'The Parting'- Launch of Patrick Stack Poetry Collection at Glór

Poets Patrick Stack and Kate O Shea 

I was sorry to miss this event featuring local poet Patrick Stack. Thanks to my guest blogger who captures the atmosphere in this report. I look forward to reading the poems in The Parting The Clare Three Legged Stool Poetry Group meet on the third Saturday afternoon of each month in Glor, Ennis. 

Patrick Stack Book Launch  April 20^th, 2013

Glór Theatre 2 in Ennis was the scene of the launch of “The Parting”, a collection of poetry by Patrick Stack, a Kerryman living in Kilmaley.  This is Stack’s, first collection and it showcases poems written over the past 30 years.  He is a member of the Clare Three-Legged Stool Poets and many comrades- in- poetry were on hand to celebrate with him, among them Brian Mooney, Paul Saalbach, Kate O’Shea, Mike Douse and Martin Vernon.

A nice buzz prevailed as people gathered in the foyer of Glór at three o’clock and Patrick was kept busy signing copies of his book. Wife Anna Marques Stack, daughter Deirdre and son Naoise greeted the crowd. Everyone then moved into Theatre 2 to music provided by piper Andrew Newland with Róisín on fiddle.

Keynote speaker for the launch was poet and novelist Fred Johnston, director of the Western Writers’ Centre in Galway. He spoke of the “violence of silence” in our time, where no one is willing to speak out, to tackle political issues, because of the “innate Irish terror of authority”. However, “there is nothing silent about Patrick Stack”, according to Johnston, “He is dangerous in our time”. Stack’s poetry speaks its mind and invites reaction. He rails against censorship and economic misery, and “a whole world that refuses to say anything”.  

Patrick then read a number of poems from his collection, giving their background stories. A talented linguist, his poetry features English, Irish, Portuguese and Krio Rap from Sierra Leone. The subject matter of his poems ranges from life in his childhood home in Kerry to the Lisbon Underground to a “non-experience” in a bar in Majorca and beyond. This collection provides the reader with a pot pourri of varied experiences, couched in rich language and vivid imagery - plenty of food for thought provoked by this newly published poet.

“The Parting” is published by AmethystDragon Archives and retails at 10 euro.

Written by guest blogger Cinnamon. 

'Flute Player' Personified at Clare Poets February

Featured Poet Brian Mooney 

His was an earthed universe....
When he played 

he seemed

 to gather up 

the notes 

that cascaded down 

from 

his timber flute

   from Flute Player for Des Mulkere

The Clare Poets kept the flame  burning at the monthly poetry vigil in Glór Foyer on 16th February . The featured poet was founder member Brian Mooney . Sadly Brian was indisposed but his daughter Cora read beautifully  from his work. Some of the lines had a particular resonance as special guest  was  Des Mulkere for whom Brian wrote Flute Player quoted above.   We heard Danny Boy and the Last Rose of Summer  and Des , a farmer and musician  knitted a number of threads in his discourse delivered in a rich sonorous voice-the Kiltartan Irish and his family's association with Yeats , Denis Hempson and the Belfast Harp Festival amongst others.  Mike Douse was in the chair  and added a note on John McCormack's recordings of Moore's Melodies. There was a lively open mike session with regulars and newcomers. I enjoyed  Pat Considine's ,The Waking Field and Patricia's eco conscious poem on Fracking, both attending for the first time I believe.    The always impressive Peter Kay picked up the WB thread with his  performances from memory  of  Bulla .  We had a  poem as Gaeilge from Pat McNamara and poems from Arthurs Watson and Joe Cronin.
The Clare Poets meet in Glor, Ennis on the third Saturday of each month. All are welcome, poets or hearers.

November Remembrance in Clare with The Three Legged-Stool Poets.



