The Burren – Karen J McDonnell

Wow!

March 22, 2023Karen J McDonnell

Three years ago today, as a way of dealing with Covid lockdown, the former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins started a poetry broadcast on Facebook. That first evening – cocktail time where he lives! – it was his birthday.

Since then the little community of viewers and comment-makers has grown. Billy and his wife Suzannah have continued the broadcasts, even though the world has opened up and he is in demand for live events and readings. A second book has been published since the broadcasts began.

Some of the regulars sent birthday and thank you cards to celebrate the third anniversary. Last night’s broadcast was fun. What blew my mind was that the birthday boy read out one of my Burren poems, Super Moon.

Chuffed. That’s what I am.

Here’s a link to the broadcast. Hell, you might even join the rest of us on Tuesdays and Thursdays! Once the clocks go forward at the weekend, it’s at 10.30pm Irish time.

Copy link to the Poetry Broadcast 21 March 2023 when BC read my poem Super Moon.

https://fb.watch/jpUPJfQIHp/

Writing in the time of COVID19 & the Pendemic project

August 8, 2020August 8, 2020Karen J McDonnell

Four people, some of whom are writer buddies, began Pendemic as the impact of lockdown on our creative community became obvious. The online site went from strength to strength, and will wind up shortly.

All the contributions will find a permanent home, however. University College Dublin has decided to take the accumulation of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction that makes up Pendemic, and will archive the content.

I haven’t written a post here about COVID19 and the lockdown in the west of Ireland, though I did contribute to this article in the Irish Times during the first months.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/loneliness-in-lockdown-i-ve-never-been-alone-for-so-long-in-my-life-1.4247483

I’ve found it difficult to summon up any energy for writing new work about these days. To be honest, enough people seemed to have no problem doing so, and I couldn’t see that I’d add anything to the existing columns!

One poem came to me, however, quite early one morning. It was during the quiet time, here in the Burren. Hardly any cars, no overhead jet trails. Wonderful weather. I could sit on the bench in the front garden in comfort; enjoying the sun and the views over Galway Bay. If a neighbour or someone from out the road cycling into the village passed by, there was time to stop for a socially-distanced chat – in the knowledge that a stream of holiday traffic on its way to the Cliffs of Moher wasn’t going to drown out the conversation, or beep at someone pulled up inconveniently in the middle of the road. To be honest, I miss that hush around the place. Especially as I write today, when the cars passing the door haven’t given me a moment’s peace. But that’s what you get when you live on the R67 in the height of summer!

So – the poem. One morning, in the quiet time, I heard a sound overhead. It took a wee bit longer to than usual to recognise that it was a Search & Rescue helicopter. Around here, it’s not a good sound to hear. Someone walker is injured in the Burren uplands, or there’s a medical emergency in the village, or someone has fallen – or jumped – from the Cliffs of Moher. That, quite simply, is where this poem came from. It was published in Pendemic, and you can read it here.

Lockdown, early morning by Karen J McDonnell

An ambulance has just whizzed by, sirens at full tilt.

But I’ll leave you with a few photos of the place at its loveliest; during the quiet time.

Image may contain: cloud, sky, ocean, outdoor, nature and water

Photo: Ballyvaughan, the old pier. ©Karen J McDonnell

Image may contain: cloud, sky, outdoor and nature

Photo: the approach to Ballyallaban. © Karen J McDonnell

This is where things are ‘normal’ for me. Sitting in the sun outside The Larder café: with a treat, a cup of Anam coffee, and a good book. That’s when it’s almost possible to believe that COVID19 isn’t lurking somewhere.

No photo description available.

Wear the mask. Wash the hands. Go easy on yourselves. Be kind.

Poetry Day Ireland 2019 – Label Lit in The Burren!

May 2, 2019May 4, 2019Karen J McDonnell

It has been a manic few days, getting ready for this year’s #PoetryDayIrl

This morning, I was at the DeValera Library in Ennis; giving a poetry workshop to 3rd and 4th class from Ennis Educate Together school. Eighteen young poets turned up with their teachers- and taught me a thing or two about poetry! Thanks to all of the children for their energy and interest. They were really great. And thanks to Samantha at Clare Library Services for the invitation. We’ll be doing it all again on the 23 May with another group of Ennis schoolchildren.

Yesterday was spent tearing around the Burren: from Carron, to Finavarra, to Bishop’s Quarter; then out the coast road to Fanore, stopping off on the way back at Black Head, Murroohtoohy, Ballyconry, & Sans Souci; more stops at the old pier, the Coast Road, the Cottages, the new pier; to the school, looking back to Cappanawalla; and finally to a nook or two in the village. ALL in aid of Label Lit – the brainchild of the dynamo that is Maria McManus – who already has brought the Poetry Jukebox concept to Ireland.

From ‘Super Moon’. LabelLit at the Burren Perfumery

Label Lit has been going for a few years now, on each Poetry Day Ireland. Maria organises the whole thing and we poets are sent 20 labels. We write a line of poetry on each one and then sign them on the back, where there are links for the finder to use. This year we also recorded our poems. Finders of the labels – and you – can click into poetrymapp.com here, and listen to the complete poem. This year poets from abroad are also taking place: you’ll find LabelLit in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia. I had my labels prepped since Easter, and a ‘keeper’ sent off to Ursula in the Poetry Collection project at the library in U.C.D. I’ve left labels all around my part of the Burren for you to find. Many of the places mentioned above are mentioned in my poem Super Moon. At Sea was in response to a reported incident just off Black Head. If you’re not in Co. Clare at the moment, look at the map: there may be labels where you are!

Go to poetrymapp.com , https://soundcloud.com/poetrymapp , or click on the titles to listen to Super Moon and At Sea