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Fermanagh Writers At FLive Festival

October 9, 2014 fcwg Uncategorized Anthony Viney, Ardhowen Theatre, Dianne Trimble, Fermanagh writers, FLive Festival, Jenny Brien, John D Kelly, John James, John Monaghan, Kathy May, Ken Ramsey, Mary McElroy, May Morris, Teresa Kane, Trish Bennett

Last weekend Fermanagh Writers participated in the FLive Festival, performing on Friday afternoon at the Ardhowen Theatre and on Saturday lunchtime at the Bridge Centre in the Presbyterian Church. Both sessions were lively and members of the audience praised the performers afterwards.

Our Chair, Tony Brady, tell us about the performance at the Ardhowen Theatre:

Friday 3^rd October 2014 was a day for me to take a step back as John Monaghan had organised a line up of 13 from our poets and prose writers. I arrived early at what must be one of the most beautifully positioned theatres in the whole of Ireland. The Long Bar was the venue and I joined the audience while Bob Baird, of The Flive organising committee, finessed the essential in situ arrangements and made the Introduction.

First to read was John Monaghan: his two poems, Hobnobs and Wisdom Tooth, were remembered mouth watering pleasure and painful surgery. Bob Baird then regaled with An Australian Tale – not a shaggy dog story, more a black sheep fable. A change of mood came with Jenny Brien introducing a classical Irish mythic tone with her saga The Calf. Our imaginations were then carried to France by John Llewellyn James as a Paris weekend there, was described in a risqué poem Elodie. Next up came Kitty: shy, retiring, she was propelled to the lectern by collective encouragement and gave an assured performance of two poems: “On the back of his phone call…” and These Hands.

Kathy May followed with a questioning poem – Betrothal – seeking undying promises, and an emotionally lacerating poem, Inside of A Cell, invoking scenes of mental illness. Humour was expected and welcome as May Morris followed intoning Hey Diddle Diddle with its subtle hint of drug taking and a contrasting taste of cheeky bedroom hanky-panky in Kathy and Liam.

A mix of nature, dreams, poultry and hints of les liaisons

dangereuse/amoureuse were poetry conveyed in 4 poems recited by Teresa Kane. Pinned viewed a butterfly trapped in a jar. Wake Me was a call to be aware of beauty in natural surroundings while Porcelain Eggs recalled, not without a sting, tactile seeking and finding. Finally, her poem Shadows characterised a sensual, coquette, temptress; all come and get me; vampish but seductively ambivalent while being attractive/repellent simultaneously.

An example of theatrical Military Action Poetry was next presented by “Corporal” Tony Viney. His Rudyard Kipling inspired monologue Fuzzy Wuzzy blended 19^th century British army discipline with contemporary Taliban activity in present day Afghanistan. Very appropriate for a theatre event, Tony was in army uniform, parade ground boots and topped by an authentic battle field helmet. There’s a medal (yet uncast) for this performance reprised from the Ballinamallard Festival.

Barrack square pitch changed to dulcet toned level when Trish Bennett recited her funny Cleaning with Parrot’s Help and contrasted it with an ironic funereal poem Boxed Up. She continued with Magic Aid and completed with Sweet Spot – a poem which she could have just composed on the spot; so redolent it was of the view visible from the room’s panoramic windows.

One of our prize winning poets, Mary McElroy no less, and in person from the lectern, commanded the audience’s rapt attention with varying emotional and visual themes in 3 of her poems: Hands – The Uninvited – Blind. William Shakespeare was next: in a manner of speaking that is, for Jennie Brien skilfully reworked into modern, innovative idiom 4 sonnets by the immortal Bard. Lots more favourite and famous poets were liberally name-checked in Frankie McPhillips original vignette Beautiful Bundoran. His seaside reverie/elegy contained a skilfully interwoven pastiche of W.B Yeat’s poem The Lake Isle of Innishfree.

Any further thoughts about “I will arise and go now…” were banished as Dianne Trimble recited her amusing poem Yer Man followed by But I’m Here. Then a change of tone in Barbed Boundary, subtle hints of a rural interface there. Two further offerings were When Haymaking’s Done and the second, one of her published poems: The Thing on a String.

This appreciative member was then called from the reserves bench, and recited three poems from Fermanagh Writer’s Seamus Heaney Tribute booklet by three contributors who were unable to attend. Death of a Hero by Ken Ramsey. The Unexpected by Rosemary Bland. Looking Upstream by John D. Kelly.

John Monaghan’s arrangement of the overall variety of contributions was inspired. Among the audience were the Director of the Flive Festival, Evelyn Hassard accompanied by Rosie & Nicholas Watts. I just cannot resist by ending this overview with a touch of luvviedom: Darlings! You were wonderful! Simply Divine!

