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RECORD numbers attended the Athlone Literary
Festival in the Shamrock Lodge last weekend
with people coming from across the country and
as far away as Scotland.
Senator Marie Louise O’Donnell’s
entertaining opening on Friday last was an adequate
warm up before the main John Lonergan event.
Senator O’Donnell spoke of her four aunties,
the Dollies, who lived together in a house in
Foxford, Co Mayo. “The dollies’
she said “were the equivalent to the world
wide web between them, they knew everything
that was happening not only locally but internationally.”
Senator O’Donnell spoke of the importance
of the arts and creativity to Irish society
and how John Lonergan championed the efficacy
of the arts while a Governor of Mountjoy. John
Lonergan spoke briefly about his reasons for
writing his book, ‘The Governor’,
and why he felt compelled to speak out against
the Irish prison system. He recalled the tale
of a young woman who had reached deaths door
on several occasions through her addictive marriage
to heroin.
“Eventually after numerous attempts this
particular prisoner became clean. We were thrilled
with her progress,” he said “she
was released and got a job and all was going
well for two years. The woman in question was
working in a clothes shop and the prison staff
used to go down and congratulate her on her
success. All of this unravelled in one day.
On this particular day the security guard of
the shop was out sick. His replacement spotted
the woman and he said ‘get out’.
She replied ‘no, I work here’, the
guard went to the manager of the store and told
her that this woman was a thief who had done
time. With that she was fired, I mean what chance
do these people have, would you hire the person
who tells you he spent fifteen years in Mountjoy.
Probably not. ”
A lively debate followed with psychologist John
Donohue of Na Linte book store, Mrs Justice
Catherine McGuinness, Senator O’Donnell
and chaired by Athlone’s Ollie Hegarty.
The audience chatted freely with guests afterwards
as John Lonergan generously gave his time to
signing books.
There were so many significant events held over
the weekend but a talk on publishing given by
the witty Jo O’ Donoghue of Londubh books
was certainly entertaining. Jo gave top tips
on how to get published and examined the current
state of the Irish publishing industry and it’s
future.
Philomena Lynott and Jackie Hayden’s discussion
of her new book ‘My Boy’ on Saturday
night was a heart rending account of being a
single mother in 1940’s England. Ms Lynott
said the new edition of the book includes the
fact that she had two other children after Phillip
both of whom were given up for adoption but
who have recently found her.
Micheal Harding’s readings of his Irish
Times column ‘Displaced in Mullingar’
was the perfect aperitif to lighten the spirits.
Howls of laughter reverberated around the room
triggered by the expert delivery of a comic
genius in a thick Leitrim accent.
This year's festival included a number of events
for younger people and provided a platform for
up and coming writers and artists. The festival
also included an exhibition of original political
cartoons by Donal Casey which is continuing
this week in the Bastion Gallery and the Egg
Pyramid Art Exhibition by the Making Space Collective.
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