Meath Books Tommy Murray The Website of the Meath Writer's Circle

The Year So Far

2012-02-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

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

The Lonely Voice

2012-02-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

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

Just across the road from the Dail

2012-02-17T04:30:00.001-08:00

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

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

2012-02-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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BUY YOUR COPY NOW

Poem of the Month

2012-02-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

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

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.

Conor Callaghan, an amazing story

2012-02-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

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

The Echo Gate

2012-02-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

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

Henry John Yeend King

2012-02-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

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.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Sunday Morning stroll in the Porchfields Trim

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,

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Worth Having a look at

2012-02-02T04:02:00.001-08:00

A Melody of Words - Poetry and Classical

Friday 24 February 8pm

The Grainstore, Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork

A wonderful night of poetry and harp in the beautiful setting of Ballymaloe.

Acclaimed poets Thomas McCarthy and Gerard Smyth will read from their work. Throughout the evening classical harpist Sarah Noonan will perform pieces by J.S. Bach, Grandjany, Weiss,Hasselmans, Tournier, Dussek, O' Carolan and Salzedo.

Tickets €15. Concession €10.

Ballymaloe House are offering an excellent package deal of €60 for early 6pm dinner plus event or €140 for dinner, B&B and entrance to the event!

For more details please contact The Grainstore thegrainstore@ballymaloe.ie
I notice that one of the poets giving workshops here is Dermot Healy
I recently received Dermot's book 'A Fools Errand' as a prize in a poetry competition and it is now one of the most treasured books that i have in my collection

The one that missed the boat

2012-01-31T10:33:00.000-08:00

When my latest collection 'Swimming with Dolphins' is published I will be just that little bit sad that one of my favourite poems will have to be left out. It is an observation on one of my favourite artists Henry John Yeend King. Still I have little doubt that the poem will get it's day in the sun at some stage in the future. It is published here

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.

2012-01-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

Swimming with Dolphins

2012-01-25T02:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday Morning stroll in the Porchfields Trim

2012-01-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

Active Writing in Ireland

2012-01-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 1:02 PM

Subject: ROPES 2012 Deadline Extended!

Hello,

Book Launch

2012-01-16T02:48:00.000-08:00

Christy O'Donnell and John Carew, are two people who have worked so hard on a new book of poems, entitled 'Poetic Humour', in aid of the Cliona Ring Foundation. They would like to invite you to attend the White House Bar in O'Connell Street, Limerick, Jan 18, and/or the Honey Fitz Theatre in Lough Gur, Co. Limerick, Feb 3, to celebrate the book's official launch. Christy and John are long-time stalwarts of the White House poetry scene in Limerick, to which they have brought much humour in their verse. They understand that laughter is always needed, and respect it at all levels of poetic ability. For these reasons this book is very important. The fact it is in support of such a worthy endeavour as that of the Cliona Ring Foundation of course multiplies that importance.

Picking a Title

2012-01-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

Picking a title for a collection of poems is just about one of the most difficult things that any poet will have to do. For two years now I have been selecting poems for a new collection, yet with each new poem the title becomes harder to nail down. There will always be one or two poems that just don't fit in, causing the whole collection to be less cohesive upsetting the narrow theme, too self explanatory or too vague. I can safely say that I have spent as much time in picking titles as i have writing a collection. I am well aware that my title will have to be above all imaginative, creative, original, unique and I will have too be one hundred per cent happy with it. and that is only the beginning.

A Poem for after Christmas

2012-01-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

Published here is a poem that I wrote during the festive season. Last evening it was published on the Writing4all website my fourth poem to be published so far this year.

Christmas 2011

We arranged baubles

Tinkered with lights

Gift wrapped socks, boxes

Until our green plastic tree positively glowed

We puzzled over streamers

Paper angels, snow

Sagging decorations

Shopping days to go

We choose greeting cards

With Santa’s and sleighs

And gnarls of lacquered holly

And when the star appeared

We wondered even more

Tried to find a place for it all

In the real Christmas story

1 Comment so far from the writing4all website

Kerkedijk

Friday, 6th January 2012 | 09:33 am

Member | Points: 4953

Lovely Tommy, great atmosphere of Christmas in this poem

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And on

Facebook Janette Laffan Spot on.3 hours ago ·

Janette wrote: "You captured the pre Christmas day mood there."

Meath Books Tommy Murray The Website of the Meath Writer's Circle: Winter Evening

2012-01-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

Meath Books Tommy Murray The Website of the Meath Writer's Circle: Winter Evening

Winter Evening

2012-01-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

When Gerry Wills, a teacher in St. Patrick's Classical school from Navan was a member of the Meath Writer's Circle He wrote some wonderful poems. He was also winner of the Golden Pen Competition.
Posted here is one of his poems, 'Winter Evening'

Winter Evening

A wind from the graveyard blew death
Down the hill along the river
Hands in pockets sank
In gathering wells of cold
Turned up collars caught it
The shapes of things grew bigger
As the night released their forms
Beneath the cutting rain the people shrank
And hurried home

Gerry Wills Navan

Christmas Poems

2011-12-28T09:01:00.000-08:00

Nice to see members of the Meath Writer's Circle with poems in the Chronicle. I published my first poems in the Chronicle as far back as 1982 and I have never missed a Christmas Edition since then. Tom Clarke from Dunboyne a former member is still being represented in the Christmas page while Tess Ryan from Baconstown and of course Frank Murphy are both well to the fore. Having a poem or two in the Chronicle for Christmas has always been important to me as there is a huge readership and the feedback is great. You can get published in all the literary publications during the year but come Christmas it is the Chronicle that takes pride of place

