A most entertaining evening
"You could go to the theatre anywhere and not be as well entertained," somebody said.
"And it would cost a lot more too," someone else added.
Both comments were true of the readings presentation hosted by Kilcullen Writers Group last night, 'The Power of Three'. And the fact that the event in the Town Hall Theatre was free didn't diminish in any way just how entertaining it was.
It was blooming great, actually.
The readings included memoirs, short stories and poetry, some of which were written for children. The visiting writers were from the Bower Group in Newbridge, and Clane Writers. And just to keep the peer pressure on, a bunch from the Harbour Writers Group in Naas came along for the ride.
In all, 15 pieces were presented. Each with its own flavour, every one unique, and all with that sprinkling of special magic that comes from somebody putting their heart into their craft.
There are too many to mention all, and while selecting one above the other is a delicate and dangerous exercise for any commentator, and intrinsically unfair, some stick in memory more.
Gina McMahon from the Bower Group, in 'Mixed Emotions' gave us a short story about a couple who had their individual secrets. We thought we knew where they were going, but even when it seemed we were right, she caught us all with a -- literally -- thrown away last line.
Eileen Keane from Clane read a couple of her reflections, one about some wicked but wonderfully feminine feminist thoughts while sipping coffee in the restaurant at Ailwee Caves. But it was a line from her second one, 'New Year Resolutions', which particularly caught our fancy -- something to the effect that 'the big resolutions, like buying a house or killing your husband, are the ones you'll probably carry through'.
Brian Dunne, a new member of the Kilcullen Writing Group, also caught us by surprise with his children's story, one of a series around 'Charley the Garden Fairy'. He'll simply have to find occasion to read the others to an audience other than children.
New too to the Kilcullen group, Sylvia Hickey's reflection on getting older was a classic on the theme that no matter how our externals might change, inside we are forever young. It is one of those things we all need to be reminded of from time to time.
Siodhna Kavanagh from Camphill had a hootingly funny memoir on 'Custard and Crayons and Bold Things', which was read for her by Emer Byreden. Pauline Fagan's poem dedicated to the life of the late Marie Berney was hauntingly beautiful. And Ilona Blunden's verses on 'Night Driving' brought us into the Twilight Zone before we realised it.
Liam Power's 'A Little Learning is a Dangerous Thing' recalled a year when he took evening classes in Spanish and Golf, and Marie Gallagher's personal memoir of her 'Uncle Anthony' from Barbados brought some foundation moments in her early years back to life. Leo Cluxton's 'Ho, Ho, Ho' short story about a Dublin Santa and his elf helper was a clever amalgam of misunderstandings of the offspring of 'Marie who had the triplets'. Also as a short story, Myra Rodgers's 'Wilful Waste' about the only 'handmade' bin in her parents' street was a simply wonderful antidote to 'Angela's Ashes'.
The evening was closed by Debbie Thomas, another Clane writer, whose 'Arky Malarkey' poem for children about the animal characters in Noah's Ark was so well written that we could actually see in our minds the animated cartoon of the adventures of Ryan the Lion and his cravings for a bit of roast Gnu.
All in all, a brilliant night. As MC for the evening John Martin said, he hoped it would be the 'first of many'.
And, hey ... we managed to mention everybody! This writer can now sleep soundly, and safely, in his bed.
Brian Byrne.
