For those of you not familiar with it, The Spark is a Local History and Arts Review magazine. It is published once a year in April and is distributed in seven counties of the North-West: Donegal, Tyrone, Monaghan, Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim and north Sligo.
The next issue (No. 30) has almost 30 articles and features that cover a wide spectrum of interests – local history, interviews, visual art and poetry as well as book reviews and other matters about books and publishing.
Some of the local history articles are: Richard Hayward’s North-West Connections; Out and About in the North-West; History in a Postcard – Aghalane Bridge; Folk Cures from Cavan and Fermanagh; The Savile Estate in Co. Tyrone; Sir David Storey – Tydavnet Knight; Carnaween and Disert in the Blue Stacks; History in a House – Aviemore House (Monaghan);
Arthur Parry – the boy who went to war; Irish Neutrality – Sacred Cow or Myth?; Enniskillen and the Spanish Civil War; and Memories of the S.L.N.C.R. (Sligo Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway).
On the more literary and arts side there is a short piece on W.F. Marshall ‘the bard of Tyrone.’ Ted McCarthy has a beautifully written short piece on a personal connection with Robert Zimmerman (Bob Dylan) and Patrick Kavanagh.
There are two interviews:
Bobby Hanvey (the Ramblin’ Man of Downtown radio for many years) and photographer of many famous people, talks to Michael McPhillips. Photographs of Heaney, Friel, De Valera (in coffin) and Lord Brookeborough, etc. are included.
Prof. Frank Shovlin talks about the writings of John McGahern. Shovlin was once taught by McGahern in Galway University. It is a very insightful interview (by Melanie Ward) about McGahern and much else to do with writing.
Ciaran Parker from Cavan gives off steam in the ‘Soundings’ feature, and
Mary Montague, a poet born in Ederney, has a pageful of poems. Mary has her third collection coming out soon. She has been translated into at least three other languages.
Two final year students from South-West College show their paintings, and besides all that there are other bits and pieces to whet the historical and artistic appetites.
The Spark is on sale in all the main towns of those seven counties, and many smaller towns too.
Dermot Maguire Editor/Proprietor
Dear Dermot,
I am looking to purchase a copy of History and Arts Review 2017 No. 30
Can you help.
Many thanks
Mary
Thanks for asking. I’ve forwarded your message to Dermot
Hi,
We tried to purchase copies of The Spark in the newsagents and it has not been possible. I was wondering if it would be possible to purchase two copies of this year’s issue for delivery by post.
Yours faithfully.
Thanks for asking. We have no direct involvement with The Spark’ but I have forwarded your request to the Editor, Dermot Maguire
I am looking to obtain some recent 2020-2022 copies of the Spark and some earlier ones (if available) if you could pass the request on to Dermot I’d be much obliged.
Sorry to be so late in replying. I’ve now passed on your request.