Nasc Productions presents ‘The Power of Poetry/ Cumhacht na Filíochta’ in Dingle Bookshop, Green Street, Dingle on Friday 22nd September at 5.30p.m., a poetry/music event as part of Culture Night 2023.

Featuring powerful poetry by current members of Dingle Writers’ Group, Orna Dunlevy, Emer Fallon, Silvia Harrington, Cheryl Donahue and Maggie Breen and magical, musical interludes of musician and singer/songwriter Gerry O’Beirne, this bi-lingual poetry and music evening illuminates the many powers of poetry; poetry gives voice, it heals, it connects. Audience members are also invited to read a poem of their own or of a favourite poet as part of the event.

Running for over 20 years Dingle Writers’ Group has been a creative haven for writers on the Dingle Peninsula to meet, share work and develop the craft of writing. Among them, current members of the group have created an impressive track record, publishing in national newspapers including The Irish Times and renowned literary journals including The Stinging Fly, Poetry Ireland Review and Southword and in Dingle-based Ponc Press’ gorgeous publications, Two Tongues and Cogar. They have published beautiful collections and have performed readings at events and festivals including Féile na Bealtaine, Ó Bhéal, Féile Bheag Filíochta and received grants/bursaries for the development of their work from the Arts Council, Kerry County Council and Ealaín na Gaeltachta, among others. For them poetry and writing is a long-running affair, a way to make sense of the world, honeing their skills of observation, distilling moments into poems, into stories. Poetry and writing is vital to the group and offers the world ways of understanding difficult, people and challenging things. As Paula Meehan puts it, “I believe that two lines of poetry can save a life.”

Alongside Dingle Writers’ Group musical maestro and singer/songwriter Gerry O’Beirne will perform his magical music. Gerry is a renowned singer, songwriter, record producer and guitarist with a rare and beautiful ability; his compositions blend the passion found in traditional music with the freshness of contemporary song. Gerry has toured the world as a solo artist, as well as with the Sharon Shannon Band, Patrick Street, Midnight Well, Andy M. Stewart, Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, and the Waterboys. His albums include much loved first solo album Half Moon Bay, The Bog Bodies And Other Stories: Music For Guitar, Yesterday I Saw The Earth Beautiful” (a duet album with fiddler Rosie Shipley), and his most recent album Swimming The Horses. His songs have been sung by Maura O’Connell, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Mary Black and many other great singers. His songwriting was celebrated in a special concert at Sligo’s Fleadh Cheoil in August 2015 and his song All Down The Day was nominated for Song of the Year at the Folk Awards 2019.

FREE EVENT – supported by Kerry Coco Arts Office and Culture Night Funding – doors open 5.15p.m. All welcome/Fáilte roimh chách.

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Imeacht dhá-theangach le filíocht agus ceol is ea ‘Cumhacht na Filíochta’, atá á chur i láthair ag Nasc Productions agus a bheidh ar siúl i Siopa Leabhair an Daingin ar an 22ú Meán Fómhair ag 5.30i.n. mar chuid d’Oíche Chultúir

Beidh filíocht cumhachtach ó bhaill den Ghrúpa Scríbhneoirí an Daingin - Orna Dunlevy, Emer Fallon, Silvia Harrington, Cheryl Donahue and Maggie Breen, chomh maith le ceol draíochtúil ón gceoltóir iontach Gerry O’Beirne. Caitheann an ócáid seo solas ar an gcumhacht atá ag baint le filíocht; tugann sí guth, leigheasann sí, nascann sí. Beidh mic oscailte d'éinne atá fonn orthu a ndán fhéin nó dán le file is fearr leo a roinnt.

Tá Grúpa Scríbhneoirí an Daingin ann le níos mó ná 20 bliain anuas agus is mar thearmann cruthaitheach do scríbhneoirí é chun bualadh le chéile, chun obair a roinnt agus chun ceird na scríbhneoireachta a fhorbairt.

In éineacht le Grúpa Scríbhneoirí an Daingin beidh maestro agus amhránaí/cumadóir Gerry O’Beirne ag seinnt a ceol draíochtúil. Is amhránaí, cumadóir, léiritheoir agus giotáraí é Gerry a bhfuil clú agus cáil air agus a bhfuil cumas ar leith aige, cumas annamh, álainn. Is meascán den phaisean ó cheol traidisiúnta agus an úire atá ag baint le amhráin comhaimseartha atá le cloisint sa cheol/sna amhráín a chumann sé fhéín. Chuaigh Gerry ar chamchuairteanna mar cheoltóir/amhránaí aonair agus le Sharon Shannon Band, Patrick Street, Midnight Well, Andy M. Stewart, Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, agus na Waterboys. Is iad na halbaim atá aige ná a chéad albam aonair, Half Moon Bay, a thaitníonn go mór leis an bpobail, The Bog Bodies And Other Stories: Music For Guitar, Yesterday I Saw The Earth Beautiful” (le fidléir Rosie Shipley), agus an t-albam is déanaí Swimming The Horses. Bhí a amhráin á chanta agus á thaifead ag Maura O’Connell, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Mary Black agus amhránaí iontacha eile. Bhí ceolchoirm speisialta ag an bhFleadh Cheoil i Sligeach i 2015 ina onóir chun ómós a thabhairt dó agus dá chumadóireacht. Bhí an amhrán All Down the Day á aimniú do amhrán na bliana ag searmanas bronnta ceol tíre (Folk Awards) i 2019.

IMEACHT SAOR IN AISCE – le tacaíocht ó Chomhairle Contae Chiarraí agus Oíche Chultúir – doras ar oscailt ag 5.1.5i.n. Fáilte roimh chách.