December and January


3rd December

Ó Bhéal in association with Foras na Gaeilge

presents a bi-lingual evening with

Diarmuid Johnson

You can listen to Diarmuid’s reading here.

Diarmuid Johnson was brought up in Galway in the 70s and 80s. He studied Celtic languages and literature in Galway. For over 20 years now, he has been travelling in Europe and throughout the Hiberno-British archipelago, teaching, writing and playing music. He is currently lecturer in Irish at the University of Bonn, Germany. Author of several books of poetry, translations from Welsh, and writings on language and literature, he will read in Cork from Súil Saoir (CIC, 2004), A Young Sun, a plurilingual collection published recently, and from The Woods are Growing Younger, a series of poems about the psychological legacy of political turbulence in Europe in the 20th century. Also on the programme: extracts from a new ‘alternative’ Irish-English dictionary, and tunes on the flute and whistle.

Rugadh Diarmuid Johnson sa mBreatain Bheag, agus tógadh i nGaillimh é, áit ar bhain sé céim amach sna teangacha Ceilteacha sna hochtóidí. Tá blianta go leor caite aige siúlach san Eoraip ó shin, ag scríobh, ag teagasc agus ag casadh ceoil. Scríobhann sé filíocht i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla, agus sé leabhra próis sa mBreatnais. Tá Diarmuid lonnaithe láimh le hAberystwyth sa mBreatain Bheag le deich mbliana anuas, ach is é saol an spailpín is ansa leis, agus i láthair na huaire, tar éis dó tréimhse a chaitheamh sa bPolainn, tá sé ina léachtóir in iolscoil Bonn sa nGearmáin. Léifidh sé dánta dúinn anocht a foilsíodh i Súil Saoir (CIC, 2004), agus sna cnuasaigh ilteangacha Another Language (2009) agus A Young Sun (2011), maraon le saothar eile, idir Ghaeilge agus Bhéarla, atá ar na bocáin aige faoi láthair. Bígí ag súil le port ceoil chomh maith. Bionn fliúit sa mála ag Diarmuid cuma cá dtéann sé.

 



10th December

Ó Bhéal presents an end of year reading with

Gillian Clarke

You can listen to Gillian’s reading here.

And there are 14 videos from the night here.

Gillian Clarke, National Poet for Wales since 2008, was born in Cardiff and lives in Ceredigion. She is President of Tŷ Newydd, the Welsh Writers Centre which she co-founded in 1990. She has published ten collections of poems and a book of prose At the Source. Her latest poetry collection Ice, is shortlisted for the TS Eliot Award. In December 2010 she was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, and the Wilfred Owen Award in 2012.

 



7th January

Eileen Casey

You can listen to Eileen’s reading here.

Originally from the Midlands, Eileen Casey has lived in Tallaght since the late 1970’s. Poet, fiction writer and journalist, she holds an M.Phil in Creative Writing from The School of English, Trinity College, Dublin. Her work is widely published in outlets such as The Moth, Verbal Arts Magazine, The Ulster Tatler, Poetry Ireland Review, Poetry Ireland Newsletter, Senior Times, The Irish Times, Ireland of the Welcomes, The Jelly Bucket (USA), The Coffee House (UK), among others. Recent awards include a Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship and a Hennessy Literary Award (Emerging Fiction).

Her debut poetry collection Drinking the Colour Blue (New Island) was published in 2008. Reading Hieroglyphs in Unexpected Places and From Bone to Blossom (supported by South Dublin Arts and County Offaly Arts) are collaborative works with Co. Offaly Visual Artist Emma Barone. Snow Shoes (Arlen House), a debut collection of short stories was published in June, 2012, of which Deirdre Madden wrote; ‘Rooted in the quotidian – a supermarket, a travelling salesman, a couple on a beach holiday – but full of wisdom, humanity and sly humour.’

She was a visiting writer on the 2011 Eastern Kentucky University Winter Residency, in Lexington, Kentucky. She devised and edited a number of publications which include writers from all over South Dublin County: Under the Pyramid; Caught in Amber; Flavours of Home; and New Myths and Tales.

Eileen will also be holding a wordshop entitled The Lost and Found Poetry Workshop from 7.00pm to 8.30pm at Ó Bhéal. For more details click here.

 



14th January

Peadar O’Donoghue

You can listen to Peadar’s reading here.

