Childhood memories, family, grief, the beauty of nature, climate change and war are my main themes. I write to make sense of life and to shape my memories and feelings. I have a lyrical style of writing. Continue reading
Filed under literature …
Memories of Our Old House
Who can forget the smell of the Ulster fry of bacon, eggs and fadges completely soaked in gravy? Continue reading
Poetry Corner: Michael Boyle, Colette Ní Ghallchóir, Seán Ó Coistealbha, Eda Hamilton
We heard you read local poets
McNiece, Larkin, Rodgers. Told us of
Hewitt’s ox and goat metaphor
for Northern Ireland. Continue reading
Reflections on Saint Brigid
He tells us that Patrick was a powerful, diligent, and determined man. After reading the Lives of Brigid, you could espouse this forceful but patient woman with the same attributes and above all piety and humility. Continue reading
What we are reading at the moment
Poetry anthologies are always a favourite of mine, particularly those that don’t focus on a particular theme and allow all styles and colours to flow freely. Something new and exciting on every page, a book that can be dipped in and out of as you sit down for a cuppa, varied voices and styles that … Continue reading
Agallaimh le scríbhneoirí Gaeilge/Interviews with Irish language writers
So, landscape and place and sense of identity or the word in Irish is ‘dúchas’ or heritage are huge influences on what motivates me to write. Continue reading
What we are reading at the moment: Hilary Mantel, Donal Ryan, Emma Donaghue, Colette Ní Ghallchóir
A little snippet, a snapshot, insights that convey so much. A sentence that describes one man’s grief ‘Chris, his poor heart smashed…’ is an example of how much emotion is expressed in so few words. Continue reading
Agallaimh le scríbhneoirí gaeilge/Interviews with Irish language writers
Put on the spot, the one piece of advice I would feel comfortable to impart on other writers would be to look upon the act of writing not merely as self-expression, but rather as communication. Continue reading
What we are reading at the moment
Her interior monologues also allow for literary and philosophical references that catch the reader’s heart as the originals do…We learn that Ireland is the result of the collision of two giant rocks (chipped off from ancient continents, Gondwana, Queensland, and Laurentia, Canada) now fused together …This book held a mirror to me with its stark reminder of how lucky I’ve been to have stepped back from the precipice that I’d also found myself standing on. Continue reading
On the Good Ship Ulysses
We parked the car, grabbed our backpacks, and made our way up the passenger stairwell. In my backpack was James Joyce’s Ulysses, bookmarked at the final chapter, ‘Penelope’, which I planned to finish reading whilst on board the Ulysses, travelling to Dublin to visit iconic landmarks mentioned in the book. How meta. Continue reading
Tinteán 