Monday, February 27, 2012

Some bargains from Amazon Books



Showing 5 Results



1.

Images of Meath (Images of Ireland) by Tommy Murray (5 Oct 2007)

Formats   Price   New Used
Paperback Order in the next 23 hours to get it by Wednesday, Feb 29.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery.
£11.99 £10.79   £7.98 £5.00

2.

Meath Voices by Tommy Murray (14 Nov 2006)

Formats   Price   New Used
Paperback Order in the next 23 hours to get it by Wednesday, Feb 29.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery.
£11.99 £10.79   £5.98 £3.65

3.

Voices Of Trim (Voices of Irish Sport S.) by Tommy Murray (17 Oct 2005)

Formats   Price   New Used
Paperback Order in the next 23 hours to get it by Wednesday, Feb 29.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery.
£12.49 £11.24   £1.95 £1.95

4.

With the Boyne Through Trim: A Nostalgic Stroll Through Twentieth Century Trim by Tommy Murray (31 Mar 2010)

Formats   Price   New Used
Paperback         £16.29

5.

Counting Stainedglass Windows by Tommy Murray (31 Oct 2009)

Formats   Price   New Used
Paperback Not in stock; order now and we'll deliver when available
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery.
  £6.00  

Friday, February 24, 2012

Swimming With Dolphins

Still toying with the idea of having a launch especially in the light of my new website which should be ready around the same times as the collection becomes available locally, (days now rather than weeks )  Being published in Belfast the original price was set at 12 sterling but this has now being reduced to 12 Euro.  Studio Price somewhat less.
The new website may be seen at http://www.meathonline.ie/meathwriters 
but until I select a Domain Name  it will be fairly timid.  If indeed I can avoid having a launch and yet another  local egotistical trip so much the better  but at the end of the day it is all about selling books

Thursday, February 23, 2012

To Madeleine From Grandad Patrick

Paperback, 488 pages
. . . . .
 
Price:€22.40
Ships in 3–5 business days
A very worthwhile contribution to the lives of all people, this is a must have book for any child, teenager or adult, male or female, of any nationality, race, culture, religion, ethnic origin, belief or way of life. Words of wisdom, experience, knowledge, guidance and support on sixteen subjects of great relevance to all of our lives: Obedience, Religion, Laughter-Smiling-and Humor, Knowledge and Education, Health - Mental and Physical, Values and Virtues - Your Standards, The Value of Life, You and Your Mind, Relationships, The Environment of Your Planet Earth, Your Spare Time, Sensuality, Creativity and Innovation, Jobs and Career, Money-Finance-and Wealth, Politics and Government This book also reveals a way by which all people can immediately and freely start to make this life on earth better and more peaceful, by simply utilizing the great communication power of their own personal Information and Communication Technology devices.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Year So Far

A better start to the year than 2011 but not quite as good as 2010
The Highlights to Date
Several Poems doing well including my poem 'Butterfly'  which got the Poem of the Month prize  in Belfast.
Poetry Collection 'Swimming With Dolphins; published by Lapwing.
Getting added to the Irish Writers  Online  Dictionary.
Being invited back to the Whitehouse
Being invited to join  Poetry Ireland's WIS Scheme
Signing up for a series of Readings in Drogheda.

Orders for 'Swimming With Dolphins' coming in nicely with one paid up order for ten copies
Perfect Binding   44 Poems   Hardback
Price  £10 sterling.   May not need a launch the next few days will tell.

It's nice to see that three of my poems Tobertynan Wood  The Colony and Kingfisher' are still on that wonderful 'Virtual Writer; website in Longford as well as about 15 on the writing4all website

Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Lonely Voice

The Lonely Voice: Short Story Introductions

At the Irish Writers’ Centre we are committed to supporting writers at every stage of their development. With this in mind, we are delighted to host a monthly event for emerging writers here at the Centre – 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1.
The Lonely Voice: Short Story Introductions takes place on the last Thursday of every month. Up to four short story writers are selected and invited to read their work at the event. Each month, the stories are chosen by a different guest judge. We are particularly interested in providing a platform for emerging writers, who previously may not have had the opportunity to read their work in public.

