One of my first loves is the theatre but I have drifted from it in the busy hub of life...
I was approached by a member of the Sonas Committee and an old class-mate of mine to get involved in Sonas this year. I ended up being drafted in to script and narrate the three old tales: The Brown Bull of Cooley, The Salmon of Knowledge, and The Children of Lir.
One of the events that the "Louisburgh Community Project" presents to the youth of Louisburgh annually is the Sonas Festival.
This is a children's arts festival with activities and shows aimed at pre-school to 6th class kids. Some of the events and activities are puppetry, dancing, balancing tricks and balloons, stage combat, artistic freedom, circus skills, story telling, portraiture, music and more. It really is a great event for kids and for parents with their kids also. It runs this year from 11th to 17th October and the contact number is 098 66218.
This is an example of creative and generous community spirit. Some of the events are free and some cost 3 euros. The idea is to keep the festival affordable.
Even though I was skeptical about getting involved in the event and looking at the three stories, I am enjoying the research aspect of the chore at hand. They are three fantastical stories and I believe have a moral to each of them.
It is nice to be exploring live theatre again, looking at stories, scripting and analyzing. And, with the help of my learned Uncle Leo, adding in the cúpla focail!
I wonder will the audience of pre-schoolers to sixth class plus a few parents share my interest?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Irish Government Jokes Continue
This morning, Sept. 28th, the radio stations are all on about a great plan to be unveiled today. You'd think that this is the golden bullet taking into account the way in which it is being reported:
"Cowen to unveil five-year investment strategy
Tuesday, 28 September 2010 07:31Taoiseach Brian Cowen is to launch a five-year overseas investment plan later today aimed at creating up to 300,000 jobs.
The Government said this is the first integrated strategy that will promote overseas investment, foreign trade and tourism."
Rather than giving this story the top space in the morning media this story deserves a space buried in the business section of print media, or placed within in-indept analysis political/business stories in broadcast media.
The attention given this "news" is a symptom of two things:
1. This government appreciates how pathetic their efforts appear to the public, so much so that they are encouraging sensationalism in an attempt to get some positive media.
2. The media in this country has nothing to talk about and they are not finding real stories. They are easily led. A Press Release about "Unveiling a five year plan" is fed to them like candy to a child.
It really is pathetic! The government are given huge media attention for lauching a plan which is nothing more than what should be expected of a commonsense government! And the media soak it up!
Friday, September 24, 2010
The System
The "news" in Ireland is just constant negative and circular waffle. Every now and then something new comes out and it just emphasizes once again how "bad" things are. It is a constant attack on any positivity that just might grow from the people who are out there trying to get on with life and living.
Seems to me a lot of people are out there working and many people are actually spending money on improving their houses!
At this stage do the public really care about all this negativity when it seems obvious that the ones who committed the actions will not be reprimanded, will not suffer and will be there again when things turn to take advantage of the availability of funds - public funds. The public will pay the bills. The corruption will continue.
The "idiots" of the past that caused this debacle (except for a small few who will take the hit for the rest) will be the "idiots" of the future that will get paid by the public monies to "fix" this economy and get things rolling again.
I'm tired of listening to them- the waffle with no credible, real, practical, understandable, genuine plans.
[The waffle? "we need to get the economy back on track" wow, that's a great idea but how.
"we need to get the deficit under control" great, but how? Oh cutbacks? great, let's cut all T.D.'s salaries, pensions, expenses etc and then see how we are.]
Such is the climate in this beautiful island I call home.
Seems to me a lot of people are out there working and many people are actually spending money on improving their houses!
At this stage do the public really care about all this negativity when it seems obvious that the ones who committed the actions will not be reprimanded, will not suffer and will be there again when things turn to take advantage of the availability of funds - public funds. The public will pay the bills. The corruption will continue.
The "idiots" of the past that caused this debacle (except for a small few who will take the hit for the rest) will be the "idiots" of the future that will get paid by the public monies to "fix" this economy and get things rolling again.
I'm tired of listening to them- the waffle with no credible, real, practical, understandable, genuine plans.
[The waffle? "we need to get the economy back on track" wow, that's a great idea but how.
"we need to get the deficit under control" great, but how? Oh cutbacks? great, let's cut all T.D.'s salaries, pensions, expenses etc and then see how we are.]
Such is the climate in this beautiful island I call home.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Missing Dad and not knowing Grandad.