Fantastical FW at FLive Parade

October 1, 2014 fcwg Uncategorized Fermanagh writers, FLive Festival, FLive parade

In the official Flive 2014 programme, there’s a promise that the dragon named Falkner would be accompanied by an array of “fantastical creatures.” Whether Fermanagh Writers -John Monaghan, Jennie Brien, Bob Blair and Tony Brady qualified to fit that description is arguable, but they turned up – sans wings or tutus – to act as escort/marshals on Saturday, 27th September.

Following an on the spot, intense two minutes training by Bob Baird – a prominent member of the Flive Festival organising committee – and the donning of high visibility tabards, they observed the pre-procession performance of live tableau by talented drama students from Portora who explored the Magic of Irish Myth and Legend by bringing stories to life using oversized picture frames decorated by primary pupils. The production was under the direction of local artist Genevieve Murphy.

The parade from The Diamond to Enniskillen Castle was completed in fair weather and, as can be seen from the photograph on page 41 of The Fermanagh Herald dated 1st October, John (right) and Tony (left) are pictured alongside stilt walker Randy Repass and participating youngsters.

North West Heat of All Ireland Poetry Slam by John James

October 1, 2014 fcwg Uncategorized

Fermanagh Writers in the Slam

There is a dangerous underground movement afoot. Mention it softly, but people gather together in darkened rooms and read poetry to each other and an assembled audience. They are called Slams. This is the new poetry. Often loud, verbose and polemical, the rock-stars of this world are growing in number and reputation, taking inspiration from the Beat Generation of Ginsberg et al, the work is confrontational, vibrant and very much in the zeitgeist.

We sent forth our bravest and perhaps some of our best poets to do battle in this gladiatorial arena armed only with our verses, a little wit, some passion and as much phlegm as we could cough up.
The All Ireland Poetry Slam https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008298760465&ref=ts&fref=ts chose Enniskillen as it’s North-West venure – dodgy geography mayhap, but as our Scottish host said ”Ye’s all are South to me in Scotland anyway!’ We gave our names – some fun with myself as the spelling and pronunciation of my middle name flummoxed our guest judges. (Not the best start.)

When you peruse the corpus of classical poetry, you may wonder what relevance the art may have for today; here, with the entrants, you had the environment, international politic a letter from a dog, a river’s winding tale and an elegy of a Welsh tragedy amongst many other varid topics. Showing the versatality and essential nature of our art and its relevance to the now and promising a fecund future.

Our own John D Kelly secured 3rd place and a bottle of wine, pipped on the line by a new face, Maximun Homio Sapiens who took 2nd place and the ever-familiar Stephen Murphy from over the border winning 1st place and passage to the Grand Final. Stephen, taking our poetry prizes, following in the ignoble tradition of rustling cattle, kidnapping fair maidens and other less salubrious cross-border activities.

Good luck for the final in Kilkenny, Stephen!

Our thanks to the organisers of the Slam and to the volunteer judges, who chose well.

John James on how Fermanagh Writers Row the Erne

September 24, 2014 fcwg Uncategorized

We are all experts now…

On a day when the sun did not just go for a kiss, or a peck on the cheek, it went for the full-blanket, smothering us all in it’s yellowy, velvety goodness. We took another trip on the Lough Erne in the Curragh, manning the oars mightily as we could manage. The aforesaid sun created an old grandmother’s eiderdown patchwork quilt of light on the gently rippling waters, tickled by craft of all shapes and sizes, some with engines others without.

A dance-card of dabbling ducks and serene swans took to the waters after feasting on the stale bread provided by timid yet curious children, shephereded by their watchful parents. An armada of wildfowl thus accompanied the prompting in-out beat provided by Olivia, trying to wring out every drop of feeble co-ordination from her mulish team of rowers, who just could not follow her gently placatory heart-rate metronome.

After noodling the boat gently out of it’s halt,we headed for the open waters of the Lough, wary of the pleasure-boats who powered up and down, tooting their horns and giving us a wave. Laughing at this foolhardy bunch of landlubbers,venturing out into the wide-blue younder on a vainglorious attempt of oarsmanship.

But we made our way swiftly through Friar’s Leap – a reed-garlanded passageway, I almost burst out into peals of Hosanna as it reminded me of Jesus on a donkey entering the gates of Jerusalem. We received great praise at our ability to get through the gap, I think though she was politely codding us on the level of our achievement.

We made our way to Devenish Island in the middle of the Lough, half of us disembarked for a wee dander, to take some photographs, some mementoes of the day. Other were nursing other reminders of the day, sore arms and shoulders and aching backs like geriatrics, took their ease in the bow of the boat.

