The third poetry evening in the series ‘SOUNDINGS’ takes place this Thursday evening November 13th in Newcastle West Library.

“‘SOUNDINGS’ is an evening of poetry, musings and stories” says Librarian Aileen Dillane. “If you are the type of person who enjoys hearing poetry read or are writing your own poetry, then this series which has commenced under the county’s poet in residence Eileen Sheehan is bound to interest you. We are really pleased to have Mary Kennelly as our guest poet for this SOUNDINGS evening. Many people will be familiar with Mary’s first lovely collection ‘Sunny Spells, Scattered Showers’ and her second collection is due out from Salmon Press in the New Year.”

“The evening also features an ‘open mic’ session”, says Arts Officer Joan Mac Kernan, “and this is open to anyone who would like to read their own work. To date we have been delighted with the uptake and impressed with the number of people who are quietly writing away. And of course reading one’s work aloud to an interested audience whets the creative juices.”

SOUNDINGS, an evening of magic woven around the sound and meaning of words commences at 8.00 pm and all are welcome.

Full details on the poet in residence programme and the SOUNDINGS evenings are available from the County Arts Office at telephone 496498/496300 or  email jmackernan@limerickcoco.ie

Last night, we went to the launch of Revial Poetry Journal issue no. 5. It consists of 40 poets each of which has one poem in the journal. Some well-known poets such as Gabriel FitzMaurice and Knute Skinner are represented, as well as some up-and-coming ones - Catherine Ann Cullen who was the guest reader at the Whitehousepoets in September last to name but one - and some first-timers such as myself. The current Mayor of Limerick, John Fahy, officially launched issue 5 of the Journal with a brief speech. Then each poet present on the night (around 10 I think) read or performed their poem during the open mic session.
Then, Keith Armstrong, the guest poet did his thing. His Che Guevara in Hanratty’s Hotel poem opens issue 5. We left before he started, as Thursday is a very long workday for both of us.

Issue 5 can be purchased online at Revival Press.

The Cuisle festival closes on Saturday night. The White House is hosting a poetry slam on this Saturday night, which I will definitely participate in.

The week is flying by! It’s already Wednesday! Aaaagghhh!

It’s Friday night, and week 1 of SMS 2007 is over, and boy! am I glad it’s Friday.

Looking forward to the weekend, not that I don’t have to work - I have to do some programming tomorrow afternoon. But at least I don’t have to go to Limerick again until Monday morning.

The Summer, such as it is, is flying by - there are only 4 days left in July! That’s just 4 days of Summer left by the Celtic calendar. Whatever anybody says, I can smell the change of season as soon as August comes on the scene. There is a definite change of season in Ireland, though not in any other country I’ve ever been to.

We’re off to Dublin on a mini-break for the next 3 days! Yipee!

I’ve been working really hard, and, with the ongoing situation of the house renovations, find myself quite tired and a bit stressed. So a break from it all is a very welcome prospect.

Our visit to the capital city co-incides in part with the Dublin Film Festival - I hope we’ll be able to see some of what is on offer.

So this will be my last post here until next week - unless I get to an Internet Café that is, which I doubt.

It’s been a promising day so far on many fronts. The sun is shining - and even the nasty showers of sleety rain that make impromptu appearances every hour or so can’t take from that.
The weekly Clare Music Maker’s Orchestra session at the Buttermarket in Ennis went well, and the orchestra is sounding very good. I didn’t have a good innings today, however, as I miscounted on several occasions and missed my queues as a result, which really annoyed me given that the oboe is sounding well.

I’m all set for an afternoon-evening of food, wine and music. Food-wise I’ll be cooking and marinading for tomorrow’s luncheon get-together: two Spanish Omelettes to cook, and the 1500g of venison haunch to marinate overnight. Wine-wise I need to bottle the remaining two demijohns of Elderberry as I’ve drunk the other one and a half. Music-wise I’m going to clear the kitchen and put Pink Floyd’s Pulse on DVD. So here goes.