Happy Christmas

2011-12-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas to all our members both adult and junior. We have a break now until Thursday 12th January when we will meet in the Trim Castle Hotel while the juniors will meet on Saturday 14th in the Navan Library.
2011was a year of ups and downs winning the Drogheda Poetry Grand Slam and losing the Poet of Fingal Cup, Getting a Highly Commended Certificate in Dromineer and losing in The Battle of the Books, getting published in The Stony Thursday for the second year in a row and in the Moth Magazine. Memorable readings in McHugh's Pub in Drogheda, Tullaghanstown Bog and the College Green Hotel for Poetry Ireland. and the publication of my 13th book,'Famine Trilogy'
2012? well who knows, I would hope to see my book which is with The History Press published and maybe another collection of poems and I would hope to pen a few decent poems and this of course is the most important aspiration of all. The Meath Writers Circle has now grown to an unwieldy 20 members all based around a core group which includes Mick Sheils, Frank Murphy, Willie Hodgins and Paul Martin

Local Songs and Poems

2011-12-11T02:37:00.000-08:00

Launched on Friday Evening before a crowd of about two hundred which included some of the biggest names in Meath Football this production contains poems from a number of local writers. It is available from the usual outlets at 5 euro. It is just the latest in a cocktail of videos and recording launched in the past week

2011-12-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

And now for a sneak preview of our new newsletter which will be coming on stream in the new year

The latest publications

2011-12-03T03:34:00.000-08:00

Left Just released, The Bard of Armagh CD which features my long poem ' On Being Politically Correct'

Right 'Meath Writers Circle DVD which features the work of sixteen members

A Serious Error

2011-12-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

The LMFM anthology which was launched last night in Drogheda contains the work of around forty writers. It is a well produced book but it contains a serious error big enough for me to lose some sleep. In the acknowledgments on the back cover there is a line which reads.   "Tommy Murray of the Boyne Writers" What can I say except 'Father forgive them for...... How can I ever live this down.
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On a lighter note The Meath Writers Circle launched their DVD containing the work of sixteen writers writers tonight .   The writers on the DVD include Frank Murphy, Mick Sheils, Paul Martin,Willie Hodgins, Sean Reilly, Tess Ryan, Moyra Lawlor, Eileen Kavanagh, Pat Bennet, Sean Kane, Andy Kane, Jimmy Peppard, Carmel Murray, John Wiseman and myself.
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Congratulations to Mary Jo Gibbons from Kilmessan on getting a highly Commended Certificate in the Francis Ledwidge Poetry Competition.   Mary Joe of course was a member of the Meath Writers Circle for many years.   Congratulation also to Peter Goulding who is making a name for himself in these competitions. Peter came second. a word of congratulations to Pat Devaney of the Lib Lab Group for his certificate. Pat has already made a name for himself in competitions up and down the country

Busy Evening

2011-11-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night sees the presentation of the LMFM literary awards in Drogheda. It is also the night of the Meath Writer's Circle monthly meeting in the Trim Castle Hotel. Faced with the prospect of having to miss one of these events I have decided to attend the meeting of the Writer's Circle as some of the writers will be coming from as far a way as Broadford, Dunsany, Delvin, Bohermeen and Navan.
Having judged the LMFM competition I'll be happy enough to know that members and ex members of the Writers Circle will be to the fore in the awards. So to Frank and Paddy and Sarah and Marie the very best of luck

To be Treasured

2011-11-24T04:47:00.000-08:00

Gabriel Oak, Grace Melbury, Giles Winterborne, Miss Charmond, Angle Clare, Alec D'uberville, Marty South, by now you will have guessed that these are all characters from the Thomas Hardy novels. Which is why I was so pleased to get a present of a collector's copy of the life and times of the great writer.
The Hardy characters formed the basis of my classes when I was with the Meath VEC and only recently a former student Alan Hickey a teacher in St. Patrick's Classical School in Navan reminded of my take on Gabriel Oak. 'What farmer wouldn't just love to have such a reliable helper as the dependable Oak."
Hardy's characters stand out as an example to any writer trying to create, let it be the spineless Angel Clare in "Tess" the passionate Eustacia in"The Return of the Native"or the rude Festus Derriman in "The Trumpet Major" they are about the best company any writer could keep.

It's Official

2011-11-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

It didn't come easy, indeed only after forty awards and prizes, getting published in just about all the so called reputable publications and a first collection with Lapwing Belfast but when it did come it was welcome. I have now gained official status as a poet, which is why I will be joining Poetry Ireland's WIS scheme in the new year.

Congratulations Tommy. Dempsy's biggest mistake, he didn't name a street after you.

Sheriff

Congratulations

2011-11-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to 11 year old Sarah McShane from Navan on reaching the final of the LMFM competition
and also to Frank Murphy. Sarah is a member of the Junior branch of the Meath Writers Circle while Frank is with the Senior Group.
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Just got word from Poetry Ireland that I will be joining the WIS scheme in the new year. This may or may not change my activities in the line of meetings and classes, I'll just have to wait and see.
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The next meeting of the Meath Writers Circle due to take place on Thursday 1st December will clash with the prize giving ceremony in Drogheda on the same night. As a result of this the Writer's Meeting will be put back until 8.30

Armistice Day and other Events

2011-11-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

Considering number of clashing events most of the readings were well attended. Thursday night in Dunboyne Library attracted about forty people most pf whom read something. Tom French was MC for the evening and the Meath Writer's Circle was represented by James Linnane and myself.
Strictly speaking James is not a member of our group but his willingness to travel at short notice makes me wish that he was. Some lovely singers in Dunboyne and i got a chance to read my favourite poem, Adlestrop which was written by Edward Thomas, himself a victim of the great war
I had to miss the Navan Reading next morning as I had that meeting with Poetry Ireland in Stephen's Green and I expect to hear something from that quarter this week.
I got a chance to read some poems for the Poetry Ireland people and I choose 'Culvert' and 'Once on Tara's Plain.' Both were well received.
'Culvert' won the first of my three Poet of Fingal awards and 'Once on Tara's Plain' featured on Ulster TV
Then on Saturday morning it was a full house for the Junior Classes in the Navan Library

