Culture Night 2017, Friday September 22nd, is almost upon us and we have a full line-up of performers for the occasion which will be held in Skehana Community Centre at 8pm sharp.
The event will include music, song, story-telling, poetry and literary readings and much more. All participants are drawn from the locality and it promises to be a great occasion.
“In the dim light of the paraffin lamp,
The performer stands and sings,
And the words rise up like coloured bubbles,
Or birds with shining wings.And the musician’s movement of plaintive keys,
Sound in the silent air,
‘Till the listener feels the room no more,
But only the music there.And then from the sweet and rounded lips,
Many delicate words do please,
Like floating bubbles whose colours are
Those coloured literaries.”
Our guest of honour for the event is the award winning author Mary Costello, formerly of Carrowmore, Skehana, and Mary will read extracts from her highly acclaimed works. Her collection of short stories, The China Factory, was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award. This was quickly followed by her stunning debut novel, Academy Street, which was launched in Dublin on the same day that it was shortlisted for the Bord Gais Energy Book Awards Irish Novel of the Year. No less an author than 2003 Nobel prizewinner, South African writer JM Coetzee comments, “With extraordinary devotion, Mary Costello brings to life a woman who would otherwise have faded into oblivion”. There are few who debut with this level of praise. But then again Mary is a very special writer and an enormous talent. We will indeed be honoured by her presence for the occasion.
In addition to Mary, we have contracted Benny Jennings, Pat Carty, Gerry Mannion, JP Dunne, Noel Connolly, Ray Tighe, Mary Stephens, Fr. John O’Gorman, Sean Dunne & friends, Sean Conneely, Marian Hardiman, Kevin Collins, Micheal Connolly & friends, Carmel Costello, Mary Mellody, Sinead Thompson, Aonghus Curley & friends, Liam Flannery, Tomas Lydon & friends, Mike Melia and the Kings of Connaught. The only danger is we may be over-subscribed!
The night starts at 8pm sharp and, as this session is being recorded with a view to a future reproduction, admission after 8pm will only be permitted between performances. This is to minimize disturbance and noise. We appreciate your co-operation in this regard so ‘Come West Along the Road’ and enjoy this great free event with light refreshments served.