In association with The Loopline Collection, we are introducing a free documentary film every week during this period of social isolation for you to enjoy.
For this St. Patrick’s night we bring you Sé Merry Doyle’s intimate portrait of the poet Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967): ‘Patrick Kavanagh – No Man’s Fool’.
Kavanagh’s best-known works include the novel Tarry Flynn (1948), and poems such as ‘On Raglan Road’ (1946), immortalised in song by Luke Kelly, and ’The Great Hunger‘ (1942). His work viscerally conveys the frustrations of Irish rural life in the first half of the century, while grasping at its cosmic possibilities.
We also find these themes in:
‘Stony Grey Soil of Monaghan‘
O stony grey soil of Monaghan The laugh from my love you thieved; You took the gay child of my passion And gave me your clod-conceived.
You clogged the feet of my boyhood And I believed that my stumble Had the poise and stride of Apollo And his voice my thick tongued mumble.
You told me the plough was immortal! O green-life conquering plough! The mandril stained, your coulter blunted In the smooth lea-field of my brow.
You sang on steaming dunghills A song of cowards’ brood, You perfumed my clothes with weasel itch, You fed me on swinish food
You flung a ditch on my vision Of beauty, love and truth. O stony grey soil of Monaghan You burgled my bank of youth!
Lost the long hours of pleasure All the women that love young men. O can I stilll stroke the monster’s back Or write with unpoisoned pen.
His name in these lonely verses Or mention the dark fields where The first gay flight of my lyric Got caught in a peasant’s prayer.
Mullahinsa, Drummeril, Black Shanco- Wherever I turn I see In the stony grey soil of Monaghan Dead loves that were born for me.
In the documentary we find outtakes fleshing out the story with previously-unseen interviews with actor T.P. McKenna, author Dermot Healy, poet John Montague and others close to the poet. There is also a fascinating sequence involving Kavanagh’s brother, Peter on the occasion of the installation of a plaque at Parson’s Bookshop on Baggot Street, sheding light on a controversial relationship. Audio recordings of actor Gerard McSorley’s readings of Kavanagh’s poems, only partially used in the original film, reflect the genius of both actor and poet.
On location, ‘Patrick Kavanagh – No Man’s Fool’.
The film was voted Best Documentary by the Boston Film Festival and features a host of writers and actors, and is just over an hour in length.
Over the past two years Cassandra Voices has published over three-hundred-and-fifty articles online, from more than one hundred global contributors. We have also published two in-depth magazines to widespread acclaim. This has brought an enthusiastic following both in Ireland and abroad.
We are excited to share the news that our next magazine will be on the shelves in April 2020. The theme of this issue is the often controversial subject of displacement, and forced migration.
At Cassandra Voices we are proud of the high quality and unique content we offer from citizen journalists and artists living around the world. At a time when big media houses largely control the narrative the need for independent platforms providing a home for diverse opinions and content has never been greater. Our mission at Cassandra Voices is to be that home.
In January we were delighted to launch a brand new website with fresh content appearing daily. A big thank you to all who have helped us get to this stage. Now as we continue our journey we humbly ask for your financial support.
Order the new edition of Cassandra Voices, or choose from one of the following pledges and help us take this to the next level!
Congolese composer, guitarist, and singer Niwel Tsumbu has just released a video for ‘Words of Wisdom’ with Éamonn Cagney — and you can check it out below. This new track features Tsumbu on guitar, percussionist Cagney, violinist Cora Venus Lunny, as well as a host of sampled voices.
The composer describes his intention with the piece:
A multitude of sampled wisdom keepers such as: Maya Angelou, Malala Yousafzai, Neil DeGrasse, Jane Goodall and Joseph Campbell, ‘Words of Wisdom’ explore the planetary and human challenges we face in our society today. Maya Angelou speaks about courage as the foundation for right action, compassion, and kindness, Malala Yousafzai speaks of the simplicity of equality and the importance of education for every child, Neil DeGrasse Tyson tells us to persist until we have made a difference, Joseph Campbell wants us to follow our bliss, and Jane Goodall begs us to eliminate the crippling poverty around the world. I hope you enjoy and more importantly the message gets through.
The CASSANDRA VOICES MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS GATHERING will take place at TAILORS’ HALL, Back Lane, Dublin 8, on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13th from 8PM.
Tailors’ Hall is the oldest surviving Guild Hall in Dublin, and has been at the heart of the city’s cultural life for over three hundred years.
Fittingly, this was a meeting place of the United Irishmen in the 1790s, and we aim to present a similar unity of purpose, and forms, with a range of local and international musical, literary and humanitarian voices.
