Sunday, January 28, 2018

Neil Diamond - I am... I said (W/Lyrics)



So Neil Diamond leaves the road. One of the great ballad writers of the last fifty years or so and while there are still some good ones out there they are few and far between. Still going to keep recording and writing songs though. This is as good a poem as it is a song. Give a listen! With thanks to Vicki Smith who loaded. And of course Youtube!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Dolores O'Riordan - Panis Angelicus



So many to chose from. Some with hundreds of millions of hits but I went for this. R.I.P. With thanks to youtube and Mike Oldfield who posted.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Maria Edgeworth ~ Poetry and Short Story Competition!

Maria Edgeworth ~ Poetry and Short Story Competition!






I came across this competition on the Poetry Ireland website (Link to the right) and the poster above gives all the details. The website address is www.edgeworthstown.net . Check out for all info and background detail.











Sunday, January 14, 2018

An Tobar ~ Poetry for Plesure

An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure


Just a reminder, the Poetry for Pleasure group meet this Tuesday night (the 16th) in An Tobar Ardbraccan, Navan, where the theme for the first meeting of the year is "Starting afresh". All are welcome and bring a friend if possible. Start time is 7.30 pm and you can contact An Tobar (Jackie) at 046 9078973 or Jim at 087 967 6728. The group meet on the third Tuesday of every month.

Errach ("Spring"; an Old Irish poem) - Hymir's Kettle





Something for "Spring". An old Irish poem. Came across this while I was wandering through youtube. With thanks to youtube and CW who loaded.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Listowel Writers' Week 2018!

Listowel Writers' Week 2018!

Listowel Writers' Week
30th May to 3rd of June

With over €45,000 in prizes there are any number of competitions to enter here and the website is really worth a visit. The closing date for the receipt of most competitions is the 1st of March but The Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year and The Pigott Poetry Prize close on the 2nd of February.

Entries can now be submitted online with the exception of The Eamon Keane Full-length Play Award and The Creative Writing for Youth and Creative Writing Writing for Special Needs Competitions.

No entry form is required for the competitions and an unlimited number of entries may be submitted with the exception of The Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Competition where only one entry per student may be submitted. But really like I said there are any number of competitions here and you need to visit their site for details and rules.

Name and details on a separate sheet when submitting by post. 

Listowel Writers' Week, 24 The Square, Listowel Co. Kerry.

Link: www.writersweek.ie   Go check out!

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize 2018!

Third Annual Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize 2018.


Here's one to start the year and with a closing date of January the 30th there's still time to get your entry in. Information from the Poetry Ireland website. (Link to the right) There's $2000 in total awards and $500 for first prize with the results back to you in March 2018. It's open to all poets worldwide who are writing in English and there are no entry fees. The finalists will be invited to a reading near Albany NY in May 2008.

Submit just one poem you have written and there are no rules or limitations on the poems except do not send one you that you have sent before and don't put information or anything that identifies you on the poem. 

Include all of the following.

(1) Your name
(2) Your mailing address
(3) Your email address
(4) The title of your poem
(5) The name of someone who has influenced your writing
(6) A description of the poem in ten words or less
(7) A ten word description of who you are

Send your submission to : Bob Sharkey
                                           19 Hunter Ave
                                           Latham, NY 12110.

Check out other info for online submissions!

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Diane Wigginton ~ The Jeweled Dagger Series

Diane Wigginton ~ The Jeweled Dagger Series


Diane Wigginton
Her books are available on Amazon
and Barnes and Noble
Diane Wigginton is a California based author who has written a series of historical novels that have action, suspense and mystery that is woven into a fast-paced story line. And I should add with a "twist". She was named the most inspiring author in 2017 for the series by, International Writers Inspiring Change and received a silver Benjamin Franklin Award for the first in the series, "Angelina's Secret". The other two novels in the series are, "Isabella's Heart and Olivia's Secret".

She is working on, "Lara's Story" at the moment, a piece of historical fiction that is set between the years 1845 and 1853 and tells the story of a young woman, Lara, who lives through the Great  Famine, comes to America and becomes a great lady. No date for this launch yet but she hopes to have it finished in the summer.  

There is an interesting interview with the author over on James Linnane's "Bookchat Corner"( link to the right) with some observations on the Famine, "Marking Time" and the need to change.                      
                                    
Amazon Books

Marie Lavender 

Author is also on Twitter and Facebook

Monday, January 1, 2018

Kilmessan carol service 2013




This is a Christmas ballad from the choir who performed for the Midnight Mass on RTE on Christmas Eve 2017. (This song though was written by Cormac MacConnell and the recording goes back a few years. There are many takes of it on youtube.) The choir was excellent on the night on what was a live recording and the event was streamed all over Europe. With thanks to Fiona Healy who loaded, the Kilmessan Choir, Lisa Smith and youtube.