Chris Kavanagh and the Patriots bring the acclaimed ‘Legend of Luke Kelly’ show to Friars’ Gate, Kilmallock, on this Friday (12th) commencing at 8pm. Lead singer Chris bears a remarkable resemblance to Luke while his singing talent captures the depth and passion of the great man.

Literary Weekend

Friars’ Gate looks forward to hosting their first literary weekend from Friday 19th – Sunday 21st Apri featuring Donal Ryan, Paul Durcan, Eileen Sheehan and more. The weekend will features speakers, workshop and an open mic night. The weekend opens with Donal Ryan, the Limerick based writer whose first novel The Spinning Heart won the Sunday Independent Best Irish Newcomer of the Year at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards 2012.

The Spinning Heart ‘speaks for contemporary Ireland like no other novel. Wry, vulnerable, all too human, it captures the language and sprit of rural Ireland and with uncanny perception articulates the words and thoughts of a generation’ (Transworld Ireland). The novel was voted overall Irish Book of the Year for 2012 and has been selected for this year’s Waterstone’s Eleven.

On Saturday 21st we look forward to an evening of poetry with one of Ireland’s foremost poets Paul Durcan and Kerry poet Eileen Sheehan.

Paul Durcan’s first book, Endsville (1967), has been followed by more than twenty others, including The Berlin Wall Café (a Poetry Book Society Choice in 1985) and Daddy, Daddy (winner of the Whitbread Award for Poetry in 1990) amongst others. In 2009 he published a selection of his work from the previous forty years in one volume, Life is a Dream. His most recent book Praise in Which I Live and Move And Have My Being was published to cricitical acclaim in 2012.

Eileen Sheehan is from Killarney and among her collections are Song of the Midnight Fox and Down the Sunlit Hall (Doghouse Books). Anthology publications include The Watchful Heart: A New Generation of Irish Poets (ed Joan McBreen/Salmon Poetry) and TEXT: A Transition Year English Reader (ed Niall MacMonagle/ Celtic Press). Her 3rd collection, The Narrow Place of Souls, is forthcoming.

OPEN MIC NIGHT

On Sunday 21st, writers of all levels and genres are invited to an Open Mic Night – come and enjoy and admission is free!

Workshops

Saturday 20th: Poetry for adults and children with Stephen Murray – 9am for children, 1pm for adults.

Sunday 21st: Novel Writing: Story and Point of View with Helena Close, starts 2pm.

More info on www.friarsgate.ie or call 063-98727.