Busy weekend

2011-11-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

A Busy weekend coming up beginning with

Thursday evening -------------Reading in Dunboyne Library
Just returned from Dunboyne a large crowd and some wonderful poetry and singing James Linnane came and enjoyed it too

Friday Morning-------------- Reading in Navan Library to mark Armistic Day

Friday Afternoon----------- Meeting with Poetry Ireland people in College Green Hotel

Friday night--------------- Photo shoot for cover of CD Jack Quinn's Scurlogstown

Saturday Morning ------------Childrens Classes Navan Library 10am

The Stony Thursday Book

2011-11-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

http://sherifffromnavan.blogspot.com

Just received my copy of the Stony Thursday Book and I am delighted to be on page 30 not that there is any thing special about page thirty but it 's great to be on any page

Poem of the Week

2011-10-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Certificate which is awarded to the best poem each week has now been awarded to Jack Delaney Megan Casey and Eoin O Donnell

Not to be Missed

2011-10-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Events, Festivals and News

A recital from Tommy Murray on ‘Haunted Meath, Trim Library, 27th October

A talk by Tommy Murray on ‘Haunted Meath’.
Date: 27th October
Venue: Trim Library, Main Street, Trim, Co. Meath
Time: 7.30 p.m.

Hear about a Hair Raising Experience, A Mysterious Figure , another Equally Mysterious event and Footsteps in the Factory. Tommy Murray is a writer based in Trim, County Meath and he has written twelve books so far on life in the county to date Tommy has won more than forty awards for literature.
Admission: Free
Contact Details: Trim Chamber of Commerce, Noel French. (086) 8053293. noeltrim@gmail.com

Dermot Kelly

2011-10-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Having received Dermot Kelly's new collection 'A Fool's Errand' as part of my prize in Dromineer I quickly discovered that this was no ordinary publication. This was not just another collection to be laid aside and read some time in the future. Published by Gallery Dermot 's collection presents itself as a book length poem that charts the annual migration of thousands of barnacle geese between their breeding grounds in Greenland and their winter quarters on an island beside his home. There is something of Heaney's 'Station Island 'here and for me at least it will be a challenge in coming to grips with it , but then there is a long winter ahead

Dromineer Certificate

2011-10-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

Just received my certificate from Deborah Powell of the Dromineer festival

Readin g with a Difference

2011-10-08T14:38:00.001-07:00

Native American poet Allison Adelle Hedge Coke draws on her background as a
tobacco sharecropper, factory worker, and fisherwoman.
Her collection, Dog Road Woman won the American Book Award
in 1998, and is an autobiographical sketch of a contemporary
mixed-blood native life in which she weaves a magnificent
tapestry of prayer, story and song. She will be joined by
Gabriel Rosenstock, Philip Cummings and Paddy Bushe for
a special bi-lingual reading and concert to celebrate the
publication of The Willow’s Whisper: A Transatlantic Compilation
of Poetry from Ireland and Native America, edited by Jill
O’Mahony and Mícheál Ó hAodha. Poetry will be interspersed
with music by Cormac Murphy on button accordion and
Caroline Ború on flute.

Library Reading

2011-10-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the Trim Library Reading Paul Martin Reading and below Frank Murphy. A total to 23 readers turned up for what was an enjoyable reading

Noel French Reading

The Sheriff Reading

All Ireland Poetry Day

2011-10-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hoping for a large crowd in the Trim library for the reading for All Ireland Poetry day. An early start at 7pm is vital if we are not to over run the library closing time. We are hoping that some of the Boyne Writer's Group turn up and if they do they will be welcome. Then maybe they would read some of their poems from the recently published Boyne Berries 10 . It is hard to see how anything can go wrong indeed the worst case scenario would be no one turning up but I remember reading for three people in Dunshaughlin library and five in Culmullen parish hall and I still survived.

Publishing

2011-10-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

As a result of lengthy talks with a number of publishers
The Meath Writers Circle is now in a position to publish collections of quality poems and short stories.
Collections will be produced to the highest standard complete with ISBNs and BARCODES and will be marketed through the top selling agents

Poetry and entertainment evening in Innniskeen

2011-10-02T03:28:00.000-07:00

Gold Rays is the title of a new book of poetry by Co, Louth writer Kathleen Maddy which will launched in the Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen on 27th October at 7.30 pm.
Special guests appearances will include singer song writer Stewart Agnew Jimmy Johnson on the old Irish harp Anne McDonald chanting and Angelic Healer Aidan Storey. Everyone is welcome and admission is free to what promises to be a wonderflul evening of poetry and music
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The entry deadline for the LM/FM literary comeptition draws close and with a record number of entries for the different categories the judging will be underway soon . There is still a few days left as the closing date is 10th October

Why I wont be entering this competition again

2011-09-30T04:28:00.000-07:00

I received this email last week and as a result I won't be entering this particular competition again

Dear Tommy

Congratulations!

Your entry in the Dromineer Literary Festival’s Poetry Competition

The Colony

has been selected for

SECOND PRIZE.

The Prize giving will take place on Friday, 30^th September 2011 at 7.30 pm in the Lough Derg Yacht Club and it is very much hoped that you will be able to attend.

