Cobh Arts Festival Event
After a hugely successful 2016 Festival, the annual Cobh Arts Festival Event (Readers and Writers) Festival will be back from 1-7 May, 2017 with its unique mix of readings, discussion, comedy, theatre, cinema and chat in one of Ireland’s most historic towns. As one of Ireland’s newest cultural festivals, we are committed to bringing cultural and unique innovative events to the town of Cobh.
The following is the programme for the week’s events:
Cinema
8pm Tuesday 2nd May – Commodore Hotel
East Cork Cinema Club have been bringing world cinema to Cobh for the last 8 years.
The club are delighted to be part of the CAFE readers and writers festival and will be screening two special films during the festival. The first of these will be a special screening (Tues 2nd May) of the film adaptation of Frank O’Connor’s ‘An Only Child’, filmed on location in Cobh in 1973 with a local cast including students from the Presentation Brothers School. The film will be screened in the Jack Doyle Room (Commodore Hotel) at 8 pm. Adm €10.
On Saturday May 6th there will be a screening of the original ‘Moby Dick’ film starring Gregory Peck which was filmed on location in Youghal. The film will be screened in the Cobh Heritage Centre (exhibition area) 8 pm. Adm €8.
Cobh Camera Club
6.30 pm Tuesday 2nd May – Cobh Library
The exhibition titled ‘Where do you think you are?’ will be launched in Cobh Library.
This is a selection of abstract and alternative images taken at various locations in Cobh and on the Great Island. It’s up you,
the viewer, to decide, where do you think you are.
The images, provided by members of Cobh Camera Club, founded in 2009, are the fruits of their labours of trying to think outside the box when it comes to looking at the features of this beautiful and historical seaside town. Cobh Camera Club meets fortnightly from September through to June and consists of approx. 30 members. Some of which have achieved national accreditation for their photographic abilities from the Irish Photographic Federation.
In Conversation with Roisin Meaney
3.30pm Wednesday 3rd May – Cobh Library
In 2001 Roisin Meaney (Kerry born, Limerick based) took a year off teaching and wrote The Daisy Picker, which won a two book publishing deal with Tivoli Books. In 2008, with four published novels under her belt, she gave up teaching to write full time. To date she is the author of fourteen adult novels and two children’s books, and her works have been translated into several languages, with a Russian deal in the offing. Selected books have also been published in Australia and the US. The Reunion, her thirteenth novel, was published by Hachette Books Ireland in July 2016 and enjoyed several weeks in the Irish top ten bestsellers, and her fourteenth, The Street Where You Live, is due on the shelves in June. Join Roisin as she talks about her novels and her journey from teacher to author.
7.30pm Wednesday 3rd May – Cobh Library
Official launch of local author Anne McSweeney’s recently published booklet ‘The Road From Walterstown Castle To The House of Windsor’ which chronicles the lives of the Lavallin family of Walterstown Castle, Great Island, (Cobh) – ancestors of Lady Diana Spencer.
There will be a detailed PowerPoint Presentation and Q&A on the night. Other published books by Anne include ‘The Tips of Her Toes in the Ocean’ and ‘Watching the wild waves Motion’.
Ireland, the United States and the war at sea, 1917
(100th anniversary of the US navy arriving into Cork).
7.30pm Thursday 4th May – Cobh Library
1917 was the pivotal year of the First World War. At it’s outset German U-boats were inflicting huge damage on Allied shipping, while in the land war the loss of one ally, Russia, was not compensated by the gain of another, the United States. How did the Allies swing the balance in their favour by the year’s end, particularly at sea? How central was Ireland (and Cork in particular) in this conflict? To address these and related questions join editor, Tommy Graham, and the panel — John Borgonovo (UCC), Michael Kennedy, Jennifer Wellington (UCD) and Michael Martin (Titanic Trail).
6pm Friday 5th May – Marquee (Promenade)
John Spillane is an award winning songwriter from Passage West whose songs have been covered by many Irish and international folk acts. John will perform a selection of his best known songs as well as some of his ‘Irish Songs We Learned at School’. He will also be signing copies of his recent book ‘Will We Be Brilliant Or What? (Collins Press 2016) over the weekend.
Saturday 6th May – Sirius Arts Centre.
Puppet shows and Plays
Joanne Geary & David McCall are both members of Haulbowline Theatre Group and have been for many years. They have been involved in all aspects of theatre with the group, eventually moving on to script writing. Two puppet shows for children aged 3 upwards will be performed from 12pm to 2pm.
This is a new venture for them and they hope to continue it into the future.
Following the puppet shows, the Haulbowline theatre group will perform a series of short plays (Transition year students) at 3pm and many of these plays have been written by Joanne and David (Donations welcome).
Saturday 6th May-7.30 pm – Marquee (Promenade)
John Jefferies will give a presentation on his new book ‘Death on the Pier’ which tells the story of the 1924 Cobh Pier Head shooting incident and the mysterious yellow Rolls Royce known as the Moon car used by the attackers. A native of Cork city, John has lived in Cobh for the last 12 years.
All day Saturday and Sunday 6th and 7th May. Book sellers from around the country will be selling books for all ages and interests in the Marquee (Promenade). Free entry.
Saturday 6th May – Cobh Library.
10.30am – 12pm Creative writing for adults with Mary Grannell.
Mary is one of the founding members of the Great Island Writers group and she will be exploring aspects of creative writing from short story, poetry, play-writing, fiction and the novel. (Free event).
11.30 -2pm-Cobh Library Creative workshop for teens with Trish Carlos (Free event).
Trish Carlos is a native of Cobh. A lover of the sea and books, her passion for the written word led her to UCC to study English and to become a secondary school teacher. Long summers have afforded her the opportunity to travel and explore the world and also to fulfil her dreams of becoming an author. Her first novel ‘The Silver Comb’ was published last year.
Trish will be hosting a creative writing workshop for teens in Cobh Library, where she will use her creative writing and teaching skills to take participants on a trip around Cobh as the perfect setting for a short story. Creative writing and story structure are all explored in a fun and active workshop. Trish will also be signing copies of her debut novel in the Marquee on Sat between 2.30 and 4pm. A coming of age novel with a modern Irish folklore twist, the novel is set in the beautiful town of Cobh, and follows the adventures of Saoirse O’Donnell in her quest to find her true identity, and her discovery that the Ireland of old is not as unbelievable as we may have thought.
Saturday 6th May 2.30pm – 4.30pm – Cobh Library.
Creative Writing Workshop & Adult Creative Writing Workshops. (Free event).
Tiocfidh ár Leabhar – A self-publishing workshop.our book from idea to read.
Like so many areas, book publishing has been transformed by new technology, creating affordable new opportunities for want- to-be writers. This free, structured workshop takes participants
through the options and stages in producing a book from manuscript to text, digital and paper, and looks at what can be realistically achieved and what to avoid. The workshop will include stories from people who have done it, with advice and tips on how to make it all work.
Brian O’Grady is a third level lecturer and has worked in publishing and journalism and has given courses on book publishing and editing. He is an enthusiastic guitar player, often performing in Cobh with his band.
CAFÉ Committee
Chairperson: John Smith Vice Chairperson: Fionnghuala Smith Secretary: Mary Grannell Asst. Secretary: Peter Kidney Treasurer: James McBarron. Committee members: Paula Courtney, Anne McSweeney, Brian O’Grady, Trish Carlos, Anna Keating
Contact info. readersandwritersfestivalcobh@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/cobhreaderandwriters
