Month: January 2025

As usual, the last Thursday of the month is reserved for our Mug of the Month Competition. This week we’ll hear ten entries containing the key words COURT and SETTLE. The multiple meanings of these words should lead to a wide variety of inspired interpretations!

Last week’s discussion of Postscript by Seamus Heaney is being continued. We hope to learn from the poet’s masterly use of imagery, rhythm and association.

Mind Movies by Frances Dermody presents the intriguing evolution of an inhibited middle-aged man who begins to escape the grasp of his domineering mother and his own inner dreams, and instead to enter the real world.

Sunday Visit by Mary Hodson is a delightful memoir of pleasant childhood visits to the farm of loved relatives. The story captures the resonance between the innocent child and the caring grandfather in an environment of nature, family and tradition.

In Souls by James Conway, the nature of Dublin Bay becomes alive as spirits return to their earthly shores. Vivid descriptions of nature and spectral imagery serve to explore mortality, memory and the quiet collision between the spiritual and modern worlds.

Two Weeks in Japan by Joyce Butcher takes us on a whirlwind tour of a land both exotic and modern. Descriptions of the beauties of nature, the sobering history of Hiroshima, and quixotic public signs form a text full of interest, reflection and humour.

A State of Primal Therapy by Póilín Brennan explores the raw, unfiltered emotions of anger and pain passed through generations. With vivid imagery, this poem delves into buried trauma, unresolved chaos, and the eventual release of long-held injustices.

Resurrection by Anne McManus presents a humorous account of life after death. Resurrected to appease mourning sisters, the narrator questions the fairness and purpose of divine intervention even after death.

In Chapter 3 of A Normal Couple 2 by Olga Peters, Fra is adjusting to her new reality as a widow in wartime Berlin. While struggling with the economics of pensions and ration cards, recurring dreams of her husband offer both solace and unsettling questions.

With such a full programme, some items might be postoned for presentation next week. We wish all participants a thoroughly enjoyable evening!

Programme

MOTM Competition +++ 10 Entries +++ All Members

Discussion Postscript by Seamus Heaney All Members

Short Story Mind Movies Frances Dermody

Short Story Sunday Visit Mary Hodson

Short Story Souls James Conway

Short Story Two Weeks in Japan Joyce Butcher

Poem A State of Primal Therapy Póilín Brennan

Poem Resurrection Anne McManus

Novel Extract A Normal Couple 2, Ch. 3 Olga Peters

Story A New Story Mary Hawkshaw

Once again, our Programme offers an amazing variety of styles, topics and moods; what unites them all is the high standard of the writing!

Veronica O’Neill’s unusual short story Sleeping Bag develops into an exquisite sequence of emotions: warmhearted childhood memories, drama, tension, with a hint of humour, and finally resignation lasting into adulthood and beyond. Don’t miss this gem of a story!

Mary Hodson’s two short stories also evolve from childhood memories. The Station touchingly recalls the time-honoured tradition of station masses, which provided an intersection of religious ceremony and social get-together. Sunday Visit mirrors the happy memories of special days spent on Granda’s farm, a text that comes alive through short comments and remarks typical for each occasion.

Deirdre Anne Gialamas’s impressive poem Orphans immerses us in man’s passage through birth into a labyrinthine world, to the revelation of moments of wonder in our surroundings and the magic of universal community. A complex text which, nevertheless, everyone can relate to.

Once again, Mary Hawkshaw has created images of great beauty, this time to illustrate her poem of the same title, Beauty. A video which one wishes would never end!

What can we learn from the great master, Seamus Heaney? His poem Postscript opens us to the transience of natural beauty, moments which cannot be grasped but which nonetheless move us deeply. Which are the key words and phrases that endow this poem with such power?

Finally, our Anthology 2026 – the collection of the best submissions in 2024/2025 – is in the making and warrants some organisation and planning.

And don’t forget! The closing date for Mug of the Month entries is looming: Sunday, 26 January! Be sure to send your texts of no more than 48 words plus a form of the key words COURT and SETTLE to annemurraypost@yahoo.ie before then! As usual, all entries will be read on the last Thursday of the month.

We wish all viewers and visitors a rewarding and stimulating evening!

Programme:

Short Story Sleeping Bag Veronica O’Neill

Short Story The Station Mary Hodson

Short Story Sunday Visit Mary Hodson

Poem Orphans Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Poem/Video Beauty Mary Hawkshaw

Discussion Postscript by Seamus Heaney All Members

Discussion Anthology 2026 and other Publishing Plans All Members

Short stories by our members dominate in this evening’s session.

Frank Fahy‘s brand new tale, ‘In Confidence’, confronts us with a snippet of real life, encapsulated in time and space to produce a text of extreme and unusual intensity. Frank is looking forward to members’ reactions to his story!

