The Dingle Lit Podcast

Ep 12: Wardens of Skellig Michael- Catherine Merrigan & Robert L. Harris

Life on Skellig Michael with Catherine Merrigan & Robert L. Harris, chaired by Deanna O’Connor

An Saol ar Sceilg Mhichíl – Catherine Merrigan agus Robert L. Harris, faoi chathaoirleacht Deanna O’Connor

 

Every year, guides are employed to live on the island during the summer season, to welcome tourists and show them around this UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a tough but rewarding job.

Dingle Peninsula resident Catherine Merrigan has been travelling to work Skellig Michael for the last 20 years, spending every summer, except for during the pandemic in 2020, on the spectacular rocky island off the Iveragh Peninsula.

When the island was closed to visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, she gathered years of diaries and photographs and took advantage of time to reflect and write about the unique experiences of her summers. Last year Catherine Merrigan released Living Among the Puffins on Skellig Michael, a memoir recounting her life on the island, along with beautiful original photography.

 

This year, another warden of the Skellig, Robert L. Harris, has brought out a book detailing his experiences on the mystical isle off the Kerry Coast, entitled, Returning Light: 30 Years of Life on Skellig Michael. Dingle Lit is delighted to bring together these two people who have shared the extraordinary experience of living parts of their lives on the Skellig, to compare their perspectives and thoughts on the solitude, spirituality and ecology of this very special place.

 

Deanna O’Connor is a founding member of the organising committee of the Dingle Literary Festival. She is an award-winning magazine editor who now freelances for corporate clients, working from the inspiring office space at Dingle Creativity and Innovation Hub. She also writes regularly for the Sunday Business Post. She is the founder of The Speak Up Club, a social enterprise working to empower women as leaders in business and the community.

 

For more information on Dingle Literary Festival find us online at https://dinglelit.ie/

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Ep 11: Madame Lazare (Winner, An Post Book Awards) agus an t-úrscéal Gaeilge

An bhliain seo chugainn, den chéad uair riamh, tabharfar aitheantas do leabhar Gaeilge mar chuid de Lá Domhanda na Leabhar 2022 - an t-úrscéal iontach Madame Lazare. Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin a scríobh, agus Barzaz, inphrionta nua de chuid Futa Fata, comhlacht a bhunaigh sé i 2005, a d’fhoilsigh. Ainnníodh Madame Lazare ag Gradaim Fhoilsitheoireachta Oireachtas na Gaeilge 2021 agus bhuaigh sé Leabhar na Bliana ag Gradaim An Post 2021. Labhróidh Tadhg le Cathal Póirtéir faoin scéal agus faoin bpróiseas ag an ócáid speisialta seo. 

 

 

 

Sa bpodchraoladh seo labhraíonn Tadhg leis an gcraoltóir Cathal Póirtéir (RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta,Tuairisc.ie) mar gheall ar aistear an leabhair speisialta seo.

 

Ceannaigh an Leabhar: https://www.siopaleabhar.com/tairge/madame-lazare/ 

Ep 10: I Spent Lockdown in 1846-Declan O‘Rourke & Deanna O‘Connor

Declan O’Rourke, interviewed by Deanna O’Connor, talking about  his literary debut The Pawnbroker’s Reward 

Declan O’Rourke’s award-winning album, Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine, was released to critical acclaim in 2017. It illuminated an extraordinary series of eye-witness accounts, including the story of Pádraig and Cáit ua Buachalla. Four years on, in Declan’s meticulously researched literary debut, The Pawnbroker’s Reward, the story of the ua Buachalla family is woven into a powerful, multilayered work showing us the famine as it happened through the lens of a single town—Macroom, Co. Cork—and its environs.

Local pawnbroker Cornelius Creed is at the juncture between the classes. Sensitive and empathetic, he is a voice on behalf of the poor, and his story is entwined with that of Pádraig ua Buachalla. Through these characters – utilising local history and documentary evidence – Declan creates a kaleidoscopic view of this defining moment in Ireland’s history.

 

Since the release of his double-platinum selling debut album Since Kyabram in 2004, Declan O’Rourke has been one of Ireland’s favourite musicians. Declan O’Rourke’s artistry has been described as ‘proffering reassurance in the face of inevitable sorrow’ by Jon Pareles, chief music critic of the New York Times. Paul Weller, who produced Declan O’Rourke’s latest album, Arrivals, said the 2004 release Galileo was the song he most wished he’d written from the past 30 years. Other notable fans of O’Rourke are the Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, Imelda May, Pete Townshend and Eddi Reader, who described Declan as ‘one of the finest songwriters on the planet’.

