This article is from page 16 of the 2012-10-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
NORTH Clare will be the venue for a gathering of some of Europe’s best known poets and musicians this weekend.
The Western Writers and Clare Three Legged Stool Poets will host poets and musicians from Iceland, Faroe Islands, Norway, The Shetland Islands, Ouessant, Corsica, Sardinia and Ireland.
They will join colleagues from Ireland to explore the ‘Sacred and Profane origins of the island of Europe’ at a conference in Carron.
The event will run from Friday, October 19, to Sunday, October 21.
Estonian poet laureate Yaan Kaplinski will perform at the opening of the conference in Kilfenora Cathedral on Friday, 8pm.
He will also appear to an open mic session hosted by the Clare Three Legged Stool poets on Saturday in Glór, Ennis, at 2pm.
A final concert of all participants will take place in the Cathedral in Ennis on Sunday at 8pm. Entrance to all events is free.
Brian Mooney of Clare Three Legged Stool Poets said part of the conference will be closed to the public.
He explained, “The closed aspect will be two close-up ‘getting to know you’ sessions of all the participants in the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron where poets and musicians will have an opportunity to give a more intimate presentation of their work. These sessions will be held on Saturday morning from 10am to 12.30am, and on Sunday over two periods from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm. These sessions are not open to the public as such but are open to any poets who wish to participate.”
Mr Mooney continued, “At these two sessions, the main themes to explored will be the Brendan Voyage theme or spreading of Christianity north to the Western Isles of the Atlantic and the Norse theme and its movement south to the Mediterranean and both of these as an ongoing inspirational motif for modern day poetry.” For further information contact info@claresrock.com or enq uiries@kilfenorahostel.com.