An Tobar Poetry for Pleasure ~ Meeting!

An Tobar Poetry for Pleasure ~ Meeting!

The next meeting of the above group is on Sunday the 3rd of October at 2.15pm in the An Tobar facility Ardbracccan, Navan. The theme of the get together is 'Autumn Fires' in whatever way you interpret that but any poem of your choice will be fine. The suggested donation is €5 and feel free to bring a guest along. All are welcome. 

Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad with Lyrics

Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad.

Although I wasn't at the Slane concert in 1985, I remember driving out the Navan - Trim road and the lines of motor cars going in the opposite direction. It was Bruce's birthday a few days ago so I loaded this track. Had another track with the same lyrics up a few days ago but it has been made unavailable for some reason. What I said in the last post is that Bruce is one of a few artists that you can remember where you were - time or place - when you heard the track. This one was loaded by Alex Coanju and with thanks also to the ole share button on Youtube,   

Culture Night 2021 - Orla Fay, Dunshaughlin Now and Again

From the Meath County Council Youtube site. With thanks.

Dunshaughlin Poetry Town Event/Poetry Ireland

 Orla Fay: Poetry Exploration And Critique Workshop

Dunshaughlin

Orla Fay who was nominated as Poet Laureate for Dunshaughlin, County Meath by Poetry Ireland, hosted a workshop on poetry exploration and critique, via Zoom last night. An event that attracted contributors from many parts of the world including our own county. The poems she discussed were varied though I would say centered on one's place in the greater scheme of things or in how the individual interprets or relates to that in some way. With a little bit of Shakespeare thrown in. Ensured lively debate. The poems she discussed or analyzed were, Another September by Thomas Kinsella, Wild Geese by Mary Oliver, Anne Hathaway by Carol Ann Duffy, Pomegranate by Eavan Boland and Quietness by Rumi. She was also commissioned to write a poem about Dunshaughlin and I'll have to chase that up.      

Poetry Exploration and Critique Workshop!

 Poetry Exploration and Critique Workshop! (Dunshaughlin)

Orla Fay is hosting a workshop on the above this Thursday night the 16th from 7 to 9pm with  details on her site (Link to the right) for anyone who is interested. This is in association with Poetry Ireland who have appointed her Poet Laureate for Dunshaughlin County Meath as part of a nationwide program which includes twenty towns in all, so if you have any interest in poetry or such you are invited to attend.

Orla is editor of the Drawn to the Light  Press and was editor of Boyne Berries for many years. Widely published and the winner of many awards she has a first collection due out from Salmon Press in the near future. 

An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure/Ardbraccan!

 An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure/ September 2021!

Leona Rennicks was the MC for an outdoor event at An Tobar on Sunday last where the theme of the gathering was 'Hope' or new beginnings. Maybe as many as twenty poems were read by the different participants and a wide variety of material was covered. The weather held out fine and the Meath ladies won the All Ireland at Croke Park for good measure. The first poem read seems appropriate given the outcome of the game and was penned by Edgar A. Gest, Don't Quit and was followed by, The Rose of Hope written by Madison Julius Cawein. Can't say I've come across that before. Michael D. Higgins's poem, The Picnic was next followed by Willie G. Hodgins reading his own poem, Hope. The very well known piece by Joyce Kilmer, Trees was followed by All the Way Down (Jonah) by Thomas Merton. A Nest for My Cares by Lilian Byrne (Can't find info on that) on a quick search. Also must include, For a New Beginning by John O' Donohue.

A Robin's Review was read by Brian Scott and inspired by the afternoon readings at James McConnell's earlier in the year. The poem was written by his wife Louise. She followed by another of her own poems, The Lightkeeper.  Louise is an accomplished and award winning poet. Swallows by Geraldine Lalor of Dunsany was read next and she was a member of The Meath Writers' Circle for many years. She passed away a number of years back and was one of Meath's finest writers.

Rose Mawdsley of Bohermeen read her own poem, Morning and the host for the afternoon, Jim Owens, gave it a second reading. I read an old poem of mine, Discovery (Here be Dragons) which has something of a new beginning about it if you want to go there! Sean Reilly read a poem from a collection by Garrison Keillor (Tom Hennen) but my notes here leave more than something to be desired and the name escapes me. Carmel Murray gave the best reading of the day reciting her piece titled, Moore Street and acted out the part as it should be. Leona came back in with a poem by Helen Steiner Rice, New Beginnings followed by a reading of, Lines Written on a Seat by Patrick Kavanagh and the gentleman who read Kavanagh's poem read from Pegasus by the same author. Willie finished off the day with his poem, Kind Words and Deeds. Info about the next meeting to follow!

Professor Diarmaid Ferriter speaks about the UCD Digital Library collect...

Given the hundred years that's in it and something to mark the occasion. Most of the material from that  period is not something that most people would be familiar with as it was not taught in the schools, or at least not when I was going and perhaps for good reason. Though it's hard to know where you are if you don't know where you've come from. Enjoy. 

Professor Diarmaid Ferriter. 

UCD Library Special Collections.
Irregular News, Civil War, Republican Ephemera.