John F Deane

With thanks to Poetry Ireland and youtube. Reading and talk at An Tobar, Ardbraccan County Meath on Tuesday the 1st of May at 7.15 pm.

Francis Ledwidge Night/An Tobar!

Francis Ledwidge Night/An Tobar!

Francis Ledwidge

An event to mark the centenary of the death of war poet Francis Ledwidge was held in An Tobar Ardbraccan last night. Chaired by Danny Cusack, those in attendance read some of their personal favourites or talked of his writings or reasons for going to war. Other pieces that were read  included Patrick Kavanagh's poem "Epic"  and someone read their own poem on the Blackbird, if I remember correctly. I read A Trench Conversion.  Pieces by  Ledwidge included, Stories of The Boyneside,  his poems, Soliloquy, To One Who Comes Now and Then, The Shadow People, Behind The Closed Eye, The Herons, Avalon, A Soldier's Grave, June, Ascension Thursday 1917, Druidism, Had I a Golden Pound, My Mother, A Little Boy in the Morning, The Wife of Llew, Lullaby, The Blackbirds, and there might be one or two I missed and there are some there I'm not too familiar with. There was also a mention of the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn and Danny Cusack read, The Lament for Thomas McDonagh and In Memoriam Francis Ledwidge by Seamus Heaney. The night finished off with Sean Reilly singing Thomas Moore's, The Minstrel Boy. 

An Tobar/Poetry for Pleasure May 2017!

An Tobar/Poetry for Pleasure May 2017!

An Tobar/Ardbraccan

The theme of this month's meeting of the Poetry for Pleasure Group at Ardbraccan was Northern poets or poems relating to the province in some way. Seamus Heaney seemed to be a favourite for many as was Patrick Kavanagh but others included Michael Harding, Derek Mahon, William Allingham, Bobby Sands, Mike Martin and Anthony Cronin. One or two others got a mention and I'll have to chase them down, but for now! On what was a beautiful evening at least fifteen people turned out and the next get together will be on Tuesday the 20th of June when the theme will be women writers or perhaps poems about women? Anyway sure to be interesting.

Those other poets who got a mention on the night were Madge Herron and Pheme Glass!

An Tobar/Poetry for Pleasure!

An Tobar/ Poetry for Pleasure.

An Tobar
(From Google Images)

The second get together of The Poetry for Pleasure group was held last night in An Tobar, Ardbraccan, Navan with about seventeen in attendance. A wide variety of poems in style and mix were read, though mostly of traditional verse and school day favourites. Walter de la Mare's - The Listeners - is one that I haven't heard in a long time and I suppose that is what makes these get togethers so interesting in that only the very best or personal favourites are brought along and read on the night. The theme of last night's meeting was the season of Spring though anything you might associate with it was up to the reader. The next meeting is on Tuesday the 21st of March with a theme on nature or sowing.

   

Tom French Book Launch/Photographs!

Tom French/Book Launch/The Way To Work/Blackbird Books, Navan.

Tom French

Michael Farry and Orla Fay/Boyne Writers

Valerie Keogh/The Gate Theatre

Michael (The Sheriff) Sheils

Some photos from the launch of "The Way To Work" by Tom French in Blackbird Books, Navan last night. Peter Fallon of The Gallery Press did the honours and it was almost standing room only. Must get back for a read or two.