Life on the farm in bygone times have frequently inspired Mary Hodson. Her clear and detailed tales document forgotten rituals and traditions, which are presented in an empathetic manner that everyone can relate to. We look forward to hearing about ‘The Station’, which will revive pleasant memories in our older listeners.

Deirdre Anne Gialamas‘s versatility is demonstrated in the two stories being presented tonight. In ‘Pay the Lady’ , we can relive the excitement of our first paid job in the adult world. By contrast, ‘Strolling Towards Yesterday and Tomorrow’ transports us to Athens, specifically to the stunning Acropolis Museum, a modern structure housing magnificent artefacts that are thousands of years old.

Elizabeth Hannon‘s inspiration often derives from her immediate family, and in this evening’s poem she introduces us to Aunt Tess, a lady whose warm-heartedness and generosity was cherished, never to be forgotten by her whole family.The tiny details of Aunt Tess’s many activities give this poem a special sparkle.

The genres presented in our sessions have been expanded by a new literary art form, thanks to Mary Hawkshaw. A newcomer to computer technology and AI, Mary quickly excelled in implementing these novel possibilities. Tonight’s video ‘The Circle of Life’ includes text, music and moving images, demonstrating her ability as a writer and her expertise with the new technologies. Congratulations, Mary!

Finally, we expect an open discussion of the group’s publishing plans this year. Past years have seen the annual publication of our Anthology, as well as two volumes by individual members containing their collected poems, short stories, or a novel. A wonderful reward and honour for the members chosen, and an encouragement to all others to produce, practice, create, and write, write, write!

Have an enjoyable and stimulating evening on Thursday!

PS: Don’t forget to enter your text for our monthly Mug of the Month competition (MOTM). Write a maximum of fifty words in any genre containing the two given words, this month: SETTLE and COURT. Then send your work to annemurraypost@yahoo.ie. Closing date: 26 January 2025.

Don’t miss your chance – YOU could be the next proud holder of our precious Mug!

Programme:

Short Story In Confidence Frank Fahy

Short Story The Station Mary Hodson

Short Story Pay the Lady Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Short Story Strolling Towards Yesterday and Tomorrow Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Poem Aunt Tess Elizabeth Hannon

Video The Circle of Life Mary Hawkshaw

Discussion Publishing Plans for 2025 All Members

WOWO Thursday 9 January 2025 7-9pm

A warm Welcome to the New Year for all our members and friends. We’re looking forward to another exhilarating twelve months of creativity and stimulation in each other’s company, together with hours of pleasure reading and listening to the stories, poems and songs that we have produced.

In our last session before Christmas we enjoyed a much longer-than-usual list of texts. Some of these will be touched on in tonight’s programme, allowing comments and reactions for which there was no time in December.

Joanne Dowling‘s story moves with changing perspectives: the gentle anticipation of the returning traveller, and of those awaiting his or her arrival. The bonds of homeland, home and family emerge as the basic emotions of this quiet text.

A quest for ingredients for a Plum Pudding in 1960s Israel leads to insights into contrasting cultures and the universal quality of kindness. Humour and humanity set the tone in Jutta Rosen‘s memoir.

Deirdre Anne Gialamas chronicles the history of O’Donovan’s, a humble yet enduring Dublin deli that withstood the tides of modernisation. This piece celebrates resilience, community, and the heartwarming stories of those who make life a little brighter.

Helena Clare‘s pognant historical narrative unfolds in the form of a letter, detailing the hardships of 19th century Ireland. Through the voice of Paddy Connaughton, we glimpse acts of quiet heroism, familial love, and the compassion that sustains through adversity.

In ‘The Magic Proof’, Clare O’Malley captures the wonder of childhood belief. In this tender poem, a simple crack in the fireplace becomes a magical keepsake, evoking memories of love and innocence.

‘Let Peace be the Brightest Star’ by James Conway reminds us of the fragility of life and the enduring hope for peace. His poem weaves a tapestry of memory, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.

In his second poem, James Conway delves into the enigmatic qualities of intuition and wisdom, painting a portrait of a world where insight triumphs over complexity.

Our discussion will cover points such as forthcoming publications, special events, competitions such as our monthly Mug of the Month, and much more!

Be sure not to miss what promises to be another lively and inspiring evening with a professional presentation of our own writings!

Programme:

Short Story Homecoming Joanne Dowling

Short Story My Palestinian Plum Pudding Jutta Rosen

Short Story O’Donovan’s Dublin Delight Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Short Story Paddy Connaughton’s Letter to Delia Helena Clare

Poem The Magic Proof Clare O’Malley

Poem Let Peace Be the Brightest Star James Conway

Poem A Seventh Sense James Conway

Discussion Write-On Plans for 2025 All Members