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Upcoming Events | SiarScéal Festival and Hanna Greally Literary Awards

Logo of SiarScéal, annual arts and literary festival

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Details of SiarScéal 2023 Announced

– Entries Now Being Accepted for Hanna Greally Literary Awards –

Logo of SiarScéal, arts and literary festival

SiarScéal, organisers of the annual festival that takes place in Roscommon, has announced its programme of events for 2023. The festival will take place at Roscommon County Library, Abbey Street, Roscommon Town on Saturday, 21 October.

The Hanna Greally Literary Awards, which takes place annually as part of the festival, is offering cash prize fund totalling €400, with overall winners in the Poetry and Prose/Short Stories categories each receiving €200. Entries are now being accepted but the closing date is Friday, 22 September and must be received on or before 5pm (Irish time).

Entry is free but limited to one per participant. Entries may be on any subject or theme but should be presented in the style of poetry (maximum of 100 lines) or prose/short story (maximum of 2000 words). Details of how to enter are available from the SiarScéal website. Winners will be announced and prizes presented at SiarScéal Festival 2023 that is taking place in October.

Also featuring as part of the festival’s programme of events is a symposium of young writers from Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim, who will read from work contained in their own handmade book, produced with the help of artist, Vanya Ward. The occasion will also be broadcast on The Arts Programme with Ursula Ledwith on Ros FM.

SiarScéal is an annual arts and literary festival that has run every year since 2007 and takes place in Roscommon, drawing inspiration from unique culture and heritage of the Roscommon environs, together with the regional counties of Leitrim and Sligo.

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Event: White Rose of Peace Walk 2023

Poster for White Rose of Peace Walk 2023 (10 September)

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White Rose of Peace Walk 2023

– Leading Peace for a Better Future –

Poster for the White Rose of Peace Walk 2023 taking place on 10 September
White Rose of Peace Walk 2023

The second ever White Rose of Peace Walk will take place this Sunday, on 10 September. Members of the public are invited to work in unison in promoting the cause of World Peace by walking a route of their choice, while carrying a single white rose. The event is spearheaded and initiated by Irish poet, Verona Pentony and is sponsored by property management company, ABM.

The aim is to walk 3171 kilometres – the equivalent distance of walking the entire coastline of the island of Ireland – but participants can walk any distance that they can manage, on any route that they choose. The cumulative effect will be to demonstrate that “Ireland will lead peace for a better future”.

Participants are asked to to send a photo of themselves holding a white rose to Verona, who can be contacted by e-mail. Journeys can be tracked and distances registered using the Strava app.

Verona Pentony came upon the idea of the White Rose of Peace while living in London during the Iraq War. it began on 18 December 2003, when she received the guiding sign to promote World Peace and Forgiveness.

In addition to her peace campaigning, she is also the author of two successful volumes of poetry. One of her poems, A Song for Forgiveness (from her debut collection, Reflections from the Heart) was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee by singer, Katy Lynn Johnson in July 2021. The second volume from the Reflections series is Reflections of Time, published in 2014. Both volumes are available to buy online.

News about the White Rose of Peace Walk can be spread by downloading the poster and sharing it on social media.

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On This Day: Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee is published in 2016

Front cover of Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee

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Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee

– a story of overcoming disability and independent living –

Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee was published on this day in 2016. The book was formally unveiled at a well-attended book launch held at Kells Library, in the author’s home town of Kells, Co. Meath. Family and friends of the author, from all walks of his varied and interesting life, came out to show support.

Rex Lee’s story is one of somebody who overcame disability, never allowing it to limit his outlook or narrow his horizons. Motivated and guided by a philosophy of mental and physical compensation, he seized every opportunity that was offered to lead an active, fulfilling and independent life.

His story is contained within Ireland’s story, as a country striving to assert itself on the world stage, overcoming barriers and obstacles that history had put in the way. His account spans much of period since the Second World War – or The Emergency, as it is sometimes referred to in Ireland. Through his own involvement and activism, he both witnessed and played a part in the making and shaping of the Irish society that has been handed down to us today.

Melodies at Eventide by Rex Lee is published under the imprint of The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions.

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Upcoming Events | Day of the Unexplained Convention

Front cover of Drowned-Out Voices by GhostÉire

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Day of the Unexplained

– Irish Paranormal Convention, 18 February 2023, New Ross, Co. Wexford –

Some of the biggest names in the paranormal community will descend on New Ross, Co. Wexford for an Irish paranormal convention to be held in St Michael’s Theatre on 18 February 2023.