Although I have long since opted to write poetry instead of short stories this is a very tempting site for anyone who would like to try their hand at having a short story published

Friday, February 17, 2012

Just across the road from the Dail

My Day with Poetry Ireland

Name dropping is something that I never intend to indulge in so forgive me if I mention just some of the people that I met in the new offices of Poetry Ireland at 32 Kildare Street yesterday (Thursday Yesterday)  From Belfast came Deirdre Alexander, she actually writes for Fair City. From Wicklow Danielle Alison and Ted Ryan all the way from the States were just a few of the luminaries plus of course Poetry Ireland staff Anna Boner, Moira Cardiff  and Seamus Cashman who I remember from the time he was with The Wolfhound Press.  He eventually rejected my book on antiques and I had to serialise it in The Farmers Journal.  It was nice too to meet Enda Coyle Greene a friend of that wonderful writer Eileen Casey whose poem ‘All Souls’ is unforgettable and whom I have been published alongside in several anthologies 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Irish Writers Online http://www.irishwriters-online.com/murray-tommy/

Delighted and not a little surprised to learn from Aosdana Member Phillip Casey that I have been added to the Irish Writers online directory, where  i find myself rubbing shoulders with some heavyweights.

Murray, Tommy

Tommy Murray is a writer based in Trim, County Meath, and has published books on Local History, including Trim, looking back (Trim, Tommy Murray, 2004); as well as short stories and poetry. His main poetry collections are Counting Stained Glass Windows (Belfast, Lapwing Press, 2009); and Swimming With Dolphins (Lapwing Press, 2012). To date he [...]
Tommy Murray
Image source: meathbooks.blogspot.com/
Tommy Murray is a writer based in Trim, County Meath, and has published books on Local History, including Trim, looking back (Trim, Tommy Murray, 2004); as well as short stories and poetry. His main poetry collections are Counting Stained Glass Windows (Belfast, Lapwing Press, 2009); and Swimming With Dolphins (Lapwing Press, 2012).
To date he has won 40 awards for literature, including the Nora Fahy Prize.
He lives in Trim.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In other News "Swimming With dolphins is now on sale on the Lapwing website

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And  a date has been set for my Drogheda readings which start on 26th May in
The Highlanes Gallery Laurence Street

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking forward to my day with Poetry Ireland in their new offices in Kildare Street this Thursday 16th

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



BUY YOUR COPY NOW




 

 

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Poem of the Month

Delighted to see that Adam Rudden of Lapwing has chosen my poem Butterfly as poem of the month for February.  It is included in my new collection 'Swimming with Dolphins

The poem is reproduced here 

Butterfly

It isn’t easy
Trying to make sense
Of these impromptu
Little sketches

And I need more
Than a fleeting glimpse
To appreciate the subtly
Of these ostentatious moments

Unless you’re trying to tell me
That I too
Might one day
Emerge from the darkness

That I too
Would have my
Twenty seconds of summer
And walk in a world
Beyond my wildest dreams




Copyright © Tommy Murray 2012
All rights reserved
The author has asserted her/his right under Section 77
of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988
to be identified as the author of this work.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Conor Callaghan, an amazing story

Connor Callaghan lived in a little cottage on the edge of the great bog near Kilskyre in County Meath with his wife Mary.  They were a fairly life sufficient couple having their own cow, pig and poultry.  Nor did they want for firewood because every morning Connor used to go out into the bog and collect bracken for the fire.  Now this wasn’t as easy as it sounds because to get to the bog Connor had to cross over a very deep bog stream by means of a tree that had fallen there some years earlier.  Getting back was harder because Connor would have the extra burden of a large bundle of bracken.   There was a bit of a knack in crossing the tree and if the tree moved while he was crossing he could find himself and the bundle of bracken in the bog stream.
On this particular morning Connor had gathered his bundle and was about to return home when to his surprise he spotted a stranger in the bog.   He was even more surprised too find that the stranger was immaculately dressed.  “Good morning sir,” said Connor. “What brings you to these parts?”
“I’m here,” said the stranger, “Looking for a man named Connor Callaghan.”
“Well my name is Connor Callaghan,”

This is one of the stories that I will be telling at the story telling night  in Jack Quin's pub this Saturday night

Saturday, February 4, 2012

The Echo Gate


From a drawing by Joan Costello

The Echo Gate

My love affair with the echo gate began
Long before time and circumstances
Had robbed me of my innocence
Before some well meaning friends
Had explained the mystery behind the voice 
Which sounded so uncannily like my own
”It’s not a leprechaun or an ogre,” they said
“it’s just your own voice bouncing of the abbey walls
For me, the revelation was devastating
Yet not enough to completely destroy
My fascination with this loquacious landmark
Even to this day I could never see myself
Walking past with stopping to test the echo
At least say “Hello”
Nor did the echo ever fail indeed
The cross talk could go on for hours
Yet I never seemed to get the last word, still
It’s a way of life in these parts
A custom that has outlasted
Grander and nobler devotions
A ritual rooted in childhood myths and legends


Friday, February 3, 2012

Henry John Yeend King

Henry John Yeend King
                     1855-1924

Your days roll out
Like a carpet patterned
With milk maids and snow white geese

And who’s the pretty maiden
With the coal scuttle bonnet
Flirting with the ferryman

And how’s the fishing boys
And aren’t the roses looking good
Charlotte or is it Emily.

