“My mother and father were illiterate immigrants from Russia. When I was a child they were constantly amazed that I could go to a building and take a book on any subject. They couldn’t believe this access to knowledge we have here in America. They couldn’t believe it was free.” - Kirk Douglas.
Kirk is 93 now and, although still quite active, is unlikely to make it over to Ireland at this stage of his life. If he did by some chance make it as far as Kilkenny he would be as surprised as I was to read about the funds available from Kilkenny County Council to the libraries for the current year.
The budget has gone from €250,000 to €10,000 with the stroke of a pen! What would that buy? A few copies of the latest Cecelia Ahern epic, a couple of Delia Smith cookery books and a copy of the Irish Independent every day. The ten grand is also meant to cover literacy programmes for adults and children, audio, music and alternative media for people with disabilities. Spread that out between Kilkenny, Loughboy, Callan, Thomastown, Graiguenamanagh, Castlecomer and Urlingford and you’ll be lucky to see a new book anywhere during the year. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this works. It could be the greatest achievement since the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Over in Carlow they’ve managed to find fifteen times that amount for libraries, so if you’re stuck for a good read, you may head over there for a book. They’ve also got the new “VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art & The George Bernard Shaw Theatre,” all supported by Carlow local authorities. This centre includes a 294-seater performing arts theatre, four principal gallery spaces, as well as theatre bar facilities, a full service restaurant and concession areas, so no cultural cutbacks down the road.
I grew up close to the library on John’s Quay and have been attending it on and off since a very young age. It used to be a stern, not very welcoming place, but that’s all changed over the last number of years. There’s a lot going on in a building that’s now too small for its current level of activity, but with the current support from Kilkenny County Council it will be a long time before there’s any improvement.
I opened with a quote from Kirk Douglas and will leave the last word on the subject to Groucho Marx:
“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
Kilkenny, the creative heart of Ireland?
“Kilkenny has traditionally been associated with creative and artistic endeavours, and indeed is branded as the ‘Creative Heart of Ireland’. That’s the PR spin, but we could be sued for false advertising the way things are going. Libraries full of dog-eared books and now there are no funds for the famous ‘creative and artistic endeavours’ either!
Hot on the heels of the announcement of the generous €10,000 funds for libraries comes the announcement that Kilkenny County Council Arts Office will be giving NO arts grants in 2010. That means that 40 to 50 groups and festivals around the county will receive nothing in the future.
I’ve watched groups such as Devious Theatre Company develop over the last few years and put on productions that compare well with visiting professional companies. I don’t know how much they received under the local arts grants system, but it was certainly put to good use, with dozens of young local theatre enthusiasts getting the chance to develop their skills. They also drew in a whole new audience to their shows in Cleeres, The Watergate and The Set. Let’s hope they and others can struggle on.
The “There’s nothing for young people in Kilkenny” brigade got their answer from Kilkenny County Council this year. Still, they always have the new skate park on the Parade.
Lovely hurling
OK, I admit it, I’m a fair weather supporter and didn’t head across to Thurles last Saturday night. I chose the high stool option for viewing the match that never was and no refunds either. The smallest bar or coffee shop can give you a receipt with your drink or bun, but this level of high tech sophistication hasn’t reached the GAA yet.
I’ve run hundreds of shows in Cleeres over the years and I know that if the show was cancelled I’d never get away without giving a refund, ticket or no ticket.
As I write I don’t know if the weather will allow the rescheduled match to go ahead, but they’re brave or foolish heads in the GAA if they take a chance on dragging thousands of people to Thurles on a Tuesday night with the chance of the game being called off again.
I spoke to a man on Monday who travelled to the game with his brother. Once the announcement came that the match was off there was a rush to the exits. In the crush his wallet was lost or stolen, complete with cash, bank cards and passport. A very costly night out for a true blue supporter. On the off chance that anyone finds it, just contact the Kilkenny Advertiser office.
