Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Ireland’s First People

Miscellaneous, Writing, , , ,

Did you watch From That Small Island on RTE? Were you tantalised by the brief mention of Ireland’s dark skinned, blue eyed hunter-gatherers? Want to know more?

“LeafLight Moon – a novel of prehistoric Ireland” will be released in August.

Closely researched and set in the rich prehistoric landscapes of Sligo and the North West, it tells the story of the fateful encounter between Ireland’s first farmers and the hunter-gatherers of the Hearth of MotherMountain.

Follow my blog for updates…

Late Blooming: The Hits and Misses of Aspiring Authors Over 60

Miscellaneous

A Bealtaine Festival event at Bundoran Library, Co Donegal, Fri 23 May at 3 PM. The event is free but ticketed, and places are limited. Click here to register.

Join authors Tom Sigafoos and Paddy Donoghue in conversation as they share reminiscences and readings about their experiences as older writers trying to find publishers for their work, and about their work process, editing, and promotion. Sigafoos is the author of the historical crime novel Pool of Darkness: Raymond Chandler in Ireland and Donoghue recently published his debut collection of poetry “Leave Taking.” The event will also include a Q&A session, giving you the opportunity to engage directly with these insightful authors.

Presents sorted!

Miscellaneous, , , ,

Tom Sigafoos’ new novel Pool of Darkness – Raymond Chandler in Ireland is available in paperback, audiobook and Kindle. It would make the perfect gift for fans of historical fiction and crime fiction, and for fans of conspiracies involving Raymond Chandler, former Nazis, the US House Un-American Activities Committee, and a locked-room mystery involving the cat of the widow of William Butler Yeats…

Nuala O’Connor, author of Nora and Seaborne, launched Pool of Darkness at the 2024 Allingham Festival (video link here).

At the launch, Nuala said: “I hope that this novel gets all the notice it deserves. It’s an informed, witty, elegantly written book, with a lively energy in its pages. It’s a celebration of all that’s good and exciting about bio-fiction, about the act of illuminating real people and lived lives; it’s an honouring of Chandler as person, as husband, and as writer… Congratulations, Tom – may your ink never run dry.”

Declan Burke, novelist, critic and regular contributor to the Irish Times, called Pool of Darkness “A magnificent feat of imagination, and brilliantly sustained.”

And Alan Titley, Emeritus Professor of Modern Irish at UCC, said: “Pool of Darkness rattles along, full of wit and great one- liners, funny along the way, brilliantly researched and imaginatively brought forth.… Chandler comes to life as I think he was, generous, but troubled… very human, very vulnerable, yet confident in the no-nonsense of his craft.”

What’s On at the Allingham Festival?

Miscellaneous, , , ,

The 2024 Allingham Festival will offer a rich tapestry of events fromNovember 6-10 in Ballyshannon. ranging from a keynote speech by RTE broadcaster Richard Currari to a concert by delta-blues prodigy Muireann Bradley. Tickets can be purchased online or in-person at the Abbey Centre.

On the 200th anniversary of the birth of William Allingham, Festival events will include:

The World of Ideas

  • Keynote Address by RTE broadcaster Richard Curran: “Artificial Intelligence – Threats and Opportunities, Both Real and Artificial”
  • Artist Celina Muldoon, Dr Rhoda McGovern (Environmental Humanities) and Dr Clare Kelly (Psychology) exploring the consequential issues of our time
  • “Sean O’Casey: Political Activist and Writer” – a talk by Paul O’Brien