I did send the details requested only to get a phone call later telling me that it was a mistake and it was a Highly commended Certificate that i had won instead. Needless to state i was disappointed

Dromineer Results

2011-09-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

Of course I don't have the full results for the Dromineer Poetry Competition but I do know that I am among the prizewinners with at least a Highly Commended Certificate and I will also be getting a signed copy of Dermot
Healy's book. ' A Fool's Errand ' The presentations take place on Friday 30th and as I am otherwise engaged in the Navan Library I won't be able too attend and it's not looking good for my attendance at the launch of the Stony Thursday Book either on the 13th October but I'm not ruling it out yet. Looking forward to a return visit to Castlebar soon

Sworn to Secrecy

2011-09-21T03:39:00.000-07:00

I believe that i among the prizewinners in a poetry competition down south ( Ireland ) but I am unable to divulge the details until after the prize giving ceremony, which I won't be attending, in other words I am sworn to secrecy.
My spies tell me that I will be receiving a book of poetry as part of the prize. If you haven't guessed the location by now well you too will be saving a few bob on petrol

Captain Ahab

2011-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Pictured here is the Royal Doulton character Jug depicting the famous Captain Ahab. This was one of the photographs from my personal collection which i used when i was writing a weekly feature on antiques for the Irish Farmers Journal (Country Living) back in the 1980s

These jugs were first produced at Royal Doulton in 1934 and the one pictured here is dated 1960

Poetry Reading on the Bog

2011-09-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

Just received this image of my earlier poetry reading on the bog. Over the years I had read in The National Concert Hall, the Westin Hotel, The Armagh City Hall, Listowel, The Imperial in Dundalk, Castleblaney, and dozens of other venues but never anywhere half a memorable as Tullaghanston Bog

Congratulations

2011-09-11T12:26:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Peggy Murphy on the launch of her new poetry collection Memories of other Days which was launched by John Donohoe of the Meath Chronicle in Kilmessan on Thursday night last. The book (Peggy's second) is available in all local shops at 10 euro.
Peggy is the mother of well known Poet Frank who has been successful in a number of competitions over the years and has two collections to his name

A Great Place to write Poetry

2011-09-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Relaxing between the showers in Spanish Point

Thanks

2011-09-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to both Orla Fay and Peter Goulding, two people who can really afford to be generous with their comments. I'll probably see them on the 13th. It's a long way to go to read a poem but I once went to Ballyferriter to read in a topless pub. It rained and we all got soaked.

The Poet of Fingal

2011-08-31T05:13:00.000-07:00

No joy in swords last night for the first time in seven years. The title 'Poet of Fingal' now passes to an eighty three year old Swords woman and fair play to her. The house seems strange now without the cup, without the two cups in fact. I almost forgot about the Battle of the Books Cup, which reminds me plenty of food in Swords and 850euro in prize money and yes I'll be back

The Stony Thursday Book

2011-08-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

Just been informed by Kathleen O'Connor that my work is to be included in the upcoming issue of the Stony Thursday Book. The book will be launched in the Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick at 7pm on the 13th October
And hopefully I'll be there to get my copy. This is my second time to be published in this book and I look forward to the launch

The start of heritage week

2011-08-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Off to a great start spoiled for choice to the extent that it just wasn't possible to get to all the events on offer.
Couldn't make it to Tara for the Birds of Prey display, same goes for the Antiques Fair in the Trim Castle hotel.
Have to congratulate Noel French though and didn't Elvis look about as out of place as a parrot in a blackthorn hedge against the greyness of the castle walls.
I'm not quite sure what is the collective term for poets but fair play to the confusion of bards that tried to do their thing before a very appreciative audience (both of them). The jury is still out on the question of whether it was the start of the Kerry Mayo game of the appearance of the poets that caused the crowd to leave bomb scare numbers.
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So what's next except the Swords Heritage Poetry and Short Story prizewinners on Tuesday 30th August. (Tuesday week) I'd like to win again this year but I suppose I can take consolation from the fact that whoever does win the Poet of Fingal trophy will have to look at my name (2005- 2006 and 2010) on the cup for a whole year and whoever does win the Shield for the Short story will also have to look at my name (2004) for a year.
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It was nice to see Louise Scott back reading again in Bohermeen on Saturday. Louise from Garlow Cross was one of the most successful poets in the Writer's Circle and her collection 'The Lighthouse Keeper' was extremely popular, delighted too to meet Dena Molloy there too.
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Readings This Weekend

2011-08-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

Today Saturday 21st Bohermeen Community Centre @3pm

Tomorrow Sunday 22nd Trim Walled Town Festival @2pm

A glimpse at our new website

2011-08-18T09:40:00.001-07:00

Navan Talent Contest

2011-08-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Our picture shows Emily Muldoon and Aoife O'Reilly winners of the Navan talent Contest with judges Phillip Brady and Tommy Murray

A Competition Worth Entering

2011-08-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize 2011

Three winners of the inaugural Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize will see their poems feature in the spring issue of The Moth.

Prizes: €2,000; €1,000; or €500

Entry fee is €6 and multiple entries are permitted.

A maximum of 50 lines per poem is stipulated by the promoters.
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Posted here is a competition worth entering, so unlike so many competitions which are nothing more than fund raising efforts. These competition dispense certificates like shamrock on St. Patrick's day and are of little benefit to anyone. I got three of these certificates in one month last autumn

Pictures from the August Meeting

2011-08-04T14:41:00.001-07:00

Mick Gillick Kiltale

2011-08-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of my good friend Mick Gillick from Kiltale. Mick was a great story teller and had a stock of local stories that would have filled several books. I was delighted to publish some of these stories and will continue to do so when ever i get a chance. When my next publication appears hopefully later this year Mick will have a story or two in it. Mick had many strings to his bow including that of being a keen gardener and Physio to the Meath and Kildare Senior football teams. To his family and huge number of friends I would like to extend my deepest sympathy

News

2011-07-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

The first postings on our new website will appear next week.

Have been asked to do judge at the forthcoming talent competition in Navan on Saturday 13th August and then of course also doing Judge at the LM/FM competition which is a bit ironic seeing that my experience of Judges is fairly traumatic

Our Monthly Meeting on Thursday 4th August
Heritage Day Reading on Sunday 28st August

Famine Trilogy not exactly a bestseller with less that 80 copies gone so far, still 20 copies left in the Post Office out of 30 left in.

