased by PayPal on this page:
http://www.boynewriters.com/buy-or-submit.html

Irish Writers Centre Courses

Whether you wish to write a best-seller, take up a new hobby or write because you can't imagine not writing, the Irish Writers Centre have a course for you!

All their courses are taught by published authors and stretch across several genres. They have classes for people who are picking up a pen for the first time and writers who are going through the hard slog of finishing and editing their work.

This year they are hosting their first online course, taught by Nessa O'Mahony and focusing on creative writing for beginners. Nessa has a poem in Boyne Berries 14 which is being launched on Thursday 26 September in Trim. She is also reading and conducting a workshop at the Bailieborough Poetry Festival the following week-end.

Other new additions include: a food writing course, Delicious Words, taught by Catherine Cleary; a poetry appreciation course, Reading The Great Tradition, with Harry Clifton; Introduction to Playwriting with Michelle Read; Crime Writing with Louise Phillips; Experimental Fiction with Dave Lordan; How to Self-publish and Sell Your eBook with Catherine Ryan Howard and a novel writing course for people who are part way through writing a novel, Lost The Plot?, with Niamh Boyce.

Further details on the Centre's website.

Bailieborough Poetry Festival

Full details are now online of the inaugural Bailieborough Poetry Festival which takes place on the weekend of 4 and 5 October this year.

The organisers, LitLab group of writers, are hosting a weekend of readings, workshops, a poetry competition and launch of an anthology of the group’s work edited by Barbara Smith.

Visiting poets will include, Nessa O’Mahony, Heather Brett, Rebecca O Connor and Noel Monahan.

Venues include the town library in the old Market Square, Bia restaurant and the Wesleyan Church. In conjunction with the poetry festival there will be a quilt exhibition in the arts space of the library.

A poetry competition is being held in conjunction with the festival and the quilt exhibition. I'm the judge for this and the shortlist will be announced on 30 September. Prizes will be presented and winning poems read on Saturday 5 October.

Francis Ledwidge Drama in Dublin

I recently mentioned the Francis Ledwidge play, To One Dead, which was being staged in Dublin. Unfortunately I was unable to attend but I'm delighted that it was a great success and that there is talk of putting it on again soon. Well done Liam O'Meara and the Inchicore Ledwidge Society!

The Inchicore Ledwidge Society are pleased to announce that the play To One Dead, was a great success. After a hesitant first night, audience levels perked up from Tuesday, right through to Sunday, with full houses experienced on most nights.

One aspect of the production which particularly delighted author Liam O’Meara was the awareness of the audience to the humour interspersed in the story:  They got every witticism: dashes of humour were essential for light relief as it was a sad, indeed, tragic story. The cast were excellent, I wouldn't have changed one of them. I am new to play writing and production; this has proved to be a wonderful adventure for me and the members of the Inchicore Ledwidge Society. I would like to give a special mention to Frank Allen for his superb direction and for his duel role as army-chaplain, Fr. Devas, the narrator.

A lot of the Francis Ledwidge poems were interpreted in the unfolding of the tale. Quite a number of those attending had never before heard of this greatly overlooked poet of Meath and were much taken by the quality of his verse. Midweek, we had a group of people here from Slane who were, of course, well informed. They thoroughly enjoyed the show.

To One Dead  ended its run on Sunday 8 September, but such is the demand for its return, there may well be another showing in the coming months.

The Work of Michael Farrell exhibition

This exhibition, currently on in the Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, is well worth a visit. I'm not an expert but I was fascinated by the range of the work on display. It is difficult to know sometimes when Farrell is being humorous and when he is being bitterly satiric. Often the two are combined as in his Madonna Irelanda series.

There are a number of his Miss O'Murphy series in the show. These were based on paintings by François Boucher for whom the model was Marie-Louise O’Murphy, later a courtesan and mistress to Louis XV.

Many of his titles are poems in themselves An Incomplete History of Ireland for example. One of the works in the show has a title (with a small alteration) from Wilde's Ballad of Reading Jail: That little tent of blue that sometimes prisoners call the sky.

The work above used on the poster and notices is one of Farrell's Presse series and uses newspaper headlines dealing with the Dublin bombings 1974.

Micheal Farrell (1940-2000) was born in Kells, County Meath and is one of Ireland’s best-known artists. He won the Biennale des Jeunes Paris Laureat in 1967 and the Douglas Hyde Gold Medal in 1976. This retrospective highlights the scope of Farrell’s skill. Produced by Solstice, this exhibition will then tour to Crawford Art Gallery and the RHA.

Well done Solstice!

Aidan Dunne in the Irish Times on the exhibition.
Meath Chronicle report of the exhibition opening.