Kelly O'Brien
Kelly O'Brien is a Limerick based writer originally from County Kilkenny. Having graduated from UL with a Bachelor of Arts in New Media and English in 2011, Kelly went on to become the Vice President and Communications Officer of UL's Students' Union. During her year in office, Kelly edited the fortnightly An Focal newspaper, set up online news site An Focal.ie and founded UL's first full-time streaming only radio station, ULFM. She also created and edited the award-winning literary magazine Cellar Door.Kelly is currently studying a Masters in Journalism at the University of Limerick and is the
Secretary for UL's Literary Society. She enjoys sci-fi/fantasy books, cheesy rom-coms and copious amounts of Indian takeaway.
Secretary for UL's Literary Society. She enjoys sci-fi/fantasy books, cheesy rom-coms and copious amounts of Indian takeaway.
John Liddy - Entwined in Cultures
Well known Limerick Poet, John Liddy, took to the podium last month as a part of the Millstream Writers Series in the University of Limerick.
John, who was born in Youghal but raised in Limerick, currently lives in Spain with his wife and two sons. One of Limericks most prolific poets, John co-founded The Stony Thursday Book and also runs the annual poetry festival An Tobar/El Manantial, along with Matthew Loughney and the Embassy of Ireland.
The event itself was opened by Linda Stevens, Executive Director of Plassey Campus Centre, and featured a very interesting introduction from Martin Ó Briain. Exploring John’s unique viewpoint as a Limerick man living in Spain, Ó Briain describes the poet as a man interested in “the cultural interaction in the city of Limerick” and explains, “The work that he does is entwined in the cultures of both countries.”
Following this well-received introduction, John himself took to the podium stating “I’m very, very happy to be here, it’s a lovely room… right beside this bridge that goes all the way to Clare... it’s a lovely setting.”
The first poem of the reading, ‘In the Silence of the Hunt’, takes us back 30 years to the University of Limerick and the original site of the Hunt Museum.
Talking about his experience working there as a guide, John recalls giving tours of the museum and reciting information about the various artefacts stating “I can still remember the history of each and every object.”
Delving deeper into the past, John goes on to recall a host of other special moments, both in Limerick and further afield. He remembers speaking at the opening of the Kate O’Brien Street in Avilla, recalling “it was a beautiful morning for it, just outside the train station” and also goes on to commemorate an old friend, Jim Kemmy, in a poem called ‘Cut Stone’ beginning “Who owes a debt to this great man?”
A wistful poem, ‘In the Library of the Mind’, recalls time spent categorizing books in St. Mary’s Convent Library, with Liddy asking “where did all the books go?” while a poem of a lighter nature talks about the poets bewilderment concerning a lone shoe on the roof of a local Limerick pub.
While much of the poets work revolves around culture, history, and the clarification of one’s existence, Liddy is not without his playful notes as he pokes fun at himself (‘Ode to a Fallen Shoe’), at those around him (‘Around the Bend’), and sometimes at society itself (‘Control’).
After expressing his sincere thanks to everyone for their attendance, John closes the reading with an excerpt from a piece of prose he wrote for The Limerick People in 1978.
“Imagine a morning in 1857, with the sun shining on the bags of wheat, oats, barley and potatoes that squat on the cobbled ground, and city and country men making deals in the shade, and the whole market alive with a mixture of accents and the bewildering cries from cattle, sheep, pigs and lambs. That would have been four years after King Henry III, in the first year of his reign, conceded to Edmund, Bishop of Limerick, a weekly market, every Tuesday, at his manor of Mungret. It later moved to Cornmarket Row. Today the market is somewhat changed. Gone are the hides and skins and feathery Burke who sold them, the pigs and cattle and barrels of wheat… and the old traders who sold their wares with characteristic style and good humour. Yet signs of the old way still prevail, almost in defiance of the new and sophisticated methods of salesmanship.
Though change is inevitable, there are some traders left who remember 50 years of market mornings in Limerick. Nessy Collipy, whose shop is at 1 Cornmarket Row, is a spritly, elderly lady who has lived beside the market all her life. She used to sell flower bags at the corner of Mungret Street but is now in the business of selling the best of second hand clothes and shoes.
Back in the old days, you’d be better off rearing a bonnibh than a child… but I’ve no regrets.
It is half past 12 and the rain begins to fall. Stalls are hastily covered in sheets of plastic and the man selling toffee apples is out of business.”