No guarantee at this stage that 'Haunted Meath' will be on the shelves for Halloween. I have no say in the matter

Getting ready now to hand back the Poet of Fingal Trophy for the third time

Glenstal Abbey

2011-07-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

Now that my ghost book is finished and with the publishers 'The History Press' its back to writing poetry again and the first subject that I'm going to tackle in a result of a visit to Glenstal Abbey last week.

It was late July as i watched the swallows
Skimming the sloping lawns and paths

Meath Writer's Circle

2011-07-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Next meeting of the Meath Writer's Circle will take place in the Trim Castle Hotel on Thursday 4th August at 7.30pm

Book Sales

2011-07-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Although not officially on sale until Friday next Famine Trilogy is making something of a splash with sales coming from the most unusual sources. Two visitors early today one from Senegal and one from California were quite happy to get copies. Noel Moore, originally from Delvin and now working in Senegal, and Kathleen Collins, originally from Tipperary and now living in California were among the first to get a copy. Kathleen was in Trim to get her copy of the new church CD when she heard about Famine Trilogy. One of the very first people to get a copy was Joe Wylie from Boston I actually met Joe during a poetry reading I was giving in Lynn Mass. in 2007 and have been friends with him ever since.
From Friday morning posters for the publication will begin to appear and this should help with sales

Creative Writing Competition

2011-07-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Just learned that i am to be one of the judges in the LM/FM Creative Writing competition the details of which are published here

DETAILS

4 categories:

- Short stories (max: 2,500 words)- adults
- Short stories (max: 2,500 words)- under 16s
- Poetry - adults
- Poetry - under 16s

PRIZE DETAILS

The winners and 9 runners-up from each category will have their work published in the LMFM Christmas Anthology..

HOW TO ENTER

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 10th OCTOBER 2011 - The judging panel, chaired by May Toal, includes writer Tommy Murray, LMFM's Gerry Kelly, and local librarians. - Entry to the competition is FREE. - You may submit as many entries as you wish - the material must not have appeared in any previous printed anthology. - For all enquiries, please email competitions@thevarsitypress.com - Please email your entries to competitions@thevarsitypress.com, or mail entries to Mona Daly, LMFM Competition, 10 Kilgar, Jocelyn Street, Dundalk.

Famine Trilogy

2011-07-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Famine Trilogy now available at 5euro
A conjectural look at one of the great disasters in the history of Ireland. This publication is in presentation format is a limited edition beautifully bound and lavishly illustrated. It also contains some new poetry

Two New Books

2011-07-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

For those who ordered their copies of Famine Trilogy at 5 euro I am delighted to announce that copies of the book will be delivered from next Wednesday. Just got a glimpse of the proofs and I am delighted with the quality and layout. Famine Trilogy is in presentation format, will be a limited edition

'Haunted Meath' which is a much larger book has three offers from publishers and I have to make a decision by Monday next. There are over three hundred orders for this book and the names of the three publishers are (Nonsuch, The History Press.) (Shackleton) and a private individual . At the moment it is between The History Press and Shackleton.

There will be no launch for the Famine Trilogy but there will be a launch for 'Haunted Meath.'

Return to the Whitehouse

2011-07-06T02:26:00.000-07:00

Got word yesterday from Sean Ryan and Barney Sheehan inviting me back to the Whitehouse in Limerick for a reading. This was something that I wasn't expecting as I went on far too long when I was there last August. No date fixed yet but it will be later in the year I think

Congratulations

2011-07-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

Very reluctant to move on from my day on the bog but it would be less than generous if I failed to congratulate the Boyne Writers on their great win in the Battle of the Books, and in particular Michael Farry whose failure to get ten marks for his take on the proclaimation was to say the least equally heartening and mysterious. I'm afraid it is just two cheers for the judges who brought gasps to the crowd on more than one occasion for their failure to grasp most of what was going on. An example was my own piece which they said was outdated despite the fact that it include references to such as Jedward, Lowry, The Queen Healy Rae Michael D Higgins, among others.
As a matter of interest we have sacked the timekeeper and sent details to the DPP

Well done Tommy,you can hold your head high and all the team members were valiant. Congratulations also to the Boyne Writers' Mick Sheils

Poetry reading on Tullaghanstown Bog

2011-07-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

A highly informal poetry reading by poet Tommy Murray proved to be very popular with the local turf cutters last Saturday when an audience of about forty listened to the Trim poet while enjoying a meal of potatoes and bacon. Top picture -Three Stalwarths listening ---Middle picture Tommy Murray reading bottom picture A section of the crowd

Two Trophies

2011-06-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Two Trophies are about to be returned. The Noel Dempsey trophy for the Battle of the Books has only days to go before it is handed back and the Poet of Fingal Trophy has just three months to go before it is up for grabs again. Picture Tommy Murray with the trophies. 2010 was the third time for Tommy to win the Poet of Fingal Cup

2011-06-24T03:28:00.001-07:00

I have recently discovered a book of Tommy Murrays poetry and fell in love with it. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take the book with me as it had a previous owner! Can I buy it online anywhere or is it only available in Meath?

Thank You,
Heather

Yes Heather, the book is ' Counting Stained Glass Windows, and it is available from me at 10 Euro Post free.
It would also be available from Lapwing Press Belfast

Final Rehearsal for the Battle of the Books contest

2011-06-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Absolutely delighted with tonight's final rehearsal for the Battle of the Books in the Trim Castle Hotel, where the full team plus our official timekeeper W G Hodgins from Bohermeen were present. Needless to state the meeting was held behind closed doors and only members of the team were allowed to be present.
As an extra precaution the team arrived and left the meeting in out of town cabs with unmarked and blacked out windows and even the manholes in the hotel car park were checked beforehand.