I was in Armagh recently and a visitor to my wife's home house, "Boots," (I don't know his real name) asked me why I had stopped posting on this blog. I had no clear reply. No reason - really. I promised myself when I started posting to this blog that I would not let it's continuity depend on others' comments/contributions so the lack of feedback is not the reason either. Indeed I have been surprised to hear from time to time of how many people do actually read it.
But a little feedback is nice. No man is an island ... and all that. And so I am back and I intend to carry on with this.
After some thought the real reason for not continuing to blog is that if I were to be honest and helpful to the reader in the way I would (idealistically) hope to be, then I would appear at times to be overly critical and perceptively negative about my experiences/issues associated with moving back to Ireland. I hate being negative or being perceived to be negative. The truth hurts sometimes...
But in media there is always gate-keeping and editing. Therefore, it is a challenge I am going to take on again. I will attempt to inform the reader of the issues associated with "moving back to Ireland" but I will (in the interest of full disclosure) be gate-keeping myself. Some of this will be to avoid talking too negatively of institutions/people. Some of this will be to facilitate self-survival.
With that out of the way, here's the blog:
After being away for almost 20 years and losing my dad in 1998, it is now I miss him most.
Over recent months the eldest of mine and Anna's two young children, Tommy, has come on in leaps and bounds. He is assertive, cute, deceptive, energetic etc, etc and he was three on March 27th. He walked in to the house to me the other day and asked if he could go over to his next door neighbor. (His friend next door and he get on great. They climb through the fence to go to each other's houses regularly.)
I said no because it was coming to dinner time. He chirpily said "o.k. Dad." I continued doing what I was doing and then realized that after he had accepted my decision he just walked out the door, climbed through the fence and went over to his friend. No ifs, buts or discussion - he just left. What a guy!
If his granddad were here I know they would have a fantastic relationship. And it would be very beneficial to both! My dad (not all the facts on this link are 100% but close enough) would have had a great influence on him and on the littler one too, Sarah. It is times like this that the years spent away from home and family are noticed. It all kinda crept up on me. Unexpectedly.
He is gone from this funny world since 1998 and he was missed then and is missed now. These two grandchildren will not know him personally but they will read of him and listen to him.
And to this backdrop, as I can hear the rain on the windows, while on the TV the powers that be are trying to blame someone for the economical disaster that is Ireland today, and my two youngest kids are asleep oblivious to the economy and to the absence of grandad, it is good to be back home with great fond memories of being away.
There is something real about all this.
But a little feedback is nice. No man is an island ... and all that. And so I am back and I intend to carry on with this.
After some thought the real reason for not continuing to blog is that if I were to be honest and helpful to the reader in the way I would (idealistically) hope to be, then I would appear at times to be overly critical and perceptively negative about my experiences/issues associated with moving back to Ireland. I hate being negative or being perceived to be negative. The truth hurts sometimes...
But in media there is always gate-keeping and editing. Therefore, it is a challenge I am going to take on again. I will attempt to inform the reader of the issues associated with "moving back to Ireland" but I will (in the interest of full disclosure) be gate-keeping myself. Some of this will be to avoid talking too negatively of institutions/people. Some of this will be to facilitate self-survival.
With that out of the way, here's the blog:
After being away for almost 20 years and losing my dad in 1998, it is now I miss him most.
Over recent months the eldest of mine and Anna's two young children, Tommy, has come on in leaps and bounds. He is assertive, cute, deceptive, energetic etc, etc and he was three on March 27th. He walked in to the house to me the other day and asked if he could go over to his next door neighbor. (His friend next door and he get on great. They climb through the fence to go to each other's houses regularly.)
I said no because it was coming to dinner time. He chirpily said "o.k. Dad." I continued doing what I was doing and then realized that after he had accepted my decision he just walked out the door, climbed through the fence and went over to his friend. No ifs, buts or discussion - he just left. What a guy!
If his granddad were here I know they would have a fantastic relationship. And it would be very beneficial to both! My dad (not all the facts on this link are 100% but close enough) would have had a great influence on him and on the littler one too, Sarah. It is times like this that the years spent away from home and family are noticed. It all kinda crept up on me. Unexpectedly.
He is gone from this funny world since 1998 and he was missed then and is missed now. These two grandchildren will not know him personally but they will read of him and listen to him.
And to this backdrop, as I can hear the rain on the windows, while on the TV the powers that be are trying to blame someone for the economical disaster that is Ireland today, and my two youngest kids are asleep oblivious to the economy and to the absence of grandad, it is good to be back home with great fond memories of being away.
There is something real about all this.
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