All Ireland Poetry Day/Navan 2012

All Ireland Poetry Day/Navan 2012

Tom French reading All Ireland Poetry Day 2011 Trim Library

If you have a favourite poem or story from your schooldays, or even from the past few days, then why not bring it along to Navan Library on Thursday night where Tommy Murray of The Meath Writers' Circle and Tom French of the County Library will be hosting an event to mark the above. Sure to be an interesting and enjoyable evening and if you only want to listen, then all to the good. They also serve... If I can remember from last year I don't think anyone read from one of the great classics or tried on a piece of prose but maybe this year you'd never know! Be there at 7.30pm to get a seat. No charge.

Poetry versus Science!

Poetry versus Science.

From Google Images

Interesting piece about Paul Dirac on The Emerging Writer Blogsite~go see~ and his opinion of poets and their use of language "saying things everybody knows in words that nobody understands". As opposed to scientists who talk in italics!  Can't say I'm well up on Paul but he was one of the great scientists of the twentieth century, or any other century. However, it's raining outside and you have to write about something and the trouble with science is that it never adds up. There's always something missing! They promise you it will be found next week if you build a super hadron collider at the bottom of your garden and pay a  tax to the local authority, then back to the other side and their argument as to what you should save if given the choice, a great work of art or some newly discovered principle, the answer always being the work of art as the principle will surely be found by someone else in the future but the work of art being a once off is gone forever. Try that though if you were hungry! See if I can finish this by four O clock and go for a walk. Since it is more or less agreed that the act of observation alters everything in some sense or the other and the act or art of creation be it poetry or a piece of music or whatever simply adds to the mix, then it is impossible to know the outcome of anything unless you pass page three and go to the horoscopes but we won't go there. So simply get rid of poets they keep screwing everything up. Cancel Christmas as well. ~ Nature playing the role of some devil may care, Dressed up for some other non local affair...~ I wrote that! Poem!

Omniscience

Some triumph of the intellect

While grazing on his bone

Subtotalled all the arguments

On everything that's known

And following the wake

Of those well versed on such discourse

Was so convinced of certainty

He thought his thoughts

His own!

Frank Murphy.

Launch of Boyne Berries 12

Boyne Berries 12

If you should find yourself with an hour or two to spare next Thursday night then The Castle Arch in Trim might be just the place to be for the launch of the above. Now in its twelfth issue, if that's the correct term, Boyne Berries is always interesting in that it includes writers that are from both local and abroad. Launched on this ocassion by Professor Gregory Castle of The Department of English at Arizona State University, the get there time is 8pm. Professor Castle has a number of books to his credit and has had poems published in past issues of the magazine. Much more details or info can be found if you click on the link to Michael Farry's site over right! The price of the magazine is €8 Euro and very reasonable at that and can be ordered from the site. Arizona though was always cowboy country and had "Rangers" and things like that. Dan Fogelberg who died a few years back penned this and worth checking out on youtube... poetry is poetry..

Tucson Arizona from Google Images

Tuscon Arizona

Tuscon Arizona

Rising in the heat like a mirage

Tony keeps his Chevy

Like a virgin locked in his garage

Brings it out at midnight

And cruises down the empty boulevards

And he prowls the darkened alleys

That snake between the city's thirsty yards.

The lonely desert skies reflect the anger

In his eyes

And it is dawn..... 

Dan Fogelberg.

Hope I rememberd those lines, check the rest out on youtube!

The Meath Writers' Circle (1) Video September 2012

Tommy Murray

The recent Olympic Games made for some great entertainment and kept many on the edge of their seats, and no doubt inspired others towards athletic achievement, but here Tommy does a poetic take on some observations made on a trip to the seaside. A recent winner at the Swords Heritage Festival where he picked up another certificate for his poetry Tommy has a book of ghost stories coming out later in the year. More details and information over on the Meath Books website. Just click on the link to the right!  Other videos further back.

Creative Writing Workshop/Navan Writers' Group.

"Fill Up Your Senses"



Location from Google Images



The Navan Writers' Group are holding a creative writing workshop in The Newgrange Lodge Slane County Meath on Saturday the 22nd of September and early booking is advised as places are limited due to place restrictions. The guest speaker for the occasion is KT McCaffrey whose new crime thriller "The Tara Bones" has just been published and whose previous works include "No Curtain Call" and "The Cat Trap". There will be opportunities throughout the day for open mic readings of poetry or prose or just bring along your  favourite story or photograph. Sean Reilly a founder member of the group will provide the musical entertainment and the cost for all the above is just €10 Euro. Where could you get better than that and in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. If interested contact Edel Gillick on 085 706 8047 or e-mail at edelnavan@gmail.com. Info from Edel and sherriffromnavan site. Link to the right! The theme for the event is "Fill Up Your Senses" and the times 10am to 5pm.

Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival 2012

Poetry and Short Story Competition

Street Scene

The Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival which runs this year from September 27th-30th features a poetry and short story competition (also a photographic one) and for those who are interested details can be found by going to www.dunfest.com or calling Ann at 085 8218908. The short story or poem must in some way relate to Dunshaughlin~A Good Time in Dunshaughlin~ but check it out on the website. The closing date for the competitions is the end of this week. Any number of events on. 

Does Love Conquer All ?

Tess Ryan

Tess Ryan

Tess Ryan who describes herself as a dyed in the wool Kildare GAA supporter has an article in this week's Ireland's Own magazine about last year's All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Dublin, where she found herself cheering on the blues! Stephen Cluxton comes in for some praise for his spot kick in the dying  seconds and his coolness under pressure, but there's no doubt where her allegiance lies should the Lillywhites end up in Croke Park. Tess has been a member of The Meath Writers' Circle for the past year or so and is a regular at every meeting. Good luck with the writing Tess! Good luck to the Meath teams in this year's All-Irelands as well!

Where have all poets gone?

Base Details!

The Boyne Navan

There is a poem further back by Siegfried Sasoon called "Base Details" about those petulant Majors who from the comfort of their armchairs sent them up the line to whatever and I was reminded of that last night looking at the protests of the special needs people outside Leinster House. There has been a lot of that lately everytime someone comes on the media chanting the old mantra of "we must all share the pain!" and ok but don't ask someone to do what you won't do yourself, and if there are sacrifices to be made then you have get out front and make them. Hiding behind those perks is fine but nobody will follow and while the Chateau looks lovely it comes with a price whatever "ism" you fancy.

The Swords Mummers

The Swords Mummers.

A solo on the harmonica here from one member of the group that provided the entertainment at the awards ceremony in Swords on Tuesday night. The venue was the Star Lounge and these guys can do an event! Date mistake on video is for luck!