The Stony Thursday Book

2011-06-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

The Stony Thursday Book is calling for submissions for Issue 10 which will be launched in October 2011
Send no more than six poems to : The Arts Service Limerick City Council, City Hall merchant's Quay Limerick.

With the publication of my latest book 'Famine Trilogy this brings the total to 13 Here is the Complete List

Books by Tommy Murray
(The Complete List)

Memorable Meath Views 1988

Something Beginning with Spring 1989

Where Was Wellington Born 1990

Stella's Cottage 1991

Once on Tara's Plain 1994

The Boyne 1997 (Chap Book)

Trim Looking Back 2004

Voices of Trim (Tempus/ Nonsuch )2005

Meath Voices (Tempus/ Nonsuch) 2006

Images of Meath ( Nonsuch/ The History Press ) 2008

Counting Stained Glass Windows. (Lapwing Belfast) 2009

'With the Boyne Through Trim' 2010

Famine Trilogy (Varsity) 2011

2011-06-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Famine Trilogy a beautifully produced book in presentation formatwhich contains the long poem of that name as well as two other poems on the famine making it a trilogy within a trilogy also contains graphic accounts of life in Ireland and on the coffin ships back in the 1840s. Now available from this website Priced at 4 Euro 4.50 Post free. Published by Varsity Press Group

Writer's Circle News

2011-06-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

Entries have been coming in for the poetry Competition, all I might add in Limerick form
Great entries from Jack Delaney from Bective, Sarah McShane and Brian Bourke from Navan so far.
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There will be one change in the team that won last year's Battle of the Books and we are extremely lucky to have acquired one of Meath's top satirists for our team
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The date for the launch of the long awaited 'Haunted Meath has been set for sometime around the Halloween Festival
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Famine Trilogy which contains the long poem of that name as well as two other poems on the famine making it a trilogy within a trilogy is now at the proof reading stage. A chap book it also contains graphic accounts of life in Ireland and on the coffin ships back in the 1840s. Should be on the shelves within weeks.
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All are invited to read their poems in the Scurlogstown Cottage on Sunday next 19th June
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Thursday 16th June sees the launch of Arthur Broomfield's new collection in the County Hall Portlaoise
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Well worth having a listen to Mark Doyle's reading over on the Tara poetry blog. Mark is the 10th reader to have been videoed at the last meeting of the Meath Writer's Circle
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2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Members are asked to write a short poem on this picture and have it for the next meeting which is on 23red June. This is not confined to members of the Meath Writers Circle and the best poems received will be published in our new Website which will be appearing shortly. Needless to state entry is free just send entries to tommymurray06@eircom.net. The new website will have monthly and weekly competitions with prizes sponsored by local business people The closing date for the current competition is Wednesday 22nd June

Wreath Laying Ceremony

2011-06-04T01:59:00.001-07:00

Tommy Murray laying a wreath at the grave of poet FR Higgins

on behalf of the Scurlogstown Olympiad Committee

Friday 3rd June 2011

Also in the picture Writer's Circle member Willie Hodgins

Riposte

2011-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

Mixed Marriage which is published in the current issue of 'Riposte' is my 29th poem to appear in this publication

Mixed Marriage

Trying to make sense

Of this Babel of Polynesian and Yupik

You move among the guests

Try not to notice the whirling bolos

The harpoons

And the swinging stone clubs

Pause to sample

The yam paste and roast gibbon

Or slurp a spoonful of moose soup

Applaud as the bride now resplendent

In printed cotton, immaculately manicured Garlands

And sun bucket hat enters

The Groom, magnificent in beaded walrus hide

Caribou skin goggles

And matching moccasins

Two steps behind

Robert Frost

2011-05-29T03:04:00.000-07:00

At the Robert Frost Farm in Derry New Hampshire

Where I read Frost's Poem 'Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening' to an audience of five people

A beautiful poem written in

x/x/x/x/ Iambic Tetrameter

With a rhyming scheme that goes AABA- BBCB -CCDC-DDDD

2011-05-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Renewing the memories of an anthology I shared with a fellow poet some years back

Dr Arthur Broomfield said...: Hi Tommy,Many thanks again ! I've just been looking up that Dundalk anthology, and, of course there you are with The Roadwatcher. It reminds me of another one I wrote 'The cello soloist with the Leningrad philharmonic'. The rural Ireland I grew up in was enriched by these men. Yours is still a lovely poem, it bears witness to those whose like we'll never see again.; May 24, 2011 12:59 PM

Two Success Stories

2011-05-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

The news that Arthur Broomfield is to be published by Lapwing with a launch in the Count Hall Portlaoise on Thursday 16th June is hardly surprising to those of us who are familiar with his work. Naturally on hearing the news I wanted to be the first to congratulate him. The poem ' which is the title of the collection was first published in an anthology that we both featured in.
This is Arthur's response to my congratulations

How wonderful that you should remember
Tommy. It was the first poem I had published and it's
been published many places since. It all began with a literary group we
got going in Portlaoise round about 1985 and I've been at it ever since.
This is a collection of the 'best ' of them.

The second success story is the news that Eileen Casey is this years Hennessy Emerging Fiction Writer of the year.
I share a trophy with Eileen we both having received wood carvings by renowned wood carver Clibhe de Gibney . She is probably the most successful writer to come on the scene in recent years. Her work appears regularly in Riposte. I also share a number of anthologies with her including 'The Ingredients of Poetry' the Syllables anthology published by Michael O' Flanagan

The June Bank Holiday Week end

2011-05-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

Having decided to go to Listowel Writers Week another reading this time for the Beat on the Boyne Festival in Drogheda comes up Just got word from Dennis Greig of Lapwing and Roger Hudson Drogheda that we may be having a Lapwing team in the event. If this goes ahead then the team will be Marie McSweeney , Roger Hudson and myself. Too far ahead to make any plans.

