Category: Dispossession
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This post includes a link which leads to a short explanatory of the Irish Exhibition of living Art, the reason being twofold:
i) The current Irish government has no idea of the importance of cultural expression nor indeed of Irish heritage, this exemplified in the Tara debacle, the cutting of funds to the IWC and the WWC and the current blasphemy debacle. ii). The depts that are up for downgrade or cutting are the Arts Dept and the one charged with Culture and Gaelteacht.
The Link to the IELA from IAR is at the bottom of this piece.
Having no idea therefore of the historical role of government in the Irish Arts, I thought to include this blast from the past because some people in this country do have an idea of the importance of cultural and artistic expression, despite erosion after erosion through funding removals, legislations that corrode the importance of arts; and infrastructure projects that do not take account of preservation within EU and International Directives. The Arts and heritage of cultural and community memory have always be entrusted to those who respect the dialogue between artist and community.
The FF/Green government will be introducing a Blasphemy amendment to the Defamation Bill 2006 which is expected to pass into Irish law on July 10th 2009 under time constraint or guillotine. This risible bit of jigger- pokery is enabled by the overt attack on the independence of the arts by Seán O Donoghue (FF) TD, who in 2003 introduced the Arts Act thereby allowing government interference in the appointment of the Irish Art’s Council Board and in funding decisions, which had already dealt the first blow to Irish Arts.
In 2004 Martin Cullen introduced the NMA which allowed the destruction of National Monuments, and he abolished Dúchas the Heritage Agency leaving Ireland without an implementation body or statutory agency to ensure preservation of architectural or built heritage. There has been a subversive and a-cultural element in the current government since its 12 year reign of power began that is at variance to best practice in terms of protection and conservation. The link below is a reminder of how artists engaged the community with their cultural heritage despite the government’s inability to understand the importance of cultural expression and critique within the state at its foundation.
Unfortunately Irish governments are more concerned in projecting a national stance or image in what they consider to be the best bits of our character as a nation and not recognising the importance of growth and dialogue in the arts, thus creating a fetished ossification of any green shoots that deign to appear or that attempt to confront a national image. This means that those who drive policy do not have a sense of the most basic rudiments of history of cultural expression; but indeed tend to foist their jaundiced and silly fetishes onto an unsuspecting public who will turn out in droves to whatever Hollywood crud is put on in whatever convention centre funded to the hilt by a buddy or crone of a cabinet Minister.
It’s pretty shaming to witness that corrosiveness in terms of the destruction of Tara or the fund cuts to two of three writer’s centres but as the link herein shows its pretty much par for the course to have a bunch of shop-keepers and teachers driving national policy in culturally sensitive areas.
Continence would be preferable.
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Necessity
The cycle of days in the deserted sky turning
In silence watched by mortal eyes.
Gaping mouth here below, where each hour is burning
So many cruel and beseeching cries;
All the stars slow in the steps of their dance,
The only fixed dance, mute brilliance on high,
In spite of us formless, nameless without cadence.
Too perfect, no fault to belie;
Toward them , suspended , our anger is vain.
Quench our thirst, if you must break our hearts.
Clamouring and desiring, their circle draws us in their train;
Our brilliant masters were forever victors.
Tear flesh apart, chains of pure clarity.
Nailed without a cry to the fixed point of the North,
Naked soul exposed to all injury,
May be obey you unto death.
Notebooks (OC 6:2:147-148)
Poetry and Poetics, Simone Weil : Thinking Poetically. Joan Dargan, State University of New York Press. 1999. -
Caoineadh, Le Máire Nic Mhaoláin
Ní ceist orm gur éagais
Ach gur céasadh dom
Cumhracht mormónta
Féileacán bán ar phraiseach
Féileacán breac ar marigolds
Agus do lamha a bheith fuar.
‘Gus Haiku
sean-neadacha
i ngéaga ardchrainn giúise-
lámh fhuar um an tua.
as Haikúnna, le Máire Nic Mhaoláin, ‘gus Caoineadh, le Nic Mhaoláin :
Fíliocht Uladh 1960-1985, Gréagóir ó Dúill, a chuir in eagar. Coiscéim 1986
Kells letter -
Despite the withdrawal of funds by the Irish Arts Council from two major collaborative Writer’s Centres, this year’s Forge At Gort will proceed, and as I am lazy this is a C+P of the Release (complete with appalling line breaks ) by Johnson (founder of the Cúirt International literary festival and all round , a good guy, despite many differences of opinion betwixt us).
FORGE AT GORT LITERATURE FESTIVAL RARIN’ TO GO, MARCH 27TH AND 28TH – IMMEDIATE
“Western Writers’ Centre” wrote:SECOND ‘FORGE AT GORT’ LITERARY FESTIVAL GEARS UP FOR
MARCH 27TH AND 28TH
The literary town of Gort, Co. Galway, will see its second ‘Forge at Gort’ literature festival kick off on Friday, March 27th, at Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, Gort, with a reading by renowned writer, critic and poet, Ulick O’Connor. A host of novelists, poets and musicians are due for this year’s festival, which is organised by the Western Writers’ Centre, Ionad Scríbhneoiri Chaitlín Maude, Galway.
