All Ireland Poetry Day.

All Ireland Poetry Day.

The Boyne Writers' Group are hosting an event at St Patrick's Cathedral Loman Street Trim on Thursday the 1st of October at 11am to mark the above and all are welcome. Details to come on their site. Click on the link opposite.

Photo: Memorial Cross on Hill of Tara. Erected I believe in 1948 to mark battle of 1798.

Readers and Writers.

Readers and Writers.

For those who are interested in such, Meath County Library are

holding their annual "Readers and Writers' day" in Navan Library

on Wednesday the 23rd September starting at 9.30am and ending

at 4.30pm. Local writers include, Tom French, KT McCaffrey, and

and Oisín McGann. So if you should be free on the day! Details from the Library.

Boyne writers launch the latest edition of their magazine "Boyne Berries" at the Castle Arch in Trim on the following night with Michael Regan doing the honours this time. And finally The Sunday Times has announced "The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award". The world's largest award for a short story with a grand prize of £25,ooo. Grand indeed! Details at www.timesonline.co.uk/shortstoryaward. So get writing.

Photo: Blanchardstown village.

Heritage/Short Story.

Heritage/Short Story Competition

In keeping with the events on Tara for Heritage Sunday, congratulations must go to Mark Doyle of The Meath Writers' Circle whose short story "Requiem for a Gentleman", won second prize in the Duleek Heritage Group's short story competition. Mark's story concerned the events leading up to, and the outcome of the battle of Tara in 1798. The area surrounding this site contains many graves of the Croppies who took part and little today serves as any reminder to this. The inscriptions on a cross, erected I believe in 1948, have long since faded. If I get any more info on the winner I will post. Marie McSweeney was third in the same competition.

Photo: Tricolour flying over Blanchardstown Centre.

Heritage Sunday/Tara.

Heritage Sunday.

Arriving late in Tara last Sunday I caught the end of what must have been an interesting afternoon. But Meath were playing in Croke Park!

Anyway it was all free and as of yet I've seen no report of it in any of the local papers.

I arrived just in time to catch Laoise Kelly playing what I believe was "Planxty Wilkinson" on the harp. (Michael Farry's site for info) followed by Michael Longley reciting some of his poems ending with "CeaseFire". But what was most enjoyable was the duet between Susan McKeown and daughter supported by Aidan Brennan on guitar and Laoise Kelly on harp. Gold is where you find it! Hope I got my facts right.

Photo: Susan Mckeown, daughter, Laoise Kelly, and Aidan Brennan.