The sunshine is gone, come out for brilliant night of trad at The Dock so! The creme de la creme indeed! https://thedock.ticketsolve.com/shows/126523623/events

Well John Mc Dwyer I know you went to the races last night, but you missed a better than good thing here at The Dock for sure! Cheery Wild Theatre, an electrifying new company presented us with their first and award-winning play Love All, and did they rock the place! It wasn’t only the complimentary strawberries and cream (mind you, Irish strawberries this time of the year, mmmm…), it wasn’t just their superb timing for being funny, priceless, breath-taking; and it was not just the most cleverly thought-out plot and gobsmacking choreography of the night, ... but putting all of that together, with a trunk of props, a ludicrous soundtrack, and rapid fire acting that held us on those edges of our seats - and we were in for a hilarious homicidal train ride from passion to pandemonium… and loved every second of it!

This is the company’s first play together, they wrote the piece themselves, and boy do I hope they keep writing those plays and will be back to us and Carrick-on-Shannon for more! Best of luck Cheery Wild, it was a pleasure to have you indeed, I am having that certain spring in my step today and that is most certainly owed to you!

Your Dock Blogger

And the bit of information behind the scenes: you know how I sometimes spy on how actors prepare for the show? Well, Aideen Wylde from Cheery Wild does that on the floor, even in preparation she is gut-busting indeed, and Tadhg Hickey took to pleasant reading...! Thanks Aideen for letting me take the pic and putting it up here! And best of luck guys for future projects, we are waiting for more of you, with or without strawberries! x

Read ahead, this is tomorrow already and sounds brilliant to me! I cant go myself... unfortunately, promised the daughter and almost adoptive daughter to bring them to Sligo for girli stuff... And I was told 'promises have to be kept to be a trustworthy parent indeed'. Teenagers! Enjoy, and tell me about it later!

Your DB

SATURDAY 19^TH MAY                  10.30am – 1.30pm                 €15

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP WITH ROBYN ROLAND

Slán abhaile.  Leaving home - finding home.  Writing out the experience of exile, emigration, immigration and belonging.

This workshop considers the histories of emigration and immigration. It covers the meaning of land, people and spiritual practice and what those losses involve, particularly the loss of language. Experiences involved in arriving in a new land are considered, and firmly relate to the reasons for departure.  Memory, stories, song carry the past, and we consider how this happens.

The workshop will involve a talk by Robyn and discussion of her work as an example of the experience of a third generation Irish Australian and that of other poets/writers such as Eavan Boland and Vincent Buckley.  She will guide you through the particulars of writing, a meditative moment and the creation of a piece of work, followed by detailed feedback.  Each participant is given notes to keep relating to the topic, as well as copies of Robyn’s or other poems which exemplify the theme. It is useful if participants bring an item relating to the topic, e.g. photos, a piece of lace, music, trinkets, which they can use in an experiential moment within the workshop. Suitable for poetry and prose writers, both beginners and more experienced.

Dr. Robyn Rowland has published nine books, six of poetry. She is winner of, among others, the Writing Spirit Poetry Award, Ireland 2010.  She has created two CD’s: Off the tongue and Silver Leaving - Poems & Harp with Irish harpist Lynn Saoirse.  She is an Honorary Fellow, School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne, Australia.

Once again Family Fun this Saturday the 19th at The Dock, please note the change of date and pass it on to as many as you can think of... It being National Drawing Day it looks like you and your little people could be getting down to some good old-fashioned drawing fun... maybe it's my chance to finally master drawing a horse, trying that for the last 30 years! It is 3Euro per child, 2 til 4pm, no need to book at all, we love to see you so just turn up, the more the merrier!

scribbling that horse, Your D B