Novelist Adrian White will read from his work at The Gallery Café, Gort, on Friday, March 27th, at 9.30pm. The Arts Council removed all programme funding from the Centre – in spite of the Centre receiving a major Irish-language project award, at the end of last year. Internationally-acclaimed harpist and chair of the Irish Historical Harp Society, Siobhán Armstrong, will perform in Gort Library to the poetry of Clare Sawtell, on Saturday evening at 9. 30pm. “The inexplicable loss of funding stirred up a great spirit among writers,” said writer and critic Fred Johnston, the Centre’s manager.
“We have them to thank for the festival, and our sponsors, who did not hesitate. We have a special word of thanks to writer and journalist Martina Devlin, who provided some valuable suggestions.We still have room for sponsorship, so anyone who is interested can contact us. But we are immensely grateful for the support of Poetry Ireland, for instance, who unhesitatingly stepped forward.”
Fred Johnston, who founded Galway’s Cúirt festival in 1986 as a poetry festival, has made sure that events reach out around as much of Gort as possible. From Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, events will also take place in The Alcazar restaurant, The Gallery Café, Gort Library, and O’Grady’s Bar.
“We are delighted to have writers of such calibre, and musicians such as Siobhán to come and play for us. It is terrific support. And our special thanks to Gort Library.”Administrator Marvelle Maguire, Company Secretary Sylvia Crawford, chairperson Aoife Nic Fhearghusa and others have been working tirelessly over the past few months to put the festival together. Johnston and other Board members were also unanimous in praising the openness and enthusiasm of people in Gort towards the festival.
Among the events taking place, which will also feature novelist Adrian White,are Original Writing Ltd discussing self-publishing on Saturday at 11am in Sullivan’s Royal Hotel,a children’s reading by Gabriel Fitzmaurice at Gort Library on Saturday, March 28th at 12 noon; poet and playwrights Patricia Burke Brogan and Dubliner Gerry McDonnell at noon on Saturday also at the Alcazar Pizza Restaurant; novelist Juliet Bresson, Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, Saturday, at 1.15pm; archaeologist Michael Gibbons will give a talk at Gort Library at 3pm; poet Tim Cunningham and the Limerick White House poets, O’Grady’s Bar, Saturday, at 4. 30pm; a discussion by the editors of Albedo 1, Ireland’s only alternative fiction magazine, at 6pm in Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, also on Saturday; Cork poet Gerry Murphy at 7. 30pm at Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, also on Saturday; and John Arden and Margaretta D’Arcy will read and perform at The Gallery Café bringing everything to a close on Saturday evning at 11pm. Further details of the festival can be obtained by mailing westernwriters@eircom.net or checking the website at http://www.twwc.ie or ‘phoning 087.2178138.
Sponsors to date include Ennis’ ‘Scéal Eile’ bookshop, Poetry Ireland, Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, O’Grady’s,
The Gallery Café and Supervalu, Gort. All events will be free, though donations will be accepted.
Fred Johnston (Manager)
Martin Cullen TD has cut funding to two writers’ centrea , PoliticsIE
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Maybe It Isn’t Him.
“I found your body stilettoed from behind,
It would have been much harder otherwise
I pull the blade out terrified and wipe
Its gold handle on my breast and side
Lord, I cry, maybe it isn’t him,
Maybe it’s his earthen shape
Maybe the blood is not actual blood
Maybe his soul is singing across the plain.
Maybe the birds are listening to his song,
And that’s why over the plain they are all
Silent, maybe they too are made of clay
And their one use is magical.
Maybe it is death barely now arrived
That hunts the mystery of your sacred being
After whose form we were made,
Maybe the eternal bird is singing.”
From : After the Raising of Lazarus, Trans, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin. South Woard 2005.
Charlotte Salomon : ‘Boek’ -
The Chorus Line : A Rope-Jumping Rhyme
“we are the maids
the ones you killed
the ones you failedwe danced in air
our bare feet twitched
it was not fairwith every goddess, queen , and bitch
from there to here
you scratched your itchwe did much less
than what you did
you judged us badyou had the spear
you had the word
at your commandwe scrubbed the blood
of our dead
paramours from floors, from chairsfrom stairs, from doors,
we knelt in water
while you staredat our bare feet
it was not fair
you licked our fearit gave you pleasure
you raised your hand
you watched us fallwe danced on air
the ones you failed
the ones you killed.”Taken from The Penelopiad 2005, Canongate.
The maids were of course the young girls who helped Penelope spin her endless threads, the abused, raped and disenfranchised women of Odysseus’ court. Well they got hung in a line. Atwood is very good on mythos.
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No Charges in the murder of a Writer. The Anna Politkovskaya Murder trial has ended in accquital. Ms Politkovskaya was shot on October the 7th 2006. RIP.
Chris Murray 