The Day of the Unexplained convention is the brainchild of Anthony Joseph Kerrigan from GhostÉire and local resident, Mary Nolan from Back In Time Paranormal Investigators. Both Anthony and Mary, having many years of experience in the field of paranormal investigating, felt that a one day convention, where like minded individuals could meet up, network and explore all things paranormal was much needed.

“It is the bringing together of the paranormal and spiritual community,” says Mary, “an opportunity to hear about our haunted history, ghost stories, witchcraft and even UFOs. Have you ever had that burning desire to know more about something unexplained but didn’t know where to go or who to ask? The Day of the Unexplained has been created for open discussions on spirits, ghosts, paranormal, crystals, supernatural, hauntings, histories, aliens, witchcraft and UFO’s. There really is something here for everyone.”

Throughout the one-day event, the audience will get to hear a diverse line up of speakers, who are more than happy to talk about and share accounts of investigations and personal experiences. Here they will impart their knowledge with the opportunity for a Q&A session after each speaker.

Whether you are an armchair enthusiast and hobbyist or a first-hand experiencer, there is genuinely something here for all. There will be psychics and mediums on hand during the day for private readings, along with an array of paranormal equipment, books, crystals and other merchandise available to purchase. Tickets are on sale from the venue’s website.

Anthony Kerrigan, together with Sinead Houlihan and Jenifer Kerrigan, is co-author of two books on paranormal investigations conducted by GhostÉire, the paranormal research group that he is part of. The Rising of Haunted Ireland (2016) and Drowned-Out Voices (2022) are published under the imprint of The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions.

A podcast of an interview with author and ghostbuster, Sinead Houlihan is available from the website of Irish Radio Canada.

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Upcoming Events | SiarScéal Festival 2022

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SiarScéal Festival 2022

– including the Hanna Greally Literary Awards –

Saturday, 12 November is the date that has been announced for SiarScéal Festival 2022, which takes place at Roscommon County Library HQ, starting 10am. Details of the festival, including the full programme of events, have been posted to the festival website.

The Hanna Greally Literary Awards will be announced on the day, with a prize fund totalling €600 to be given out in cash prizes. Entries are still being accepted and the closing date is Friday, 14 October.

Entry is free but limited to one per person and may consist of poetry or prose but, should be on the theme of the competition, which is Sunlit Mornings, Ebbing Tides.

Full details, including terms and conditions and how to enter can be found on the SiarScéal website. Winners will be announced and, prizes presented at the festival in November.

SiarScéal Festival (with the associated Hanna Greally Literary Awards) has been taking place annually, in Roscommon, since 2007. The festival draws its inspiration from unique culture and heritage of the Roscommon environs, together with the regional counties of Leitrim and Sligo. Further information about SiarScéal, including how you can get involved and support their work, is available from their website.

Publications sponsored by SiarScéal, reflecting the array of talent that the festival has attracted over the years, are on sale and available to buy online from this website.

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Book Launch: The Joys of a Second Rattle at Life by William Tiernan

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The Joys of a Second Rattle at Life by William Tiernan

– the author’s third collection of poetry to be launched on Saturday, 8 October

The Father Flanagan Community Centre in Ballymoe, Co. Galway is the venue for the launch, this Saturday, of local author, William Tiernan’s third collection of poetry, The Joys of a Second Rattle at Life, arguably his most ambitious to date.

Whether addressing himself to issues such as pandemics or the war in Ukraine, to more universal themes of redemption and rebirth, battles of the body and the bullying of the mind, Tiernan’s observations go straight to the human heart, breaking down the distance between what is right from what is wrong, conveying it all in his unique and inimitable lyrical style.

William Tiernan is a poet and author who resides in rural Galway, close to the Roscommon border. His writings reflect his personal experiences and convictions as well as strong ties to the community in which he lives, his identification with the place where he grew up. These impressions are particularly reflected in his first two volumes of his poetry: Greetings from Guilka, Ballymoe (2016) and Bluesy Ballymoe (2018). In 2014, he was National Winner in the poetry category at the Hanna Greally International Literary Awards, organised as part of the annual SiarScéal Festival in Co. Roscommon.

The Joys of a Second Rattle at Life by William Tiernan is published under the imprint of The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, along with other books by the author. Signed copies will also be on sale at the book’s launch, to take place on Saturday, 8 October at the Father Flanagan Community Centre, Ballymoe, Co. Galway starting 8pm.

Important Announcement

The launch, due to take place today (Saturday, 8 October) of William Tiernan’s book, The Joys of a Second Rattle at Life, has had to be postponed due to a bereavement. A new date, not too far into the future, will be set however, with details posted here as soon as we have them to hand.