All too soon, it was time for the journey home, we dutifully picked up our heavy oars and made our return journey,which was enlivened by a boat attempting to navigate the weir-gate at the same time as us. Much yells and our hands aloft in the air, in what I thought was surrender, but in actual fact was the maritime equivalent of flashing your headlights to ware the on-coming the traffic as to your presence. The boat, several-times over the size of our small craft, snorted and roared like a pissed-off bull, it cleaved the waters with it’s hooves and created a wake. I felt I was in Pamplona and the adrenaline pumped through my veins, however the angry beast was lassooed, reined in and shunted backwardsd to let our craft through, it still pawed the waters though in angry impatience. This provided a nice motivation to pull ourselves through the gate and dip our oars again, with much vim and vigour.

The feathered armada was their to to honk, quack and squawk us into our assigned lodgings on the jetty. We found our land-legs just where we left them and we wobbled about on the jetty, even thouigh we had not managed to find our requisite maritime sea-legs at all. Well, maybe next year perhaps. We made our way way agreeing that we were all expert oars-folk now; I just laughed and looked forward to my own blanket, to take me away on my personal voyage, the journey of dreams.

Our thanks to Olivia and her crew who made the day possible. Tony Viney for the organisation and our other valiant ship-mates – Ken, Kate, Jenny who made up for my own woeful performance on the oars.

John J.

Seamus Heaney Tribute Booklet

September 16, 2014 fcwg Archives Fermanagh writers, John D Kelly, Seamus Heaney

Fermanagh Writers have produced a booklet of tributes in poetry and prose in honour of the late poet. John D. Kelly – one of the group’s prize winning poets and a contributor – will present it to the family to mark the first anniversary on 30^th August of the poet’s passing. John’s co-contributors are Dermot Maguire, Teresa Kane, John Llewellyn James, Angela McCabe, Rosemary Bland, Antoinette Rock, Catherine Vallely, Ken Ramsey, Tony Brady, Anthony Viney, Dianne Ascroft, Peter Byrne and Katharine May.

In the closing words of the Introduction to the book Fermanagh Writers say: “They wish to offer a tribute to Mr Heaney by presenting his family with this modest collection of poetry and prose in memory of his life and work. It is presented with our condolences, admiration, respect and affection.”

Poets Meet Painters Winner: John D. Kelly

August 20, 2014 fcwg Archives Brush With A Past, Hungry Hill Writing, John D Kelly, poetry, Poets Meet Painters

Congratulations to John D. Kelly who won first prize in the Poets Meet Painters contest run by Hungry Hill Writing. The contest was adjudicated by Cherry Smyth. His poem, Brush With A Past, is included in the Poets Meet Painters anthology.

For more information about the contest and the anthology visit Hungry Hill Writers website.

Our Chair, Tony Brady offers his thoughts on the poem:

Celebrating a Fermanagh Writer’s poetry success.
An Appreciation.

There are many examples of poets looking at and being inspired by a painting and composing a complimentary and revelatory poem: W.H Auden for example. His poem – Musée des Beaux Arts – begins: “About suffering they were never wrong the old masters….” and conveys the indifference of the various watching characters in a Pieter Breugel painting. A masterpiece: it depicts the Fall of Icarus in fateful plunge to earth when his man-made waxen wings melt as he soars towards the sun.
John D. Kelly’s winning poem – Brush With A Past – which appears in Poets Meet Painters – a recent Anthology published by Hungry Hill Writing, is inspired by perceptions of looking at a tondo* – one in a series by Etain Hickey. Copies of the Anthology are obtainable at 4 euro each including postage from www.hungryhillwriting.com.

Reactions such as: “I see my pointed reflection….” and “…a loss that happened in the warp of the timeline between the past and present of your face.” – are contained in his poem – free form verses in five four line stanzas..

He conveys sensations: “….. tasting of linseed; being tongued; your eyes – stare” and the completing line “..the water welling in the corner of your innocent eye.” The engagement between the painter, her medium and the observing poet, all visualised in a circular close up
appreciation of a woman’s face. There is not a trace of indifference rather an intensity of compelling communication.

From the Anthology we also learn that Etain Hickey specializes in highly decorated and lustred ceramics and has exhibited both nationally and internationally, with recent exhibitions in London and Brussels. Her work is included in private and public collections including the Crafts Council of Ireland, The Ulster Museum and Fujita Museum Japan. She lives, works and has her gallery in Clonakilty, West Cork. Etain explores her love of colour and pattern in her ceramic wall dishes using rich glazes and lavish decoration techniques incorporating gold.For this exhibition she will be making a new collection of both her abstract wall dishes
and Tondos’ portraying women with decorative hair styles or head dresses which are often symbols of prestige and status in both modern and ancient times.

