Cuirt - Finally

I didn't get to much of the festival, bar the Grand Slam in the Kings Head, Galway on Saturday. was glad that I got to go, because hearing the many different competitors made for interesting entertainment. There were serious slams, humourous slams, thought provoking slams, ranting slams - all of them delivered with great gusto. My heart did go out to the odd one or two, who were a little overcome by nerves and fluffed lines. In the main, the standards were high enough and two pieces I loved didn't even feature in the running, but then I do have different tastes!

There were 20 entrants, 10 selected through heats and 10 selected from open submissions this year. Judges included Brendan Clancy, and two others from Galway itself. The winners were Gary whose surname I can't recollect just now, placed joint second with Katie Lawless. The overall winner was Miceál Kearney. Miceál's reaction was one of shock and complete incredulity: indeed I think he was having a smoke out the front when the announcement was made! He was thunderstruck! But his prize includes a trip to the US to Chicago, the birthplace of Slam, and also a trip to Eastern Europe to take part in their Slam finals too!

His original piece was Day tripping in Amsterdam, and his encore was the one about poetry and publishing in the style of a prayer... guess that could well be entitled A Poet's Prayer ;)

Well done to Miceál - I've seen him perform in Limerick and Galway - and I think he'll be one to watch!

Galway Slam Night

Just back and feeling relatively normal (well as normal as a hangover will allow!). I had a heck of a night last night in BK's Wine Bar - just listening to the sheer talent of the readers that slammed at North Beach Nights, before the main event of guest reader Kevin Higgins. It was a difficult call for the judges in the audience for those picked to make the final three, and the overall winner was picked by a hair's breadth. The night was ably emceed by Gary King, who kept things moving along in an organised manner.

Here's how their slam works. Whoever signs up for reading gets their name put into a hat and then the readers read in that order. Ten slammers took up the challenge last night and three were picked for the second round: Denise Heneghan, Brendan Murphy and Steve Murray, which took place after the guest reader.

The original lineup included Mary Madec, Denise Heneghan, Leonor Silvestri, John Walsh, Susan Millar DuMars, Miceál Kearney, Steve Murray, Dave Rock, Brendan Murphy and Carolyn Kimbel. Oh, and me too. I hope I've not forgotten anyone - there was so much to take in.

Denise, Steve, Brendan and Miceál

The range of poetry was quite wide, from formal poems like sestinas to freewheeling free verse and the subjects ranged from marriage proposals through computers to the changes in Croke Park (allowing rugby to be played on the hallowed turf of GAA, for those outside of Ireland) and the state of humanity and beyond. So, quite a diverse range of writing and styles!

Kevin's set itself made for interesting hearing. His loose easy style of reading and humoured delivery belies the actual work that must go into his writing and these poems from his future collection, Time Gentlemen, Please! went down very well with the appreciative audience, which itself reflected the rich diversity of Galway, from students to those involved in all aspects of the arts. It's great to see poetry so warmly supported in Galway in this way.

Kevin and his Mum, Mary

While there I also got a chance to speak with the three of the four Galway poets whose work has been selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions series: Mary Madec, Aoife Casby & Susan Millar DuMars, two of whom slammed on the night. They were looking forward to their Poetry Ireland Masterclass at the end of February and their actual readings which will be in Aprilish (another date for my culture vulture diary).

Aoife , Mary and Susan

I also spoke briefly to the slam winner Denise Heneghan, about the sources that we draw on for writing and how to fit writing into the demands of family life.

And lastly a quick wave to Miceál Kearney without whom I wouldn't have known about North Beach Nights, which as it happens derives its name from the inspiration of the original sessions organised by the beat poets in San Francisco back in the 50s.

Finally - my apologies if I've anyone's name spelled wrong or incorrectly given - leave a comment and I'll come back and fix it! And yes, I know the formatting isn't what it should be - Blogger seems to have a mind of its own lately! Grrr!

North Beach Nights

I'm off to Galway today again to see North Beach Nights monthly Slam, with featured poet Kevin Higgins. Kevin has a fine collection called The Boy With No Face available from Salmon Poetry. There are sample poems on the page featuring his book.