Word today from The History Press (Nonsuch) about my Book 'Haunted Meath. It is at the design stage and that is something to look forward to.

2011-05-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Listowel Writers Week

Several enquiries asking me am I going to the Writers Week this year, one yesterday from Eileen Kavanagh from Ratoath who was a member of the Writer’s Circle? This year the week runs from the 1s to the 5^th June. Haven’t decided yet but without the presence of JB and Brian it won’t be the same.

Anyway here is a poem that I wrote for these two stalwarts some time back. A metaphorical exercise
in free verse, I would imagine

On Reading Two Poems at Writer’s Week

To Listowel I came

To savour

That Brigadoon of pubs and pints

Pathways lined with waving quills

Climb perhaps

The odd creative hill

Alternatively

Just hoping

To stroll along some quiet shore

Listen to the ebb and flow

Maybe hear the distant breakers roar

Instead

Between the twin peaks

Of Brian and John B

I stood upon a mountain top

And gazed across the sea

And later in the harbour

In view of everyone

I walked lightly on the water

Out into the sun

May Meeting

2011-05-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

The May Meeting of the Meath Writer’s Circle

After two meetings in which the attendance had dropped below eight the May meeting saw the biggest attendance so far with only two members absent. By 8 pm we had thirteen present and that was causing endless anxiety for me because I am a bit superstitious and the thought of maybe having to announce that the meeting was over was not something that I looked forward to. I had always heard that when thirteen sit down at a table the first one to leave might be tempting fate. Then it happened who should stroll in but Mark Doyle closely followed by Moira Lawlor, fifteen now I could settle down and get on with the business of reading and listening.

It was something of a happy occasion to welcome two new members and the fact that they are both embers of the Scurlogstown Olympiad was even better still.

Packing up after the meeting

Tommy Muray Wins The Great Drogheda Poetry Grand Slam

2011-04-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Delighted to be declared the outright winner of the Great Drogheda Poetry Grand Slam. It wasn't easy and I had to read three poems to be finally declared the winner. There was also a huge entry and it was all well worth it in the end. My colleague and fellow member of The Meath Writer's Circle, Jimmy Peppard put in a sterling performance and was hugely popular with the crowd. This is my first win so far this year. All in all a great contest

Roger Hudson Tommy Murray(Winner) and judge Marie McSweeney Three Lapwing Poets at the Drogheda Poetry Grand Slam

More Pictures from the Grand Slam

Congratulations on your win on Saturday night. Here is the image you asked for, plus an image of your race to the finish line! Most enjoyable.

Kind Regards

Frank Kelly

Isobel wrote
"Many congratulations Tommy another trophy for the collection!x"

Maryann Suydam Hi Tommy. I am enjoying 'MEATH'.

News

2011-04-27T01:48:00.001-07:00

Latest News:

Ted Hughes Award won by Kaite O'Reilly | 14-Apr-11
Unpublished poet, Paul Adrian, wins National Poetry Competition | 14-Apr-11
Poetry Book Society fights ACE funding withdrawal | 10-Apr-11
We want your love letters! | 06-Apr-11
Items added to the Poetry Library in March 2011 | 01-Apr-11

Evening at Newtown Abbey

2011-04-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2011-04-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

A very Happy Easter from the Meath Writer’s Circle

Willie Hodgins - Jimmy Peppard- Isobel Maisto - Moyra Lawlor- Frank Murphy, Paul Martin - Mark Doyle - Sean Kane - Pat Bennett - Sean Reilly - Mick Sheils John Wiseman - James Linnane (Ballivor)-and Carmel Murray (Kilmessan) Tom Gillispie and Frank Goodman (Dunshauglin)

Happy Easter also to Dave at The Author’s Friend—Ronan at Nonsuch (The History Press) Denis at Lapwing Barney at the Whitehouse John Makem at The Bard of Armagh –Tom and Sharon and the staff of The Navan Library John and Noelle at The Meath Chronicle, Liam and Michael at Riposte, Evan at Meath News and Sport, Noel French at Focus and all the members of the Navan Junior Writers Group.

Our wishes also extend to those who gave us links from their sites. This is very much appreciated

The next meeting of the Meath Writer’s Circle will be on Thursday 5^th May in the Trim Castle Hotel while the Next meeting of the Navan Junior Group will be on Saturday 7^th May in the Navan Library

The Virtual Writer Longford

2011-04-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Colony

by Tommy Murray

So what’s a dozen serial killers then
Or the odd assassin
God bless them
And who’s for infanticide
Matricide
Not to mention murder
And mayhem
And thuggery
And three kinds of thievery

There’s promiscuity here too
And polygamy
And adult homosexual couplings
On a grand scale
With fowl language
And slanging matches
The norm, and
There have also been reports of gang rape

Oh yes, it’s all here
In this Hitchcockian swirl
Of screaming gulls and guillemots

This poem is one of three poems that I currently have on the' Virtual Writer 'website

Camel -A New Poem by Tommy Murray

2011-04-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Camel

Stare me down if you must

With your ageless dreams, rhythms

Oars dipping to drumbeat, caravans

Inching across the horizon

But tell me

Did you doze off too?

