Heaney’s poetry is full of surprises. It would appear that he knew everything about the flail, but he seemed to refuse to give it a poetic voice. Continue reading
Filed under creative writing …
Filíocht/Poetry/Gearrscéal/ Short Story: Hugh Curran, Colette Ní Ghallchóir, Colin Ryan, Tommy Fogarty.
At the cemetery, Canada geese nibbled grass as my nephew played ‘Danny Boy’ on his saxophone Continue reading
Scéalta Gaeilge/Béarla – Irish short stories with translations
One of the strengths of each story is the level of simple dialogue, such as would be a normal and natural conversation between family members for example. One could see this as a very useful tool for language learners, seeing language in the context of ordinary conversations. Continue reading
The Wild Atlantic
It started calm enough, but God it turned, and suddenly we were being tossed here and there and everywhere. Ger said he never saw anything like it, but we bent the oars and headed in. Continue reading
Poetry/Filíocht Michael Boyle, Dymphna Lonergan, Julie Breathnach-Banwait
Níl i spéir gan scamall ach scéal gan focal ar bhileog fholamh. A cloudless sky is but an empty story on a blank page. Continue reading
Irish-Born Australian Journalist Continues to Expose Perpetrators of Violence and Sexual Abuse through Crime Fiction
Fittingly, Milligan, a well-known, award-winning investigative reporter is capable of writing with clarity and ease as she is a journalist who turned fiction writer in recent years. Continue reading
Aonach an Daingin The Dingle Fair
Then the jobber proceeded to examine the heifers and shaking his head he offered £16 and Dad emphatically said no. Continue reading
How to say ‘hello’ in Irish and the curious origin of ‘playboy’
The Irish language is noteworthy in using religious terms for greetings: Dia duit ‘God with you’ is responded to by Dia is Muire Duit ‘God and Mary with you.’ The latter response is not as prevalent nowadays)….It is not clear what playboy means in the drama and it is not clear that playboy was used regularly in the English of the west of Ireland at that time. Why then did Synge use this word for his protagonist? Continue reading
Poetry/Filíocht: Michael Patrick Moore, Robyn Rowland, Julie Breathnach-Banwait
The Habit of Leaving by Robyn Rowland Commissioned by John Carty for his slow air/jig ‘Seanamhac Tube Station’ In the 1970–80s the Irish were the largest immigrant community in Britain. John grew up there and played in the pub, ‘The Good Mixer’. Multi-awarded Irish traditional musician on fiddle, banjo, flute and tenor guitar, he wanted … Continue reading
Going to London 1960
While there a fella walked in and prepared for bed. However, he first removed the biggest knife I ever saw and laid it beneath the mattress. We started walking the streets looking in windows but not seeing. We were pretty low but pretended not, to shield one another. Continue reading
