Gallery Goes Press present an evening of poetry and discussions on Wednesday the 17th. I am game.

Gallery Goes Press presents an evening of poetry with Vona Groarke, Eileán Ni Chuilleanáin & Peter Sirr. As part of a nationwide reading series The Gallery Press presents three of its longstanding and finest poets, coming together for a social evening of poetry and discussion. Vona Groarke, originally from Longford, author of prize-winning Spindrift and acclaimed translation of Lament for Art O’Leary, teaches at the University of Manchester. Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, recently retired from teaching at Trinity College and winner of the prestigious International Griffin Poetry Prize for The Sun-fish. Peter Sirr, freelance writer and translator, lives in Dublin. Often described as an urban poet his more recent work, The Thing Is, embraces the rural and autobiographical. Come and hear them read selected and new poems and join in a rare opportunity to discuss with them their own work and writing in general. Copies of their books will be available and the authors will be happy to sign. Vona Groarke will conduct a poetry workshop on the same day  with a special offer for workshop and reading.

Should be fun all around. Your D B

Whoa, bit of an anti-climax on a wet Monday morning after five nights Beezneez in a row. Five nights of uninterrupted laughter and joyful banter, five nights of watching the audiences standing up for the actors on stage at the end of each show, and John Mc Dwyer lingering happy and proud in the foyer of The Dock. I eavesdropped one little snippet of conversation in above mentioned foyer, Emer from the Breffs loving the play, congratulating the crew, praising your man Padraic Neary (who played Ned and reminded me very much of my lovely father-in law) for his hilarious performance. And what does he say? ‘Isn’t it great to entertain, isn’t it just lovely to make the people laugh?’ Aaahwww, that warms my Dock-Blogger-heart for sure, no wonder they all have that sparkle in their eyes!  And one little part of me is yearning to try the good ole acting again, haven’t tread the boards since like a long time, but when I did I loved it for sure, and running on adrenaline the odd night can’t be a bad thing either. Not that John Mc Dwyer is askin or looking for me, but I must mention to him that if they ever need someone with a funny accent, well you know, I could be the great grand auntie visiting from the mainland or something like that. So yeah, that anti-climax after Johnnie’s Britches, where do we go from here? The What’s On Guide doesn’t reveal much for the rest of the month, but a handful of unexpected shows crept in on us, and I am delighted they did!

First of all, a new exhibition ‘Present’ is going up in The Jury Room Café, presented by the Twins Tradition Initiative once again, it’s looking good already as I am sitting here typing this, call by to the official opening on Friday at 5.30pm as usual, you know the spiel by now...

Next one up is the Children’s Literature Festival on the 18^th and 19^th of August, it's all over Carrick and The Dock will be buzzing those two days, pick up your brochure for this at The Dock, there is lots of things to do for all ages!

Thirdly, the Leitrim Youth Theatre Company is presenting their new play Chat Room on the 24^th and 25^th of August, it is a P15 play, discussing the subject matter of teenage suicide, and I for one am glad that this theme is being touched on by these young actors. This is definitely a play where I’ll be bringing that teenage daughter of mine, even though she is not 15 just yet, but secondary school is a whole different ball game and looking at the difficult or painful facts of life in the manner of watching a play together might be a great way of opening doors into future conversations.

And then, The Breffni Players, one more time, well two more nights really, Women on the verge of HRT on the 30^th and 31^st of August, back due to popular demand so to speak, and I cannot wait for my chance to get in this time as all the shows in July had been booked and sold out before I could turn around and say ‘yes please’.

After that we are back to school and a new What’s On Guide, I sneak previewed a couple of gigs already and can tell you we are in for more treats, plus Culture Night on the 21^st of September is one of my favourite nights around Carrick, I better go and book that baby sitter well in advance just in case!

Folks, that’s me for now, I am mourning the what's-looking-like-the-end of that glorious sunny spell we had, I better go and cover that saddle on my bike, and keep thinking of Johnnie’s Britches to get those giggles back while I drive through the rain. Or as my daughter says, ‘Mum is laughing inside’. Thank you John Mc Dwyer and lovely lovely Beezneez crew for that ray of sunshine, the whole Irish thing that cracks me up each time, and the laughs you gave us, brilliant job once again!

... one more, trying to squeeze John Mc Dwyer about his new play Scorpion and the rehearsed reading for Culture Night at 6pm he smiled at me and didn't give away a thing! So I go 'So John, what's that Scorpion thing about?' He goes 'Well, you know, it's like Brendan Behan said, really, it's about an hour and a half!' You should have seen the big grin on his face, priceless indeed!

greatly amused, Your Dock Blogger

The Water Music Festival is over, a week of mad coordinating and setting up, a week of amazing artists, heart-warming and funny gigs, mesmerizing music...  Carrick came to its full glory once again and music was everywhere, in the air and in our steps on the way home each night.  Organizers Jimmy Mc, Nuala and Ciaran Morgan and Maurice Gannon will be able to sleep and eat again like ‘normal’ folk, and all those countless names and faces lending a helping hand can give themselves a big pat on the back and shoulders too, you have done exceptionally well! The technicians more than likely did not go to bed last night, dissembling all the equipment after the last show, and before the company took the marquee down at 7 in the morning today while people like you and me had still another half an hour of peaceful snoozing… The People Park looks like as if nothing happened by now, it is hard to believe that magnificent tent and all its contents have been standing proud and unshakeable less than 20 hours ago!

Thanks to everybody making it possible to have an amazing week once again in town, down to the lady looking after the porter loo unit beside the marquee while we were able to sit back and enjoy, without you it would not have been possible like this!

Maurice Gannon says it will be just August already when the gang goes about organizing next years’ festival, you won’t see that time passing, so better get some food and sleep into youse before you are back to work again guys!

Thanks for a fantastic week and the 8^th Carrick on Shannon Water Music Festival, you did us proud!

Happy out, Your Dock Blogger