I had a great time in Boyle, despite turning up at the wrong venue for my own reading...In fairness to me, I was sent to the wrong place by a local. Apparently there are several Protestant churches in Boyle. I was rescued by an audience member who had also turned up at the wrong church.
The audience was select (meaning small) but they were friendly, enthused and welcoming. I enjoyed doing the reading - I don't always - so that was good. One of my new poems, about pregnancy, got its own separate round of applause which was lovely.
It was Baby Juno's first poetry reading - (my 2 boys generally steer clear; after years of readings, they've had enough). Juno, very co-operatively, fell asleep.
The Arts Festival is vast and they have two stunning art exhibitions on - one featuring locals, the other one featuring professionals at King House. Well worth a look here.
Boyle itself is a small market town, buzzing with life and history. It has lots of brilliant old shopfronts and window displays - I took a few pics (above - click to see bigger). I love seeing towns retaining these great pieces of our vernacular - they're so important. Maybe now that the Celtic Tiger has run off, we'll be more inclined to value what we have.
13 comments:
Sounds like a warm appreciative audience. Nice work :)
And aren't babies so cooperative sometimes (only sometimes :) )
Yes, they were lovely. I was nervous as I was feeling out of the loop - haven't read since early May.
Yes, sometimes... ;o)
Sounds like it went very well. And that photo of the doll, strangely evocative and rather creepy!
It's a shop dummy - there were loads of them, each one odder than the last!
Got my one and only ever wedding hat in "Josephines" of Boyle. The town is a bit of a treasure alright
Josephine's of Boyle - that's hilarious! Yes, it's that kind of town!
I don't have the presence of mind to formulate a proper thought or opinion of what I've just read, other than I am smiling like an idiot! Perhaps it's the word play, or the dummy, (the other one, not me), either way, what a great place!
And well done with the reading, glad it went well!
If I lived nearer I would have been there to cheer you on for sure, and to give Juno a squeeze.
Anna May x
Rachel - we have lots of quirky little towns in Ireland. If I were a tourist, I'd want to go to places like Boyle.
I woke in the night thinking how un-PC of me it was to say 'shop dummy'. Mannequins, I guess, if we want to be PC. Do we?!
Anna-May - I appreciate the virtual support and Juno is duly squeezed.
N x
Good on you! and congrats on your book! I can only imagine how rewarding it must feel to have a "work" after so much hard work.
Yuo're dead on about these shopfronts, it's a joy to stumble upon places like these, little snippets of gentle history drowning in a sea of eurotrash...
"little snippets of gentle history drowning in a sea of eurotrash..."
Very well put, Watercats. There is something so genuinely lovely about old shop fronts, isn't there? It makes me sad, mad and angry that they may all eventually disappear under a slew of bookies, mobile phone shops and Centras.
Nuala, lovely account and photos...reading sounds great...must have been real nice to have Juno there too.
And yes, Irish shop fronts - brillaint - Listowel was the same as is most every wee Irish town/village...they so stand out...hope they are part of 'preservation Ireland'!
And the word 'dummy', my ex-american sister-in-law would nearly have kittens when she heard any of us say that word instead of soother... ; ) I suppose if looked at thoroughly, it isn't very PC..but the other just sounded too false or affected or something....strange!; )
I'd never made the unPC association with a baby's dummy. I call it a soother, anyway & I wish Juno would use one... ;o)
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