Deanna O’Connor is a founding member of the organising committee of the Dingle Literary Festival. She is an award-winning magazine editor who now freelances for corporate clients, working from the inspiring office space at Dingle Creativity and Innovation Hub. She also writes regularly for the Sunday Business Post. She is the founder of The Speak Up Club, a social enterprise working to empower women as leaders in business and the community.

 For more information on Dingle Literary Festival find us online at https://dinglelit.ie/

Catch us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dingleliteraryfestival/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw-kGxZDfo9wjkTVC5sI2WA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DingleLit

Ep 9: Leabhar Gaeilge na Bliana: Comhrá le hEoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde

‘Ní minic a tharlaíonn sé ach is iontach éachtach go dtarlaíonn sé go fóill, agus ar chor ar bith, cnuasach gearrscéalta a bhaineann an anáil díot as feabhas na scéalaíochta agus as úire an mhachnaimh’ - Pól Ó Muirí

 

Bígí linn agus glac páirt sa chomhrá seo idir an iriseoir agus craoltóir Sinéad Ní Uallacháin (RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Beo Ar Éigean ar RTÉ 1, agus TG4), ó Bhaile an Éanaigh, agus an scríbhneoir iomráiteach Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde faoina thríú cnuasach gearrscéalta Cnámh, a bhuaigh gradam An Post Leabhar Gaeilge na Bliana 2020. 

Ep 8: Magic & The Magician with Colm Tóibín interviewed by David Butler

Colm Tóibín talks about the life of Thomas Mann with David Butler.

Colm Tóibín ag plé shaol Thomas Mann in éineacht le David Butler

Colm Tóibín’s latest novel, The Magician, tells the story of a century through one life. Its central character Thomas Mann lives a life filled with great acclaim and contradiction. He would find himself on the wrong side of history in the First World War, cheerleading the German army, but have a clear vision of the future in the second, anticipating the horrors of Nazism. He would have six children and keep his homosexuality hidden; he was a man forever connected to his family and yet bore witness to the ravages of suicide. He would write some of the greatest works of European literature, and win the Nobel Prize, but would never return to the country that inspired his creativity. The Guardian review said, “This is an enormously ambitious book, one in which the intimate and the momentous are exquisitely balanced. It is the story of a man who spent almost all of his adult life behind a desk or going for sedate little post-prandial walks with his wife. From this sedentary existence, Tóibín has fashioned an epic.”

 

One of Ireland’s greatest writers, Colm Tóibín began his career as a journalist before publishing his first books in 1990. Since his first novel, The South (shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award and winner of the Irish Times/ Aer Lingus First Fiction Award) he has published novels, collections of journalism, and short stories and been nominated for and awarded scores of literary awards.

Tóibín is currently  Chancellor of Liverpool University, Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University in Manhattan. He is a regular contributor to the New York Review of books and a contributing editor at the London Review of Books.

David Butler is a multi-award-winning novelist, poet, short-story writer, and playwright. The most recent of his three published novels, City of Dis (New Island) was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year, 2015. His poetry collections All the Barbaric Glass (2017) and Liffey Sequence (2021) are published by, and available from, Doire Press. His 11 poem cycle ‘Blackrock Sequence’, a percent Literary Arts Commission illustrated by his brother Jim, won the World Illustrators Award 2018 (books, professional section). Arlen House is to bring out his second short story collection, Fugitive, in 2021. Literary prizes include the Maria Edgeworth (twice), ITT/Red Line and Fish International Award for the short story; the Scottish Community Drama, Cork Arts Theatre and British Theatre Challenge awards; and the Féile Filíochta, Ted McNulty, Brendan Kennelly, and Poetry Ireland/Trocaire awards for poetry. His radio play ‘Vigil’ was shortlisted for a ZeBBie 2018. David tutors regularly at the Irish Writers Centre.

Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Event audio: Max Gay

Produced & presented by: Deanna O'Connor

For more information on Dingle Literary Festival find us online at https://dinglelit.ie/

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EP 7: Between Two with Diarmuid Ferriter

Between Two Hells with Diarmaid Ferriter

Idir Dhá Thine Bhealtaine le Diarmaid Ferriter

This episode was recorded live in an Diseart at the Dingle Literary Festival 2021.

 

Diarmaid Ferriter is a graduate of UCD, BA (1991), PhD (1996).  He was Appointed Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD in 2008. Previously, Lecturer in Modern Irish History at UCD 1996-1998. Researcher and writer with Dictionary of Irish Biography 1998-1999. Senior lecturer in Irish History at St Patrick’s College, DCU, 1999-2008.  Visiting Burns Library Scholar at Boston College 2008-2009. Main research interests: the social, political and cultural history of twentieth century Ireland.

