An Tobar ~ Poetry Gathering June 2021!

 An Tobar ~ Poetry Gathering!

Olivia and James McConnell were the generous hosts for last Sunday's gathering of the An Tobar Poetry Group. Chaired by Jim Owens in the very pleasant outdoor surrounds of what are prize winning gardens the weather held out and it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Some of the poems read are listed below and although the theme touched on the Covid crisis there was a wide variety of material read. Roger McGough's The Way Things Are was the first poem read followed by Brendan Kennelly's Begin Again and Paula Casey read her own poem written about her father, Happy Birthday Daddy. Carol Owen read a poem very suited to the location and also one written by herself called, A Garden Poem. Christopher F. McCormack read a poem from his recent publication - Periodyssey - titled Covid Comforts and very generously supplied everyone there with a free copy of the book. Many thanks Christopher! Eugene Kane read his own composition Stay Safe followed by Louise Scott who also read one of her own pieces Daffodill. Olivia McConnell read Noontide at Roscalla by Trevor Johnson. (Must check that out!) James read a poem by Reginald Arkell called The Gardens are Open but my own writing is so terrible am not that sure on the title and read another one as well by the same author. John Curran read two and from memory, Canticle by Edith Sitwell and Garden Private and I can get variations on those titles to come up but not completely sure they are exact. Also The Curlew's Cry or such was read and a number of possibilities there as well. Piano by D.H. Lawerence was followed by The Dublin Shopkeeper read by Ruari and Rachell Holstead's Stop and Stand was also read. Poems by Myra Brooks Welch, The Touch of the Master's Hand and Francis Ledwidge's June finished the proceedings on what was a very pleasant afternoon and not forgetting I read The Ballad of Montrose but that's the news!