When Scheherazade lulled

The insomniac Harun

Or eavesdrop on

The small talk of Kings bearing gifts

And you surely must have blushed

When Salome danced

Or blinked in unbelief

At the grave of Lazarus

Still, you had your fifteen minutes

Tethered to a dog wood, perhaps

On the slopes of Calvary

And you could hardly

Have remained impassive

When they nailed his hands and feet

2011-04-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Videos Now on You Tube with View Count on 15th April 2011

Tommy Murray reads Rathnally Boreen 44

Tommy Murray at the Delish Part One 75

Tommy Murray at the Delish Part Two 79

Tommy Murray Battle of the Books 354

Tommy Murray at the Whitehouse 179

Tommy Murray Bard of Armagh 289

Tommy Murray Famine Trilogy 56

Tommy Murray at Trim Castle 5 Uploaded Today

Lean- to by Tommy Murray

2011-04-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Lean-to

Immortalised in albums

And affectionately framed

Family gatherings, that

Will be me with the broken plinth

And the dark patch

Where the pebbledash ran out

A ponytail of bits and pieces

Hand me downs and afterthoughts

I am hardly photogenic

But once when September posed impromptu

I was for a split second

Three sixteenths of a spectacular sunset

This little poem which I wrote some years back was published in the Kilkenny Literary Review

Oldbridge Country Fair Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre

2011-04-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Oldbridge Country Fair
Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre
Oldbridge, Drogheda, Co. Meath
Time Outdoor Arena
11.00 -11.30 Living History 17th Century
Cavalry Display
12.00 - 1 . 0 0 Coin Minting
1.00 - 1.30
Living History 17th Century
Cavalry Display
2.00 - 3.00 Fly-Casting Demonstrations
3.15 - 4.15 Falconry Display
4.15 - 4 . 4 5 Coin Minting
4.45 - 5.15 Living History 17th Century
Cavalry Display
Time Indoor Marquee
11.00 -5.00 Local Craft Makers & Food Producers
12.00 - 1.30
2.00 - 3.00
Flower Arranging Demonstrations
& Competition
3.00 - 4.00 Short Gardening Talks
Short Gardening Talks
Drogheda Arts Festival Event at Oldbridge
‘Come Forward to Meet You’
by
Upstate Theatre Project

Tommy Murray reads Rathnally Boreen

2011-04-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Also on youtube and Facebook

2011-04-08T03:03:00.000-07:00

A relaxed Sheriff before the start of last night's meeting

The New English Teacher

2011-04-07T15:24:00.001-07:00

The New English Teacher

You know how it is in September

The first day back

Trying to come to terms with the new colour scheme

The wall, immaculate in magnolia

Doors, the worse for blue

Who’s new you wonder

As you notice the empty locker

Cleaned out except for the rubber band

And the heavily pencilled copy

Of ‘Getting to grips with English’

A limp handshake

And you feel as if you knew Miss Brody all your life

The little hen like movements of the head

The turn of phrase

The play on words are all so familiar

That you suddenly find yourself

Scanning the picture of last years staff outing

Trying to find a place for her in the line up,

The Moth

2011-04-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just looking at the list of places that stock 'The Moth' Magazine one would have to be impressed

The Moth is also stocked in the following outlets:

Bandon Books, Cork
Bell, Book & Candle, Galway
Bluewall Gallery, Cavan
The Bookseller Crow on the Hill, London

Books Upstairs, Dublin
The Bookshop at Queen’s, Belfast
Charlie Byrnes Bookshop, Galway
Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
Crannóg Bookshop, Cavan
Dingle Bookshop, Kerry
Eason nationwide

Foyle's, London

Kenny’s Bookshop & Art Gallery, Galway
Kinsale Bookshop, Cork
Liber Bookshop, Sligo

London Review Bookshop, London

Saqi Bookshop, London

Shakespeare & Co., Paris
The Rathgar Bookshop, Dublin
The Winding Stair, Dublin

Hovis

2011-04-04T03:58:00.000-07:00

Listening to Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9

“From the New World”

It begins with a tap on the shoulder

A horn call

Oboes arching to octave

A sort of “wish you were here” a

“Come let us stroll along

Those chordal paths

Those misty regions

Where trumpets rise sequoia high

And woodwind choirs sing low.

Where the hush of flute and horn

Fall moccasin soft

On tender homesick melodies

Between subtle intrusions

Of kettledrum and brass

And cakewalk rhythms pander

To the syncopated beat

Of dancing feet

Before embarking

On hair raising tonal excursions

To distant keys and cotton fields

The Hovis people spent hours trying to decipher this poem before sending me a very nice letter

Father's Day

2011-04-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Father’s Day

We knew that mother’s day

Would be a hard act to follow

Flowers were out

Make up, a mockery

We considered chocolates

A lying in state of succulent shapes

With a blue ribbon and a bar code

Before settling for a selection of scratch cards

And a prayer

That you would win enough

To boost our inheritance

Congratulations to 10 year old Laetitia Igwe on her recent success in the Meath Art and Poetry competition. Laetitia's poem is called 'Nationalities' She is a member of the Navan Junior Writer's Group which meet every Saturday morning in the Navan Library

Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award 2011

2011-04-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Closing date for The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Comp Friday 22^nd July

April Meeting of the Meath Writer's Circle

2011-03-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday April 7th is the date for the next meeting of the Meath Writer's Circle in the Trim Castle Hotel at 7.30pm.
This notice has already been placed in the Meath Chronicle.

Meath Books Tommy Murray The Website of the Meath Writer's Circle

The Year So Far

The Lonely Voice

The Lonely Voice: Short Story Introductions

Just across the road from the Dail

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

Poem of the Month

Conor Callaghan, an amazing story

The Echo Gate

Henry John Yeend King

Monday, January 30, 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Swimming with Dolphins

Friday, January 20, 2012

Sunday Morning stroll in the Porchfields Trim

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Active Writing in Ireland

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A Poem for after Christmas

Meath Books Tommy Murray The Website of the Meath Writer's Circle: Winter Evening

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A recital from Tommy Murray on ‘Haunted Meath, Trim Library, 27th October

Dermot Kelly

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Poetry and entertainment evening in Innniskeen

Why I wont be entering this competition again

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Sworn to Secrecy

Captain Ahab

Poetry Reading on the Bog

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A Great Place to write Poetry

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The Poet of Fingal

The Stony Thursday Book

The start of heritage week