As a background to the piece, John explains “There’s a really great exhibition of photos in the Hunt right now and I’ve been very lucky to work with the artist, Gerry Andrews, on some of them. Gerry took these photos in the milk market back in 1978 or ’79, and I wrote this piece of prose to accompany them. It was great fun and I’m very happy and very proud to have been associated with it.”
John Liddy is the latest artist to speak at The Millstream Writers Series, a project which has been running in The University of Limerick for the past six years. If you would like to be included on the mailing list for the series, you can email [email protected]
Well known Limerick Poet, John Liddy, took to the podium last month as a part of the Millstream Writers Series in the University of Limerick.
John, who was born in Youghal but raised in Limerick, currently lives in Spain with his wife and two sons. One of Limericks most prolific poets, John co-founded The Stony Thursday Book and also runs the annual poetry festival An Tobar/El Manantial, along with Matthew Loughney and the Embassy of Ireland.
The event itself was opened by Linda Stevens, Executive Director of Plassey Campus Centre, and featured a very interesting introduction from Martin Ó Briain. Exploring John’s unique viewpoint as a Limerick man living in Spain, Ó Briain describes the poet as a man interested in “the cultural interaction in the city of Limerick” and explains, “The work that he does is entwined in the cultures of both countries.”
Following this well-received introduction, John himself took to the podium stating “I’m very, very happy to be here, it’s a lovely room… right beside this bridge that goes all the way to Clare... it’s a lovely setting.”
The first poem of the reading, ‘In the Silence of the Hunt’, takes us back 30 years to the University of Limerick and the original site of the Hunt Museum.
Talking about his experience working there as a guide, John recalls giving tours of the museum and reciting information about the various artefacts stating “I can still remember the history of each and every object.”
Delving deeper into the past, John goes on to recall a host of other special moments, both in Limerick and further afield. He remembers speaking at the opening of the Kate O’Brien Street in Avilla, recalling “it was a beautiful morning for it, just outside the train station” and also goes on to commemorate an old friend, Jim Kemmy, in a poem called ‘Cut Stone’ beginning “Who owes a debt to this great man?”
A wistful poem, ‘In the Library of the Mind’, recalls time spent categorizing books in St. Mary’s Convent Library, with Liddy asking “where did all the books go?” while a poem of a lighter nature talks about the poets bewilderment concerning a lone shoe on the roof of a local Limerick pub.
While much of the poets work revolves around culture, history, and the clarification of one’s existence, Liddy is not without his playful notes as he pokes fun at himself (‘Ode to a Fallen Shoe’), at those around him (‘Around the Bend’), and sometimes at society itself (‘Control’).
After expressing his sincere thanks to everyone for their attendance, John closes the reading with an excerpt from a piece of prose he wrote for The Limerick People in 1978.
“Imagine a morning in 1857, with the sun shining on the bags of wheat, oats, barley and potatoes that squat on the cobbled ground, and city and country men making deals in the shade, and the whole market alive with a mixture of accents and the bewildering cries from cattle, sheep, pigs and lambs. That would have been four years after King Henry III, in the first year of his reign, conceded to Edmund, Bishop of Limerick, a weekly market, every Tuesday, at his manor of Mungret. It later moved to Cornmarket Row. Today the market is somewhat changed. Gone are the hides and skins and feathery Burke who sold them, the pigs and cattle and barrels of wheat… and the old traders who sold their wares with characteristic style and good humour. Yet signs of the old way still prevail, almost in defiance of the new and sophisticated methods of salesmanship.
Though change is inevitable, there are some traders left who remember 50 years of market mornings in Limerick. Nessy Collipy, whose shop is at 1 Cornmarket Row, is a spritly, elderly lady who has lived beside the market all her life. She used to sell flower bags at the corner of Mungret Street but is now in the business of selling the best of second hand clothes and shoes.
Back in the old days, you’d be better off rearing a bonnibh than a child… but I’ve no regrets.
It is half past 12 and the rain begins to fall. Stalls are hastily covered in sheets of plastic and the man selling toffee apples is out of business.”
As a background to the piece, John explains “There’s a really great exhibition of photos in the Hunt right now and I’ve been very lucky to work with the artist, Gerry Andrews, on some of them. Gerry took these photos in the milk market back in 1978 or ’79, and I wrote this piece of prose to accompany them. It was great fun and I’m very happy and very proud to have been associated with it.”
John Liddy is the latest artist to speak at The Millstream Writers Series, a project which has been running in The University of Limerick for the past six years. If you would like to be included on the mailing list for the series, you can email [email protected]