 
 




Guest Edward O Dwyer at Clare Poets Meeting



 

Maybe it was the installation of a poet in the Áras, the uncharacteristic intense November sunshine bathing the Clare county town or perhaps it was the oxygen of publicity for the meeting in the local press that drew  the largest gathering to date to Glór in Ennis for the monthly gathering of the Three Legged-Stool Poets on Saturday afternoon.   Young Limerick based poet Edward O Dwyer, as guest, opened the procedings and read a selection of poems beginning with We will Always Have Paris. Arthur Watson presided over the proceedings and there were something in the region of a dozen contributers with poems reflecting a range of themes at the open mike. Too many to mention all contributions but  I loved Jinny'Thomas' humourous extended metaphor, The Train of Thought. There  was a lyrical quality to Rosemary Power's lovely translations.  Noel Harrington who will be guest poet next month gave a glimpse of what to expect in Apologies to Teenagers No. 2. Fred Johnson made some thought provoking observations on the response of poets to politics in Possibilities of the Sonnet . Patrick's Stack's poems had an anti war theme and Michael Reeve's poem drew on ballroom dance forms tango and rhumba in his offering. 

Poets Joe Cronin & Peter Kay and a blogger



In our thoughts was the late Brendan O Beirne who was guest poet  when I first played for the group. Can it really be a year since  Julie Feeney  delighted the group with her songs in memory of the late Brecan Mooney.

      
  





As musical guest today, I had the privilege of punctuating the procedings with some musical interludes. Taking the theme of remembrance, I thanked the Clare Poets for their help in recording my grandmother, Helen Sheehan's poems earlier this year and offered two of her favourite tunes as an opener. Later I played a movement from a solo Bach suite, perhaps the musical equivalent of a sonnet and the signature music for Bowman on Sunday, based on radio archives. I   paired the Courante with the theme Gabriel's Oboe , Oboe being the title of one of O Dwyer's collections. For a close to the procedings, picking up the World War One theme I played the popular melody for Roses of Pickardy.

Eamonn an Chnoic                 Irish Air          
Andulko                                  Czech Folksong
Courant
  Cello Suite no 1 G major     Bach
Gabriel's Oboe                       Morricone
Roses of Pickardy                 Haydn Wood/ Weatherly

More info on the group's activities can be found on  http://www.clarepoets.com/

Remembering Clare's Fallen Victims of World War 1 : Exhibition compiled by Peadar McNamara continues until November 30th at Clare Museum , Ennis

Clare Poets Take a Haiku



Yuki performs Cherry Blossom



Yuki explains her Haiku

I spent the afternnon at The Clare Three Legged Stool Poets monthly meeting at Glor.. There was quite a lot of business to conduct with the launching of the group's Haiku competition for schools.  The afternoon was ably compered by Rob Hopkins and there were many contributers today.  Fred Johnston  spoke about the technical aspects of composing a Haiku.- which is a short 17 syllable poem and not to be confused with a well known ritual tribal dance  ; teachers from Clare schools spoke about the positive impact the inititaive is having  in their schools. Yuki Nishioka spoke about the genre and demonstrated one of her own.  A multi faceted performer she sang and played some traditional Japaneese melodies    It was good to hear a young voice at the gathering and Mark James performed his rap influenced rhymes with and without guitar .


Pat MacNamara of Knockanean NS School





Fred lays down the ground rules



There was good variety in the open mic session. Ilsa Thielen opened with a poem about a horse (a common theme lately), Noel Mulqueen followed with some Yeats and MC Rob read from his own work . Peter Kay was I believe a new voice to the group and remembered the late  and sadly missed Brendan O Beirne.  Arthur Watson's work  always makes me smile and today's offerings about lawn mowers, rural  health centres and acronyms was no exception.  Brian Mooney spoke about forthcoming events and Pat MacNamara disproving the old adage,  (those who can, do and those who can't ....)closed the written word offerings with a powerful war poem of his own.



Mark Jame Poetry Slam Winner

Mary Fean of RINS Fm Shannonside Radio Station was there to conduct an interview with the main movers and shakers in the group. Unfortunately Glór, strangely enough, closed up at 5.15 pm and we had to leave - which  effectively curtailed the informal exchange that is very much part of such an occasion. Next meeting is on Saturday 19th February and features Paddy Bushe from Kerry.  Put in your diary!  http://www.clarepoets.com/

Peter Kay