And here is the podcast of my latest show on Kinvara FM – Live 92.4FM from the studio in the village of Kinvara on Ireland’s Atlantic Coast. Let me know where you’re listening in from – I’d love to hear from you!!
Yes we are shouting to the top this week: celebrating Galway’s hurling success.
Also celebrating some fine musicians and songwriters: Suzanne Vega, Neil Young, Adele, Stevie Wonder, The Style Council, The Police, Stevie Nicks … and others.
We preview Culture Night 2017, look at a volunteering opportunity, and there’s a poem for Autumn by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
Hope you enjoy the show. Feedback and comments always welcome. And a follow or two would be great!
Another podcast from my show with Kinvara FM. And we’re live on air now at 92.4fm .
HUZZAH!
Tonii Kelly, the editor of Guaire Magazine in Gort joined us on The Western Skyline today to tell us about a new initiative to get the children of south Galway writing poetry and fiction. Tonii also spoke about the magazine, which celebrates Gort and the area around the town. Check out guaire.org for more details.
Music is from Ali Farka Toure & Ry Cooder, M People, Jambalaya Cajun Band, Youssou N’Dour, Andy Irvine & Paul Brady, Alan Stivell, De Dannan, Bruce Hornsby & The Range, and the Buena Vista Social Club.
There’s news of art exhibitions and a seaside installation. Don’t forget to contact kava@kinvara.com if you want to join the day trip to see the Vermeer Exhibition at the National Gallery.
We preview Muldoon’s Picnic, coming next Tuesday 29th to the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, and Moonfish Theatre Company’s production of Joseph O’Connor’s ‘Star of the Sea’ – also at the Town Hall Theatre on 1 & 2 September.
[Image c. Karen J McDonnell]
Recently, I brought ‘the childer’ up to Capital City!
A major trip for both me & and my poems. It was the first time I actually drove around Dublin.
I spent a very enjoyable time at RTÉ radio chatting to Seán Rocks on Arena, and reading a few poems from This Little World . The Arena team made the selection: ‘I’ll Tell Me Ma’ seems to appeal to a lot of people!
I’ll be hoping for evenings like this next week when I head to Bantry – the lovely town situated between the Beara and Sheeps Head peninsulas.
I’ve been to the West Cork Literary Festival several times as part of the audience. This time – HUZZAH!! – I’m going as one of their featured writers.
WCLF brochure. Artwork by William Crozier
I can’t wait to be there. WCLF is one of those events that has everything: a great line-up, a wonderful bunch of volunteers, a superb location, and a fantastic hinterland to explore when you get a bit of time off. If the weather is good – well, that’s a bonus.
I will be chatting to Eibhear Walshe, and reading from This Little World, at 11.30am in the Bantry Bookshop next Wednesday, 19 July. Thanks to Margaret and her staff for having us. If any of you are down for the Festival – please come, and say Hello!
This gets to be a bit of a working holiday for me. I’m taking an extra night off so that I can take in as much of the other writers’ events as possible. Lucky me.
We’re due a write-up about the whole book thing. Life in the book lane has been pretty fast and furious this past month. And, real life has also got in the way – as it does. I think time to regroup is in order; then I promise a ‘daycent’ sit-down-with-a-cuppa post over on the Writer’s Blog.
In the meantime – enjoy the summer, my lovelies. And if you want to purchase This Little World, please visit www.doirepress.com where Lisa & John will be only too happy to sell you a copy!
Pass it on to any friends or rellies in the Limerick area:
On Tuesday 4 July 2017 I’ll be reading from This Little World at the ‘On the Nail Literary Gathering’ hosted by the Limerick Writers’ Centre.
Venue: Chez le Fab Café at Arthur’s Quay Time: 8pm
I will be reading with Terry McDonagh, and signing copies of THE BOOK, of course!!
And don’t forget … there’s an Open Mic afterwards, so bring some writing or music of your own to entertain us all. Many thanks to Dominic Taylor for the invitation. Chuffed to have been asked to do the gig.
I’m still working as a volunteer with Kinvara FM – about 10 km from home – in Kinvara, Co. Galway. The station hopes to be broadcasting on air in late summer when its 30 day licence is received from the BAI. Until then, there is a variety of shows going out every Saturday, and some on Sundays too. You can listen in live online, or catch the podcasts later.
I’ll be presenting The Western Skyline every fortnight. The next show is on 10 June. There will be Arts & Heritage news, interviews, and some poetry. Below are links to podcasts the two most recent shows. I hope you enjoy them!
I’ve been preparing the manuscript of my first poetry collection. And I invested in a week at beautiful Annaghmakerrig to give myself a good run at re-drafting newer poems, as well as looking over the older ones. Of course, being where I was, the first thing I did after unpacking was to sit down and write a new poem. It was a great start to the week and set me up well for the next day’s writing. No trips off on the gatch this time, apart to Newbliss for the newspaper.
It was wonderful being back in ‘my old room’! They’re very good to me in that place. I had tweeted Miss Warby to let her know I was on my way. She tweeted ‘Welcome, darling.’ when I arrived! Spoilt, I was, pure spoilt. It was lovely to meet a whole new bunch of people – artists and writers, musicians and a dancer. But, typical in Ireland, it turned out that the writer Liz Nugent and I had met – many moons ago! A long story, and you’re not getting it here. The nightly dinners were a joy – great food and conversation – sometimes presided over by the Centre’s director, Rob. Many thanks to vegetarian Helen who was our cook on St. Paddy’s Day. she went beyond the call of duty: The ham was scrummmmmy.
Home to reality, and writing, writing, writing. But also a moment or two to enjoy the fact that Marie Lecrivain, guest editor at Al-Khemia Poeticahad published my contribution for National Women’s Day in the U.S., and on St. Patrick’s Day at that. Nice one, Marie.
Also came news that my poem, ‘A Bad Dose’, had been shortlisted for Cúirt/UCHG Poems for Patience, 2017. I was delighted. And a tie this year – well done to poets Lorna Shaughnessy and Marie Cadden on their joint win. Both of their poems will be printed and hung in University Hospital Galway. It’s a great idea, I think.
This week I’m formatting the manuscript and this is what I was doing two mornings ago:
I’m really looking forward to tomorrow evening – 3rd February.
I’ll be reading at the Record Break Café in Ennis at the monthly poetry slot.
This time, I’m delighted to be joined by Limerick poet & playwright Mary Coll, who will be reading from her new collection, Silver. Join us for what promises to be a great evening. (We might even get a word or two of fiction out of Helena Close who is travelling from Limerick as well!)
Door open at 7.30pm with poetry is from 8-9pm, followed by music from Pele, a local musician – and a pal of my sister as it happens!
And remember, Sinéad makes great coffee & lovely treats!
FINALLY – My poem ‘The High Road’ will be published this month in The Honest Ulsterman. It’s my first time being published in that fine journal so, thanks Greg!
Karen J McDonnell 