Search Results for 'Irish literature'

You might think that those at the core of the Irish literary renaissance at the beginning of the 20th century, were one big happy family beavering away in their rooms at Lady Gregory’s home at Coole, Co Galway. In those early days it was a house full of voices and sounds. Sometimes you heard WB Yeats humming the rhythm of a poem he was cobbling together; or the click-clacking of Lady Gregory’s typewriter as she worked on another play for the Abbey. There was the sound of the Gregory grandchildren playing in the garden; the booming voice of George Bernard Shaw, as he complains that he is only allowed to have either butter or jam on his bread, but not both to comply with war rations (He cheated by the way. He put butter on one side of his bread, and when he thought no one was looking, piled jam on the other!); or the voices of the artist Jack Yeats and JM Synge returning from a day messing about on a boat calling out to a shy Sean O’Casey to come out of the library for God’s sake and enjoy the summer afternoon.

THE NOVELIST and singer Julian Gough will read from his latest book, Jude: Level 1, in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop next Tuesday at 6pm.

While Labour TD Michael D Higgins is known as a very fine poet, the Mayor of Galway Cllr Padraig Conneely will be reciting verse and stanza for National Poetry Day.

Louis le Brocquy exhibition for Ballina Arts Centre is delighted to present this exhibition of work by Louis le Brocquy selected works from the Niland Collection, on loan from The Model Arts and Niland Gallery, Sligo. This exhibition consists of a number of the lithograph brush drawings le Brocquy created as illustrations to Thomas Kinsella’s 1969 translation of the Irish legend, the Táin Bó Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), published by Dolmen Press.

Ireland has every possibility of getting back the 39 controversial paintings, willed to the Irish people by art collector Sir Hugh Lane at the beginning of the 20th century, but which remain in London because the codicil to his will was not witnessed. “Hugh Lane’s intentions were absolutely clear”, the dynamic director of the Hugh Lane (formerly Dublin City) Gallery, Ms Barbara Dawson said in Coole last weekend, “there is no reason on earth why the paintings are not on Irish soil permanently.”

Custom House Studios with Westport Arts Festival 2008 are hosting a book launch and reading from the new poetry collection Points West by Gerald Dawe at the Creel Restaurant Westport Quay on Thursday October 9 2008 at 8pm. Guest Speaker on the evening Thomas Kilroy.

Poets, writers, discussions, music and workshops feature in the second Gogarty literary festival to be held in Renvyle House Hotel this weekend. Poets Michael O’Loughlin, Gerald Dawe, John O’Donnell and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill will give readings, Dr Nicola Gordon Bowe will give a talk on the famous stained glass artist Harry Clarke, there will be a guided tour to Tullycross church to see the Harry Clarke windows there; a talk by Jim Carney on Louis Mac Neice and Omey Island, and lots more.

Throughout the month of October, Ballina Arts Centre will host The Táin, an exhibition by Louis le Brocquy, selected works from the Niland Collection, on loan from The Model Arts and Niland Gallery, Sligo.

IN MAY 1921, Margaret Gregory, widow of Lady Gregory’s son Robert, was the sole survivor of an IRA ambush at Ballyturn House, near Coole Park.

GALWAY ACADEMIC and musician Seán Crosson has published a new book entitled The Given Note - a major study on the relationship between poetry and Irish trad and song.