Here's a snippet from a review:
"Upfront, delivered in an informal, conversational manner which delights in its own wry black humour, it is the poetry of the urban twenty-first century, casting a sharply critical eye over the condition of contemporary society." Metre

Kevin has a new collection due out next year called Time Gentlemen, Please! from which tonight's poems will be read. I believe he's off to the US in a week or so to read in the Annual Irish Cultural Festival at Loyola Marymount University on February 21st.

Nice work if you can get it!

There's also a slam feature at North Beach Nights too, and I hope to get in there and get a poem in and hear a few from others. The gig is at BK's Wine Bar, Spanish Parade, Galway City, Adm: €4.00. Full report when I get back, hopefully with pictures this time!

Kindness, Generosity and great Poetry too.

I picked a very good night to venture down to Limerick. With the launch of the second issue of Revival, a good crowd of people arrived to the White House pub on O'Connell Street. Some were contributors and others were proud supporters.

Many contributors read from their freshly minted Revival copies, including me, and the support and reception were tremendous. I spoke briefly to the Editor, Dominic Taylor, expressing my admiration to him and Barney Sheehan, for the work they put in weekly in bringing diverse talents to their loyal audience at the White House Pub, and their hard work in promoting the written and spoken word in Limerick and its hinterlands.

The MC, Barney Sheehan, (he's the guy with the dicky-bow) kept the flow moving along nicely and once Revival was launched, read from, and declared to be selling well, the proceedings moved along to the Belfast Poets group.

Barney Sheehan

The Belfast Poets present touring group comprises: PhatBob, Aisling Doherty, Ellen Factor, Chelley McLear, Gordon Hewitt and Jenni Doherty. Their readings are vivid and expressive, using visuals to back up their readings, adding depth to the performance. Their writing is born out of the context of NorthernIreland as it effects them, with some emphasis on the political. They take that political edge and fuse it with their individualised vision, personalising it both in the words they use and in the method of expression, and making it relevant in the wider context of the world - calling to mind world experiences of human atrocity.


I really enjoyed the whole set; in particular the duet, His Words, by Ellen Factor and read to great effect by herself and Aisling Doherty; and the chilling piece by Chelley McLear, Silence is Deadly, with its really effective visuals and voiceover. Gordon Hewitt's reading of Welcome to the Terrordome took performance poetry to another dimension - his energy is almost tangible; and PhatBob's gentle romantic lyrics in Not Sleeping Without You grounded the performance in a calm expression of humanity too.

Aisling and Ellen

The group offers something for everyone, and not least is their interpretation of poetry as a performance, as something that makes you think again about the world around you. The effect on the audience was palpable, raising the bar on poetic expectations of what performance can add to poetry.When I spoke to them later, they told me about their Australian Tour last year, and how they were welcomed there.

But they also told of the personal cost of making that Tour happen: that was when I really realised their commitment to their passion in poetry. And if you have passion and talent - poetry might carry you further than you think. Buying their chapbook afterwards showed my support and allowed me to re-read in calm the poems that had fired me up.

To round out the night nicely, the MC invited readers to participate in the Open Mic part, and many volunteers read again, including me, allowing everyone a chance to air work in progress.

Afterwards a few of us retired to a later-opening hostelry across the road, where I had the chance to speak to PhatBob and Ellen Factor about their work and ethos. I also made great friends with Bertha, Martin, Seadna, Ed and Kate, an artist, and we even made it as far as the dance floor!

I learned from an earlier exchange with Miceal Kearney, a Revival contributor, about North Beach Nights, (that's Galway, not San Francisco), a Monthly Open Mic night in Galway, and that both of us would be attending the Over the Edge reading next Thursday, also in Galway - so someone to look out for there too!

Overall the night was so enjoyable. I made some new friends and the generosity and hospitality shown to me was so warm and welcoming (in the tradition of all those in the Wesht!), I felt like part of the furniture in such a short time.

I'll definitely be returning to Limerick! A big thank you to you all down there!

Barbara Smith
All pictures can be viewed here, courtesy of Dominic Taylor:
Revival Launch 2