Diarmaid Ferriter is one of Ireland’s best-known historians and is Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD. In his new book, Between Two Hells; The Irish Civil War, he draws on completely new sources to show how the history of the war, beginning in 1922, shaped the Irish political landscape across the twentieth century and up to the present day, and how important it is to understanding life and politics in Ireland, North and South, today.

His other books include The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000 (2004), Judging Dev: A Reassessment of the life and legacy of Eamon de Valera (2007), Occasions of Sin: Sex and Society in Modern Ireland (2009), Ambiguous Republic: Ireland in the 1970s (2012) and A Nation and not a Rabble: The Irish Revolution 1913-23 (2015). He is a regular broadcaster on television and radio and a weekly columnist with the Irish Times. In 2010 he presented a three-part history of twentieth century Ireland, The Limits of Liberty, on RTÉ television.

“The mighty mind this book comes from…rightly renowned for his voracious learning.” ― The Sunday Times on Diarmaid Ferriter.

 

Buy Between Two Hells from the Dingle Book Shop or from your local bookshop. 

For more information on Dingle Literary Festival find us online at https://dinglelit.ie/.

Catch us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dingleliteraryfestival/ 

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EP6: Rian na nDaoine - Alex Hijmans, Victor Bayda agus Cathal Póirtéir

Comhrá, as Gaeilge, faoin tionchar atá ag áit, teanga, agus daoine ar a chéile.

Sa chomhrá seo idir Ísiltíreach (Alex Hijmans), Rúiseach (Victor Bayda) agus Éireannach (Cathal Poirtéir) féachfar go h-oscailte, tarrainteach ar an slí ina ndéanann siad go léir dianscrúdú ar an mbaint a bhíonn idir an duine agus an áit, ar thionchar áite ar an duine agus ar thionchar an duine ar áit. Léireoidh siad conas a stiúraigh a dturas pearsanta chun cur chun cinn na Gaeilge iad, Victor tríd an teagasc, pleanáil teanga agus obair sa phobal, Alex tríd an iriseoireacht, an chraoltóireacht agus an litríocht.

Ep 5: Oedipus Rex & I, Antigone: Carlo Gébler & Sara Baume

Carlo Gébler and Sara Baume discuss the life and pre-life of Oedipus Rex, as written by his daughter Antigone

Carlo Gébler agus Sara Baume ag plé scéal shaol agus réamhshaol Oedipus Rex, mar a scríobh a iníon Antigone é

Episode 5: Live from Dingle Literary Festival 2021

Last year Carlo Gébler, Adjunct Professor in Creative Writing at the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre, interviewed his former student Sara Baume, upon the release of her non-fiction musings in Handiwork. The theme of the book was especially relevant during lockdown when, stuck at home, many turned to craft projects. This year, in a role-reversal, Baume has agreed to come to Dingle and interview Gébler about his new work, I, Antigone.

As the eldest son of one of Ireland’s finest writers, Edna O’Brien, Gébler’s literary stock is impeccable, and his many talents extend to film and documentary-making. Alongside working as a writer, Carlo Gébler has also worked as a director and writer of films for television and as a prison teacher. His various awards and honours include a Major Individual Award (2006) from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Margaret Frazer Bursary (2007) from Queen’s University Belfast.  He was elected to Aosdána in 1990.

His latest book is a new retelling of the life of Oedipus Rex, as written by his daughter Antigone. It’s a fascinating look at the complexities of blame, punishment and justice, problems which resonate as much today as they did in the times of myth.

Gébler says, “In her biography, Antigone tells her father’s story as she believes it to have been. However, she is no hagiographer: she doesn’t deny his wrongs yet she also wants us to know – and this is her thesis – that though we might like to think actions are self-generated and self-directed, when the facts are excavated it isn’t nearly so straight-forward. Yes, choices might be made by malefactors like Oedipus but sometimes their choices are made for reasons outside their control…”

 

“Fresh and vital…a wonderful achievement.” – Roddy Doyle on “I, Antigone” by Carlo Gébler.

“She more or less breaks every rule you could think of for writing a novel, in a very special way, because you can only do that if you are a person of genius, which I think is what she is.” – Sebastian Barry on Sara Baume.

 Sarah Baume is the author of two novels, Spill Simmer Falter Wither which was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, the Warwick Prize for Writing and the Desmond Elliott Prize, and won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, and A Line Made By  Walking, as well as Handiwork, a contemplation on crafting and making.