The Literary Thread

  • Memoirists Phyl Herbert, Liz McManus and Mary Rose Callaghan in conversation with Sinéad Crowley
  • “Literature and the Law” – a live session of The Fifth Court – Ireland’s Legal Podcast, featuring Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL.
  • Screenwriting for Television – a workshop for second-level students led by Ray Lawlor, lead writer for the acclaimed television series Obituary
  • Book Launches:
    • “Grace Notes” by Jennifer Liston – poems and stories of the Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley
    • “110 Donegal Fiddle Tunes, Vol 1” by Caoimhin MacAoidh
    • “Pool of Darkness – Raymond Chandler in Ireland” by Tom Sigafoos
    • “A Maid on Fifth Avenue” by Sinéad Crowley
  • The Literary Lunch, incluing the Allingham Poetry and Fiction Awards Ceremony – Nirvana Restaurant, with buffet lunch tickets available at the door
  • Primary Schools’ Awards for poetry, fiction and art
  • The Mertales Writers’ Group – readings and music in Dicey Reilly’s pub
  • The WORD Regional Meeting – Kilbarron House – all writers welcome

The Film Thread

  • “In the Shadow of Beirut” – documentary film plus Q&A with director Garry Keane
  • Dr Ken Fox: “Magic Primitivism in a Border Landscape – representations of Donegal on film”
  • “Patsy, Man of Stone” – film by Michael McMonagle
  • “Where the Wind is Always Young” – film by Declan Doherty
  • “The Battle of Assaroe” – film by Emer O’Shea

The Theatre Thread

  • “An Audience with William and Helen” – a time-traveling event with Ballyshannon’s favourite poet and his wife, the talented watercolourist Helen Allingham, interviewed by Sinéad Crowley, featuring Michael McMullin and Trisha Keane
  • “A Night in November” by Marie Jones, performed by Paddy Campbell
  • “Allingdram” – Three New One-Act Plays by Donegal Playwrights
    • “Homegirls” by Shaun Byrne
    • “The Evicted” by Kieran Kelly
    • “The Priests” by Gerry Moriarty

The Musical Thread

  • The Allingham Concert starring delta-blues prodigy Muireann Bradley and featuring Chanelle McGuinness
  • The Ballyshannon Samba Band
  • “House of Fiddlers” with Glenn Hendrix and Caoimhin MacAoidh
  • The Sunday Evening Concert in St. Anne’s

The Schools Programme

  • Storyteller Joe Brennan
  • Little Top Stars – circus skills for children
  • Children’s Art Workshop with Christine FoxTraditional Favourites
  • Open Mic sessions in McIntyre’s with host Tony Liston
  • “Gather Again” – songs and recitations by Festival-goers, hosted by Conor Carney and featuring the award of the PJ Drummond Cup


What’s On at the Allingham Festival?

Miscellaneous

The 2024 Allingham Festival will offer a rich tapestry of events fromNovember 6-10 in Ballyshannon. ranging from a keynote speech by RTE broadcaster Richard Currari to a concert by delta-blues prodigy Muireann Bradley. Tickets can be purchased online or in-person at the Abbey Centre.

On the 200th anniversary of the birth of William Allingham, Festival events will include:

The World of Ideas

  • Keynote Address by RTE broadcaster Richard Curran: “Artificial Intelligence – Threats and Opportunities, Both Real and Artificial”
  • Artist Celina Muldoon, Dr Rhoda McGovern (Environmental Humanities) and Dr Clare Kelly (Psychology) exploring the consequential issues of our time
  • “Sean O’Casey: Political Activist and Writer” – a talk by Paul O’Brien

The Literary Thread

  • Memoirists Phyl Herbert, Liz McManus and Mary Rose Callaghan in conversation with Sinéad Crowley
  • “Literature and the Law” – a live session of The Fifth Court – Ireland’s Legal Podcast, featuring Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL.
  • Screenwriting for Television – a workshop for second-level students led by Ray Lawlor, lead writer for the acclaimed television series Obituary
  • Book Launches:
    • “Grace Notes” by Jennifer Liston – poems and stories of the Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley
    • “110 Donegal Fiddle Tunes, Vol 1” by Caoimhin MacAoidh
    • “Pool of Darkness – Raymond Chandler in Ireland” by Tom Sigafoos
    • “A Maid on Fifth Avenue” by Sinéad Crowley
  • The Literary Lunch, incluing the Allingham Poetry and Fiction Awards Ceremony – Nirvana Restaurant, with buffet lunch tickets available at the door
  • Primary Schools’ Awards for poetry, fiction and art
  • The Mertales Writers’ Group – readings and music in Dicey Reilly’s pub
  • The WORD Regional Meeting – Kilbarron House – all writers welcome