Peadar O’Donoghue is yet to be recognized as Ireland’s greatest living poet, and this must surely be a matter of minutes rather than hours. He founded, edits, and makes his own tea at The Poetry Bus magazine which, now in it’s fourth incarnation, is set to tilt the universe on its axis. His debut collection of poetry Jewel – published by Salmon Poetry in May 2012, was launched to rave reviews online and in Ambit magazine.

 



21st January

Ó Bhéal in association with The Munster Literature Centre

presents the launch of

Southword Issue 23 – Winter Edition

You can listen to the Southword readings from Cal Doyle, Afric McGlinchey, Donal O’Driscoll, John W.Sexton, Michael Sheehan and Rosalin Blue here.

Southword Journal has been publishing poems, short stories and reviews by Munster and international writers since it was founded in 2001 by then Munster Literature Centre director, Mary Johnson and inaugural editor Patrick Galvin. January 2013 marks the 23rd issue (not counting special supplemental issues) and is now under the direction of Patrick Cotter as an exclusively online literary journal, which is free to read online.

Each issue of Southword has hundreds of readers, and has published the likes of Haruki Murakami, Tess Gallagher, Billy Collins, James Lasdun, Sinéad Morrissey, Medbh McGuckian, Philip Gross and Colm Toibín alongside new and emerging poets. Please join us for the launch of Southword Issue 23 kindly hosted by Ó Bhéal, which will include readings by a selection of mostly Cork-based authors from the current and past issues.

 



28th January

Ó Bhéal in association with Foras na Gaeilge

presents a bi-lingual evening with

Bernadette McIntyre

You can listen to Bernadette’s reading here.

Bernadette McIntyre is a native of Cork city where she grew up in Glenbrook and Mayfield. She spent most of her working life as a language teacher with Co Kilkenny VEC but returned to Cork in 2007; she now lives in Gurranabraher where she works as a professional translator/editor and freelance writer.

Bernadette has three collections of poetry to date – all published by Coiscéim – Lusanna Gréine(2005), I gCistin Dé (2008) and Ór ar Chrann (2011), as well as a translation of a collection in English entitled Still by Helen Dwyer (Lapwing, 2010). Her first book Lusanna Gréine was shortlisted for the Glen Dimplex prize for the best book in the Irish language from a new author. Many of her poems have appeared in recent years in Feasta, Comhar, An Guth and The Holly Bough; they deal with Cork city and Corkonians, the West Kerry Gaeltacht, as well as themes related to music, art, spirituality and with justice for the deprived and oppressed. Her latest collection, mainly based on her travels and reflections on European and other cities she has visited, is due to be published shortly by Coiscéim.

Corcaíoch í Bernadette Nic an tSaoir a tógadh i Leaca Rua agus i mBaile na mBocht sa chathair sin. Múinteoir gairmoideachais ab ea í i gCill Chainnigh le blianta fada ach tá sí fillte anois ar a dúchas agus í ag maireachtaint i nGarrán na mBráthar ar an dtaobh ó thuaidh den chathair mar a mbíonn sí ag obair mar aistritheoir/eagarthóir agus ag scríobh.

Tá trí leabhar filíochta aici foilsithe ag Coiscéim – Lusanna Gréine (2005), I gCistin Dé (2008) agus Ór ar Chrann (2011) maraon le haistriúchán ar dhánta Béarla leis an bhfile Helen Dwyer dar teideal Faire (Lapwing, 2010). Bhí an chéad leabhar aici – Lusanna Gréine – ar ghearrliosta don Duais Glen Dimplex a bronnadh ar an leabhar Gaeilge is fearr ó údar nua an bhliain sin. Bhí móran dánta léi i gcló ar irisleabhair mar Feasta, Comhar, An Guth agus an Holly Bough le blianta beaga anuas. Is minic Corcaigh agus muintir Chorcaí faoi chaibidil aici sna dánta, maraon le téamaí a bhaineann le Corca Dhuibhne, le ceol, le healaíon, le creideamh agus le ceart is cóir a fháil don duine a bhíonn faoi leatrom nó i gcruachás. Tá sí ag obair ar an gceathrú cnuasach faoi láthair le súil an leabhar a bheith réidh ag an bhfoilsitheoir Coiscéim i gceann mí nó dhó. Bainfidh an leabhar úd lena léargas féin ar mhórán cathracha atá feicthe aici is í ag taisteal ar fud na hEorpa is in áiteanna eile.