Monday 29 April 2013

Seasonally effected - 24 April

Dublin or Baile Atha Cliath?
I'm really quite excited, the podcast from this month's seasonally effected is already available to hear. Do you want to listen? There's an eclectic mix of poetry, history, sound experiments, animation and surreal fantasy. You can download it here

My piece explored the history around the 24th April, 1916. It's an important date in history for me, and for many Irish people as that is the date that Pádraig Pearse read out the declaration of the Irish republic on the steps of the General Post office in Dublin.The Easter rising ended 6 days later on 29th April 1916 - Pádraig Pearse had given the order to surrender.The aftermath was as bloody as the fighting.

I read out a couple of poems I had written about the Irish women who were present, the women who seem to have dropped off the face of the earth as far as a lot of historians are concerned (if you hear about anyone it's usually Constance Markievicz, the first women ever to be elected as a British M.P.) So just to spite them I wrote a poem. That'll show them!

So, the next Seasonally effected will be on 29th May 630pm-9pm. Will you be there?

Friday 26 April 2013

Should I go back? Back where?

Where's my pot of gold, then?
I haven't been back home back to Ireland since 1998. And here the difficulty begins. How long ago was it, really? I count back through the weddings I didn't attend. Was it really 1998, or am I remembering someone else's trip? It was my first (and only so far) visit to Galway, and I loved it. The more I think about it, the nice the place gets and was there really music around every street corner, or am I adding that retrospectively?

Do I call Ireland home, now? I used to, when I went back with my family. When are you going home to visit, my cousins asked? My mum easily said it, but I can't. Quite. Even thinking about how long it's been is strange, like a reconstruction. Am I remembering things that really happened or reimagining it? Is it all becoming a Robert Flaherty documentary in my head? I haven't quite got to remebering the time I went fishing for basking sharks, but give it time...

When I go back of course, things will be different. Buildings, families, even the road signs.

Ireland becomes Éire
Dublin becomes Baile Átha Cliath
County Galway becomes Contae na Gaillimhe

It will be a different country altogether. Or will it be me?

Sunday 21 April 2013

Seasonally Effected Open Mic

If I were to call Seasonally Effected an open mic, it wouldn't even begin to do the concept justice.

Hold on, Mike...

The Seasonally Effected evening is an open house of creativity. A place for people to share ideas in whatever form they'd like to: music, poetry, art, comedy, writing, history, film, photography...

Fancy giving it a go? As you can guess from the name, you can do anything you want so long as it's connected to "the time of year". This can be interpreted in any way you like. No two evenings will be the same. You can book 10 minute spots by emailing: seasonallyeffected@gmail.com

I am going to do something at the next gig, at the Dot Cafe in Rochester on Wednesday, 24th April. It starts at 6.30pm and runs until about 9. See you there.....?


Friday 19 April 2013

St Patrick day parade - first meeting



So, it's our first planning meeting for the proposed parade tomorrow. We'll be meeting up at the St. Mary's social club from 7pm.

There are a lot of ideas, and a lot of people interested but it's a question of 1) where we will be allowed to go - will it be accessible to everyone? 2) How many people will be prepared to help with the boring admin work? and 3) Who will turn up?

I'm massively excited though.... the first of its kind in Medway...

Wednesday 10 April 2013

oiche dé chéadaoin - Wednesday night

Wednesday night, where the fun starts - Oiche dé chéadaoin

dé chéadaoin, Wednesday
an chéadaoin, the Wednesday
Ar an gChéadaoin, on a Wednesday (gotta love those eclipses)

Céad-aoin is the first fast day of the week, in Irish tradition. Why the need for two fast days, was this entirely due to faith or more to do with the hard times people lived through?

So then we get onto pronunciation. Is it "Duh kay-dene" or "Jeh key-yahtheene"? or something else altogether...

OK......?

Friday 5 April 2013

Louis Brennan - inventor extraordinaire

Brass plaque showing one of Louis Brennan's inventions, Sapper's walk, Gillingham
Image credit: SM Jenkin
I wonder how many people who live in Gillingham know about Louis Brennan? He was a brilliant inventor who was born in Castlebar, and eventually moved to Gillingham (via Australia) to do his work.

His inventions included the dirigible torpedo, a monorail and a helicopter. Apparantly some of the money from his most famous invention paid for the alterpiece at St Mary's RC church in Ingram Road, Gillingham

I'll be investigating the information held at the Royal Engineers museum, maybe they'll have some information about his factory, that was apparantly near pier road.

Mayo libraries have an interesting  write-up about him here