 

For more information on Dingle Literary Festival find us online at https://dinglelit.ie

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Ep 3: Look! It‘s a Woman Writer: Éilís Ní Dhuihbne and Evelyn Conlon

Look! It’s a Woman Writer with Éilís Ní Dhuihbne and Evelyn Conlon chaired by Mia Colleran as they reflect on women writing in Ireland since the 1950’s

Féach! Scríbhneoir mná atá ann – Éilís Ní Dhuihbne agus Evelyn Conlon, faoi chathaoirleacht Mia Colleran, agus iad ag machnamh ar scríbhneoirí mná in Éirinn ó na 1950idí i leith

It's Episode 3 of The Dingle Lit Podcast and the first broadcast of our Live events.

Irish novelist and short story writer Éilís Ní Dhuibhne asked 21 writers who were born in mid-twentieth-century Ireland, North and South, to write about their literary lives. These women— Éilis Ní Dhuibhne, Catherine Dunne, Lia Mills, Medbh McGuckian, Evelyn Conlon, Mary O’Malley, Liz McManus, Mary O?Donnell, Moya Cannon, Celia de Freine, Mary Dorcey, Anne Devlin, Mary Rose Callaghan, Mary Morrissy, Aine Ni Ghlinn, Sophia Hillan, Ruth Carr, Cherry Smyth, Mairide Woods, Ivy Bannister, Phyl Herbert—began their writing careers in a puritanical and deeply sexist environment. They tell it like it really was, and is.

Collectively, these vivid, original essays provide us with a fascinating picture of Ireland’s literary landscape from multiple female points of view. Poets, fiction writers, playwrights, impresarios, writers in Irish and English, have written accounts which are funny, tragic, philosophical, angry, but all are lively, stunningly-honest testimonies of the writing life during a pivotal period in the history of Irish literature. These writers came of age when legislation for gender equality was beginning to be enacted. They are growing older on an island where a great deal has changed, for the better, as far as women are concerned. They have participated in, and created, new and more egalitarian literary scenes through their activism, but above all with their writing. They were movers and shakers when it really mattered. They are literary survivors.

 

Éilis Ní Dhuibhne’s first collection of stories, Blood and Water, was published in 1988 and since then she has written 25 books, including novels, collections of short stories, several books for children, plays and non-fiction works. She writes in both Irish and English. She was elected to Aosdána, the academy of Irish writers and artists, in 2004. She is a current ambassador for the Irish Writers’ Centre, and President of the Folklore of Ireland Society (An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann).

 

Evelyn Conlon is an Irish novelist and short story writer. She is an elected member of Aosdána, the Irish association which honours distinguished artistic work. She has been writer-in-residence in colleges in many countries, at University College Dublin and is currently Adjunct Professor and Mentor with Carlow University Pittsburgh MFA.

Mia Colleran is an assistant editor at 4th Estate. She is an award-winning bookseller and writer, has worked at numerous book festivals and previously she reviewed books for The Irish Times, Guardian and Irish Independent among others. Mia is a fluent Irish speaker.

 

For more information on Dingle Literary Festival find us online at https://dinglelit.ie

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Ep 1: An Act of Love- Carol Drinkwater and Paula Shields

At this year’s Dingle Lit book festival Carol Drinkwater connected with audiences from her home in the South of France to discuss her fourth novel, An Act of Love, a sweeping and evocative love story about bravery and courage following a young woman forced to flee war-ravaged Poland during World War II, taking refuge in the French Alps. As the Nazis advance and the family are in peril, romance blossoms and difficult choices have to be made. Author Kate Mosse called the book, “A lovely novel. A moving story of love and friendship with a wonderful sense of place.”

 

Carol Drinkwater is a multi-award-winning actress who is best known for her portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small. While working in Australia, Drinkwater wrote her first book, a children’s book called The Haunted School. She has since written further children’s books and seen The Haunted School produced as a television mini-series and later bought by Disney and edited into a film which won the Chicago International Film Festival Gold Award for Children’s Films. It was through this that she met her husband, French filmmaker Michel Noll, and relocated to Provence. Her quartet of memoirs set on her olive farm in the south of France have sold over a million copies worldwide and her solo journey round the Mediterranean in search of the olive tree’s mythical secrets inspired a five-part documentary film series, The Olive Route. She is also the author of novels The Forgotten Summer, The Lost Girl and The House on the Edge of the Cliff.

 

Paula Shields is a writer, researcher, and interviewer. An arts journalist since the 1990s, she has worked in London, Galway and Dublin in print, TV and now radio – on Arena, RTÉ’s flagship arts show.

Find out more about An Act of Love on caroldrinkwater.com

For more information on Dingle Literary Festival find us online at https://dinglelit.ie/

 

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