Would that I could dwell
From dawn ‘till dusk, immerse myself
In hues and tints

Eavesdrop on those liaisons
Listen to laughter of the gander
In the morning

The chuckle of the moorhen
In the rushes, loiter aimlessly
By rustic bridges

Pondering dragonflies
And mayflies and subtle conspiracies, but
For the moment

Let’s just stroll along
The fern edged path gathering snapdragons
And marigolds as we go.



Monday, January 30, 2012





Memorable Meath Views 1988
(A collection of old photographs of Meath)

One thousand copies sold in the first six months


Something Beginning with Spring 1989
(A first collection of Poems) with an introduction by John B. Keane



Where Was Wellington Born 1990
(Resolving the question of Wellington's birthplace)



Stella's Cottage (Trymme Press) 1991
(The story of Esther Johnson and her cottage)



Once on Tara's Plain 1994
(Second Collection of poems)



The Boyne 1997 (Chap Book)




Trim , Looking Back  (By far the most popular book to date)


Voices of Trim (Tempus/ Nonsuch )2005
More than 200 copies sold at the launch)


Meath Voices (Tempus/ Nonsuch) 2006
(Still selling at book shops throughout Meath and beyond)



Images of Meath ( Nonsuch/ The History Press ) 2008
(Brilliant reviews for this Popular book)




Counting Stained Glass Windows. (Lapwing Belfast) 2009


'With the Boyne Through Trim'   (The History Press)  2010
A nostalgic stroll through 20th century Trim

"Famine Trilogy" 2011 (Varsity)
Based on the long poem of the same name

A decision whether to launch my forthcoming collection 'Swimming with dolphins'
or just  let it go will have to be made soon.  Of the thirteen books so far only seven of them
have been launched.  'Trim Looking Back' wasn't launched yet it ran to a third print  and it is 
still being requested, in fact nearly three hundred copies  were ordered before the book appeared.
However, seeing that this is poetry and that it is being published by a reputable publisher 
it might seem fair to have a launch. 


Wednesday, January 25, 2012


Swimming with Dolphins

'Swimming with Dolphins'  is the title of my new collection of 44 poems which has been accepted by the publisher Lapwing.    I would have hoped to have it ready for my day with Poetry Ireland in Dublin on 16th February but I think that would be asking too much.  At the moment I don't know what format the collection will take or even the price but I am accepting orders.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012


Active Writing in Ireland

Published here is a list of the societies and groups who have sent submissions to this years Ropes NUI Galway publication.  It will give some idea of the number of writers in Ireland and indeed abroad trying to get published

 Achill Creative Writers' Group ; Ballycastle Writers' Group ; Birmingham City University: MA in Writing ; Boyne Writer's Group ; Cambridge ; Cardiff University ; Carnegie Melon MA in Professional Writing ; The Creative Writers' Workshop ; DePaul MA in Writing and Publishing ; Durham University ; Galway Arts Centre ; Galway Writers' Workshop ; Irish Writers' Centre ; John Hopkins MA in Writing: Nonfiction ; John Hopkins MA in Writing: Poetry ; John Hopkins University MA in Writing: Fiction ; Kevin Higgins' poetry workshop ; Kiltimagh Writers' Group ; Kingston University: MA in Creative Writing ; Kinvara Writers' Group ; The Knibs Writers' Group ; Lucan Creative Writers' Group ; The Meath Writers' Circle ; NUI Maynooth ; NUIG ; NUIG MA in Writing ; Oxford ; Oxford M.St. in Creative Writing ; Poetry Ireland ; Portland State University MFA in Creative Writing ; Rathmines Writers' Workshop ; Roosky Writers' Group ; Sapphire Writers' Group ; Screen Writing Course Pulse College ; Skylight Poets ; Tallow Writers' Group ; TCD ; TCD MA in Creative Writing ; TCD MA in Irish Writing ; Tulsk Writers' Group ; UCC ; UCD English Literary Society ; UCD MA in Creative Writing ; UL MA in English ; University of Aberdeen ; University of Alberta ; University of Birmingham ; University of Bristol ; University of Canterbury ; University of Edinburgh ; University of Glasgow ; University of Kent ; University of Ottawa ; Western Writers' Group ; Writers'Group Society (NUIG)

Some old friends in this list

 
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 1:02 PM
Subject: ROPES 2012 Deadline Extended!


Hello,