Her work can be seen at:
Etain Hickey Collections
40 Ashe Street,
Clonakilty,
West Cork

* A tondo is a Renaissance term for a circular work of art, either a painting or a sculpture. The word derives from the Italian rotondo – “round.”

She’ll Do Rightly

August 12, 2014 fcwg Uncategorized Heaney Tribute, Seamus Heaney, Teresa Kane, Tony Brady, William Carleton Summer School

Tony Brady tells us about Fermanagh Writers contribution to the Heaney tribute at the William Carleton Summer School:

Tuesday 5th August 2014, William Carleton Summer School, Public Open Session, to receive Personal Appreciations of Seamus Heaney, Corick House Hotel, Augher, Tyrone.

Fermanagh Writers were asked to participate at the planning stage in January. The organisers were aware of our proposed booklet and invited readings from it. In the event, it was not ready but I had a contingency specimen. By the day, our small team of planned readers was reduced to just Teresa Kane and me. I was not prepared for what became an (initially) quite nerve rendering time…

We were due to read in the session running from 4pm to 5pm. I got there at 2.00pm having arranged to link up with Teresa at 3.45pm. However, a serious hitch in the techno side of the presenter due on at 3.00pm meant the sessions were switched. The first 20 minutes passed as the well known quartet of poets/writers on the panel gave their memorial impressions. When the public contributions began, I was pitched up on stage to perform first off, without Teresa who of course being en route, was unaware of the programme change.

I laid down a marker for Teresa – telling the audience about her – while hoping the session would not be over by the time she arrived: for it started 15 minutes late. About 50 people looked up at me, slightly puzzled, as they were there principally to hear a presentation from a distinguished architect about renovating classical buildings in Ireland. I read The Forward, JDK’s poem – Looking Upstream – and Seamus Heaney’s poem – From The Republic of Conscience.

With about 15 minutes to go Teresa arrived (on her scheduled time) and without waiting for the Chair of the panel, I introduced her from the floor and to my relief, he invited her up to the mike and she read her Tribute superbly: best of the lot as it turned out. The audience were very warm and appreciative.

A bonus was that Teresa brought her mother along, so we went for coffee in most splendid surroundings. There was a wedding on, and as I stood at the bar to make our order, I commented to the groom that he has a lovely bride and conveyed my best wishes. He was pleased and said to me: “She’ll do rightly!”

Later, we went out onto the terrace and one of the organisers took pictures of Teresa, her mother and me. Behind us and out of sight, four foot high letters spelling out L O V E were framed by beautiful shrubbery and admirable view.

All was well and ended well.

John Monaghan tells us about Fermanagh Writers’ evening at the launch of Barbed-Wire Cage:

July 10, 2014 fcwg Uncategorized

On Friday 4^th July at 8pm a group of ten writers left Enniskillen on a support mission for the launch of Natasha Crudden’s “Barbed Wire Cage” in Blessing’s Pub in Cavan. We met up with some other members of FW who made their own way to the venue and we all tried to hide our nerves at the prospect of performing in front of a new audience in the second half of the event.

Natasha recited some of her exciting and edgy “punk” poetry after a very thoughtful opening speech and introduction by Clones poet Ted McCarthy. It is fair to say that we will hear more of Natasha in the coming years. Certainly what we heard on Friday night was inspiring. In my opinion she has something to say that people will want to hear.

The early part of the Launch was filmed by a TV crew from Irish TV.ie. We met the presenter, Jasmyn (from Manchester) and the sound man, Glep (from outside Moscow). Pete Byrne and a couple of us spoke to them to find out if there could be any benefit to FW from following up on the contact. I think it’s an avenue we can explore further.

In the “slam” part of the evening the Fermanagh Writers performers did the group proud. We were represented by Pete Byrne, Kate O’Shea, Tony Brady (who gave a powerful reading of one of Natasha’s poems), John James, Jennie Brien, Teresa Kane, Mary McElroy, John D Kelly and John Monaghan.

All the performances were good and were well received by an appreciative audience. I don’t really want to pick out any in particular, but it would be a great injustice not to mention the “tour de force” by “The Women in Black” Teresa Kane and Mary McElroy.

I would also like to thank those of our members who came along to support Natasha and FW, namely, Thomas, Elizabeth, Bob, Dermot, Antoinette, Trish and John Owen. Next time we would to see you guys under the spotlights with us.

All in all it was a great night and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I think we all learned something from the night (my lesson learned is that FW members are great cheerleaders). I think that as a group we learned that we are more talented than we allow ourselves to believe.

Thank you all for the experience.