An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure/June 2026!

 An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure.

Greetings, 

A quick reminder that we have our poetry session
today (Tuesday 30th June) at 7.30pm.

The guiding theme: Poetry of WB Yeats. 

(By the way WB Yeats was born on the 13th June 1865)

And we have update on our Poetry Publishing Project. 

Slán go fóill 

Jim.

087 9676728

The Meath Writers' Circle ~ July Meeting 2026!

The Meath Writers' Circle ~ July Meeting 2026!

The next meeting of our group takes place this Thursday night coming the 2nd of July in Trim Library, County Meath at 6.15pm and new members are always welcome. Membership is free and the library facilities are excellent so whether your interest is poetry or short stories or novels or music then we'd love to see you there. Hoping to have a book out by the end of the year if possible and that's always something to look forward to. See you there.

The Gift Of The View ~ Orla Fay!

The Gift Of The View ~ Orla Fay!

Orla Fay's second collection is a series of poems where the focus shifts from the everyday to the personal and where the gift is as much the view as of the lens through which she observes the world around her. Everything from the self-observed to remembering friends or those she has known or knows to patterns of war and conflict dipping into myths and mythologies both classical and local where she is as adept with words and references to detail as escape the ordinary. Published by Revival Press it retails at €15 Euro and is available in all good bookshops. One for your bookshelves. 

 

Kris Kristofferson ~ Jody and the Kid!

Kris Kristofferson ~ Jody and the Kid!

Almost slipped by but today is the anniversary of the birth of one of the greats of the American country/folk genre whose lists of accomplishments and achievements are almost impossible to measure. Recorded by just about everyone who was anyone he also starred in a number of films and was an academic by any standard. Loaded by Muos Karaoke and with thanks.

* If you're reading this please type his name into the search box top left for some other great songs.

Kris Kristofferson: June 22 1936 - September 28 2024

 

No Second Troy ~ Read by Sinéad O' Connor.

W.B. Yeats ~ No Second Troy. 

More than a few days late but a fine poem in honour of a fine poet who was a Nobel Prize winner and wrote some of our best remembered poems. Here the singer Sinéad O' Connor recites the poem he wrote about Maud Gonne. A muse perhaps. Loaded by 'National Library Ireland' and with thanks.

W.B. Yeats: 13 June 1865 - Jan 28 1939. 

James Joyce - Ulysses : Molly Bloom' Soliloquy, The Last 50 Lines.

 Bloom's Day: June 16 ~ 2026.

Leading on from Stephen Rea's yes yes yes, here's Angeline Ball in her award winning role. I think the Joycean scholar and Senator, David Norris once remarked that she was the best he'd ever seen in the role. So here's something to mark Bloom's Day. Came across an interesting piece on 'Finnegans Wake' with Finnegan's Wake the other day and must get back to it sometime. This video was posted by 'MichaelAskil' and with thanks. To Youtube for comments and further information.

Stephen Fry on Ulysses ~ James Joyce.

Stephen Fry on Ulysses ~ James Joyce.

Usually a day late but here I am a few days early so maybe I'll load something for Bloom's Day as well. Here Stephen Fry tells of why he thinks Ulysses is the best book ever written. Reading a book by Lord Dunsany at the moment where he recounts some of the escapades by the one Oliver St. John Gogarty, the gentleman who was in the Martello tower with Joyce and who fired a revolver in the early hours of the morning causing Joyce some discomfort I'm sure, though Joyce got his literary revenge later in Ulysses by modelling 'Stately Plump Buck Mulligan' on the same Oliver. Anyway that's how the story goes and they are endless. I'll stop and let you listen to Stephen who is one of the most interesting individuals out there. This video was loaded by 'Whyilovethis book' and with thanks.

 

The Catalpa Rescue 1875!

The Catalpa Rescue: The Greatest Prison Escape in Irish History!

 

One of the most daring rescues ever, this documentary/film was directed and edited by Marcus Howard from the Easter Rising stories. It's better to watch this on the YouTube channel because of the difficulties in loading and also for the comments. It is incredibly detailed and is one to sit in for or watch in instalments, or the aftermath and what happened to the individuals concerned, which is included in the summary. The story of John Boyle O' Reilly who was born in Dowth, County Meath in June 1844 and who died very young in 1890 is told, with regard to the above rescue, but he was one of the most outstanding men ever to come out of this county. His ascendancy to the pinnacle of American society was extraordinary and he was described as one of America's foremost poets. On his death, memorials were held around the world. Will add one of his poems to the above when I get back to this. With thanks to Easter Rising Stories who posted and to Frances Rocks who is listed in the credits.

The Cry of The Dreamer

I am tired of planning and toiling

In the crowed hives of men;

Heart weary of building and spoiling,

And spoiling and building again,

And I long for the dear old river,

Where I dreamed my youth away;

For a dreamer lives forever,

And a toiler dies in a day.

I am sick of the showy seeming

Of a life that is half a lie;

Of the faces lined with scheming

In the throng that hurries by.

From the sleepless thoughts' endeavour,

I would go where the children play;

For a dreamer lives forever,

And a toiler dies in a day.

I can feel no pride, but pity

for the burdens the rich endure;

There is nothing sweet in the city

But the patient lives of the poor.

Oh, the little hands too skilful,

And the child-mind choked with weeds!

The daughter's heart grown wilful,

And the father's heart that bleeds!

No, no! From the street's rude bustle,

From trophies of mart and stage,

I would fly to the woods' low rustle

And the meadows kindly page.

Let me dream as of old by the river,

And be loved for the dream away;

For a dreamer lives forever,

And a toiler dies in a day.

John Boyle O' Reilly

(1844 - 1890)

Melodies at Eventide ~ Rex Lee!

 Rex Lee ~ Melodies at Eventide!

An email from The Manuscript Publisher on the anniversary of the death of author and activist Rex Lee, included a link to the video above and a reminder of what an extraordinary man he was. Born with cerebral palsy on the 23rd of May 1939 he overcame all obstacles to lead a creative and productive life that would defy all the pronouncements made by the medical profession. A member of The Meath Writer's Circle and at a time before Covid reined us all in, the above video is of the launch of his memoirs in Kells Library, County Meath. Adopting a philosophy of physical and mental compensation, he lived a life that would leave most of us in the shade and left an example to all of us. Rex Lee died on the 9th of January 2025. His book is I'm sure still available from his publisher or in your local library and a great read  but especially if you're from the Kells area of County Meath. The above video was posted by Drumlin Media and with thanks.

Rex Lee: 23rd May 1939 - 9th January 2025 

The Meath Writers' Circle ~ June 2026!

The Meath Writers' Circle ~ June 2026!

The next meeting of our writing group takes place on this Thursday night coming (4th of June) at 6.15 pm in Trim Library, County Meath and new members are always welcome. So whether you're an aspiring poet or storyteller or just like to sing a few songs then we'd love to see you there. Membership is free and the facilities are excellent and we hope to have a book out by the end of the year. If you've something you'd like to be included or just wish to put pen to paper or listen in - always welcome. Hope to see you there.