The Film Thread

  • “In the Shadow of Beirut” – documentary film plus Q&A with director Garry Keane
  • Dr Ken Fox: “Magic Primitivism in a Border Landscape – representations of Donegal on film”
  • “Patsy, Man of Stone” – film by Michael McMonagle
  • “Where the Wind is Always Young” – film by Declan Doherty
  • “The Battle of Assaroe” – film by Emer O’Shea

The Theatre Thread

  • “An Audience with William and Helen” – a time-traveling event with Ballyshannon’s favourite poet and his wife, the talented watercolourist Helen Allingham, interviewed by Sinéad Crowley, featuring Michael McMullin and Trisha Keane
  • “A Night in November” by Marie Jones, performed by Paddy Campbell
  • “Allingdram” – Three New One-Act Plays by Donegal Playwrights
    • “Homegirls” by Shaun Byrne
    • “The Evicted” by Kieran Kelly
    • “The Priests” by Gerry Moriarty

The Musical Thread

  • The Allingham Concert starring delta-blues prodigy Muireann Bradley and featuring Chanelle McGuinness
  • The Ballyshannon Samba Band
  • “House of Fiddlers” with Glenn Hendrix and Caoimhin MacAoidh
  • The Sunday Evening Concert in St. Anne’s

The Schools Programme

  • Storyteller Joe Brennan
  • Little Top Stars – circus skills for children
  • Children’s Art Workshop with Christine FoxTraditional Favourites
  • Open Mic sessions in McIntyre’s with host Tony Liston
  • “Gather Again” – songs and recitations by Festival-goers, hosted by Conor Carney and featuring the award of the PJ Drummond Cup


Allingham Competitions – Deadline Extended to 13/10

Miscellaneous,

The deadline for 2024 Allingham Poetry and Flash Fiction Competitions has been extended. All entries, on-line and postal, must be received by 11:59 pm on Sunday, 13 October 2024. See the Allingham Festival website www.allinghamfestival.com for information and entry forms.

I decided to ask WordPress to generate an AI image. Can it not spell, or did I misspell the prompt?!!

Honorary Mention in the Fish Short Story Prize

Miscellaneous

I’m delighted that “The Púca’s Share” is one of the 10 prize-winning stories in this year’s Fish Short Story Prize. (There were 1256 entries to the competition 🙂

Judge Sarah Hall said of “The Púca’s Share”: “Loved the creativity and playful inventiveness of this story, which lands somewhere between adult & children’s fiction and has a real sense of folkloric verve and moral engagement to it.”

I’m looking forward to the launch of the 2024 Fish Anthology at the West Cork literary Festival on July 15.

Alone, Together

Eco-Writing Workshops, Miscellaneous, Writing, , ,

I wrote this poem at an Ecopoetry workshop in the Glens Centre last August. My prompt was a line from Amanda Gorman’s poem Earthrise: “Floating like a silver raft in space… “

Thanks to Loretta Brennan of Africa Magazine for finding the marvellous image.

Alone, Together

It is possible that we are alone
in all the quantum flip and spin,
the quark and charm
of the many-stanzaed universe,
the beginning with no beginning,
the grey entropic end.


It is possible that we are alone,
we wrens and salamanders
we spinning sycamore helicopters,
we beluga and narwhal and fungi,
we humans, entangled
with apples and worms and plastic,
with dark matter and black holes,
with fracked shale and feral fires.


It is possible that we are alone, together,
in all the sparkling riptide of stars.