NUIG to hold major conference on 1916 Proclamation

Thu, Jan 21, 2016

The 1916 Proclamation has been claimed across the last 100 years as the founding values of the State, or a vision the State has abandoned, or as something that has yet to be fully realised.

1916 Rising lectures in the Galway City Library

Thu, Jan 14, 2016

The man who coined the word ‘poblacht’, the Galway born 1916 Proclamation signatory Éamonn Ceannt, anarchists, aunties, and Welsh miners will all be discussed in a new series of public lectures.

Over The Edge - thirteen years of readings

Thu, Jan 14, 2016

THIRTEEN MAY be unlucky for some, but not for the Over The Edge Open Readings which marks its 13th year in existence this month with readings by Stephen De Burca, Nuala Keher, and Vona Groarke.

Short Tales, Long Nights

Thu, Jan 14, 2016

SHORT TALES, Long Nights is a new storytelling evening which has its first outing in the Clarinbridge Parish Hall on Wednesday January 20 at 8pm.

He is sitting there, all alone, huddled in the chilly May dew upon a rock dressed in seaweed. His scruffy, woollen coat wrapped tightly around his frailing 84 year old body. The waves, roughly batter around his black, scuffed ankle boots as he licks on an icecream cone. A lonesome seagull is perched on the rock beside him trying to peck at the cornet. ‘Away with you,’ he flummoxed with his tar stained, crinkly hand. ‘Shoo.’ It has always baffled me as to where he can get an icecream cone for his breakfast. The town is a distance away and his feeble waddle would take him a good two hours to walk. I am convinced he lives in the icecream truck hiding behind the Burrishoole, Grace O’Malley castle, over towering beside us. I often hear the jingle of the icecream van but I can never see it.

Public debate on WWI's ‘separation women’

Thu, Jan 07, 2016

Fighting for 'King and country' was never a great motivation for Irishmen to fight in The Great War, but there was motivation to be found in the form of the payment of separation allowances to the dependents of servicemen.

The Famine - Gaeilge's Armageddon?

Literature Reviews Thu, Jan 07, 2016

THERE IS a popular perception that “The Great Hunger” of 1845 to 1849 was a one-off affair, a unique event, and that there are two totally different Irelands - the one before and the one after The Famine.

Galway hospital's poetry competition

Thu, Jan 07, 2016

THE GALWAY University Hospitals Arts Trust is seeking entries again for annual poetry competition. Poems entered should be no more than 30 lines long and entries are being accepted up to Friday March 11.

Poems to disturb your peace

Literature Reviews Thu, Jan 07, 2016

THERE ARE people, those with the better variety of accent, and PhDs mostly purchased for them their parents, who will use the fact that James O’Toole’s debut poetry collection, The Street, is self-published to try and dismiss it.

ROPES journal to raise funds for Simon

Tue, Dec 29, 2015

ROPES, THE literary journal produced by the students of NUI Galway's MA in literature and publishing, is seeking donations to cover the costs of its upcoming 24th volume.

The theme of the 2016 journal, which will be out in the spring, is 'Independence'. It will feature essays, poetry, prose, and artwork about exploring, gaining, losing, rejecting, and sustaining independence.

Creative writing classes at Galway Arts Centre

Tue, Dec 29, 2015

PEOPLE WHOSE New Year resolutions include finally getting around to writing that novel or those poems that have been in their head for ages, should check out upcoming classes at the Galway Arts Centre.

The poet and short story writer Susan Millar DuMars will teach a creative writing class, suitable for both beginning and continuing students, working in either poetry or fiction. Students will spend their weeks responding to writing exercises and receive feedback. The class runs for 10 weeks on Mondays from 2.30pm to 4pm, starting January 25.

Galway writers to read at city's pop-up bookshop

Thu, Dec 17, 2015

GALWAY WRITER Alan McMonagle, who recently landed a two book deal with Picador, along with Geraldine Mills, Aoife Casby, James Martyn Joyce, and Galway Advertiser arts editor Kernan Andrews, will read from their work this weekend.

A story to make the Marquis de Sade twitch in his crypt

Literature Reviews Thu, Dec 17, 2015

THIS NEAR horror story of a novel contains a positive message which surely applies to most of us: however messed up your relationships are, or have been, even the most embarrassing catastrophe in the history of your love life was a paragon of balance and sanity compared to an average day in the life of most of the characters in this darkest of tales.

New Year creative writing classes

Thu, Dec 17, 2015

CREATIVE WRITING classes for beginners and intermediate levels will be held in the Galway Technical Institute in January and bookings are being taken now.

Poet Kim Moore to give public reading

Thu, Dec 10, 2015

KIM MOORE, one of the leading new voices in British poetry, will read from her work at the Over The Edge: Open Reading in the Galway City Library on Thursday December 17 at 6.30pm.

Horror story writing workshops

Tue, Dec 08, 2015

FROM THE ghost stories of Sheridan Le Fanu and Henry James to HP Lovecraft's tales of cosmic horror, there is nothing more enjoyable than a story that sends a shiver of fear through you.

Once upon a child - children's books for Christmas

Literature Reviews Thu, Dec 03, 2015

DESPITE PUBLIC perceptions that fewer children are reading books, there has been a major increase in the publication of books for children in recent years. This is due in no small measure to the work of Children’s Books Ireland, and more especially Siobhán Parkinson.

GRCC writing competition seeks entries

Thu, Dec 03, 2015

THE GALWAY Rape Crisis Centre has announced its third annual writing competition, with entries being accepted for its poetry, flash fiction, and short story categories.

Call for entries for Cúirt New Writing Prize

Thu, Nov 26, 2015

THE CÚIRT New Writing Prize 2016 is now open for submissions in poetry and fiction, a cash prize of €500 and a chance to read at next year's Cúirt/Over the Edge Showcase are up for grabs.