Leading the charge will be Dublin supergroup Shakalak and we’ll also hear from Massmiliano Galli, Gareth Quinn Redmond, and more.
There’ll also be words from activist Bruna Kadletz, as well as authors Maggie Armstrong and Daniel Wade.
We are offering liquid and comestible refreshments, though you might like to supplement with your tipple of choice.
The event is FREE, though we require you to REGISTER individually, and you can DONATE to our running costs.
We’re also looking for long-term SUPPORT via PATREON for our fledgling publication.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”60″ gal_title=”Featured Artist of the month: Doireann Ni Ghrioghair”]
There is many a country that has decided to establish a capital city with grandeur, efficiency and unity of the central government. In ancient times, urban planning was pursued in Egypt, in a large number of cities in China, Greece and Rome. There are examples of this today in Washington, New Delhi, Ankara and Canberra. There is no need to tell why the location of Tara is suitable from the historical point of view. But there are many other recommendations, which make it suitable as the Capital of Ireland. It is in the centre of the country (25 miles from Dublin; Belfast, 78; Derry, 127; Limerick, 99; Tralee, 159; Sligo, 106; Athlone, 72; Kilkenny, 94). It would satisfy the people of Belfast, who have a congenital hatred of Dublin, as a city of conflict and not only as a capital: it would break the alien influence of the people of Rathmines, Rathgar and the Royal Irish Academy on the persons of the Government of Ireland. Therefore, it would not be too far “at all”, from Dublin, and it would not oblige all the officials of the Government to be brought from Dublin nor from Belfast. The new city of Tara would not be removed from rural life, as is Dublin, and it would be a clear sign that we have left for good, the old-bad-days that we have had during the seven centuries, during which we were under the heavy yoke of England; may it be our intention, sincerely, to build a new epoch in Ireland for ourselves.
Daithí Ó hÁinle
extract from ‘Maoidheamh ar Árd-Cathair Stáit I dTeamhair’,
Áiserighe 1942 – published by Ailtirí na hAiséirghe *translated by Paddy Greer
Ailtirí na hAiséirghe (Architects of the Resurrection) were an Irish fascist political party active in the 1940’s They envisioned a united Ireland where emigration as well as the speaking of the English language would be banned. Highly conservative and religious, they also saw women’s role as to produce as many offspring as possible in order to form a large army and imagine Ireland rising as a supreme leading nation after all other countries had been decimated during World War II.
‘Maoidheamh ar Árd-Cathair Stáit I dTeamhair’ (Declaration of the State Metropolis at Tara) by the architect Daithí Ó hÁinle appeared in one of their regularly published periodicals and included ‘Speer-esque’ urban planning and buildings such as a ‘National Avenue’, a stadium, ‘A Garden of Heroes’ and a ‘Column of the Resurrection.’ Later in his career, Ó hÁinle would progress on to be an architect for Dublin City Council, as well as designing the Garden of Remembrance and the Basilica at Knock.
In an age where ideology is becoming increasingly polarised, the rise of the right-wing normalised, open racism and bigotry espoused by world leaders, this way of thinking can no longer be dismissed, however bizarre sounding.
In a new series of sculptures made as resident artist at the College of Architecture & Engineering, UCD as part ofParity Studios, I presents a dystopian vision based on Ó hÁinle’s plans, that aim at interrogating notions of Irishness and national identity, particularly coming up to more centenary commemorations and Brexit.
A very special thank you to John Ryan, School of Civil Engineering, UCD.
In a press release, the ‘Dublin Commuter Coalition’ has described proposals for electric vehicles to be permitted to use bus lanes[i] as a ‘slap in the face to bus users.’ This demonstrates, they claim: ‘a stunning lack of respect for overstretched users of sustainable transport.’
The civil society organisation reject:
[I]n the strongest possible terms, any suggestion that bus lanes be opened to electric vehicles. The Coalition, who elected their inaugural executive committee on Saturday October 26th, said that this proposal is a slap in the face to bus users who already give up their time and freedom of mobility by travelling in a sustainable way to no thanks or, as is evident from this proposal, even a modicum of respect.
The chairperson of the Coalition Kevin Carter said:
‘It is bizarre, it is astonishing and it is stunningly arrogant that this government would even suggest implementing a scheme that so specifically and brazenly harms bus users. Bus users are never rewarded for choosing to travel in a sustainable way, they are only ever subject to overcrowding, constant fare increases and poor enforcement of existing traffic laws.
Flagrant abuse of bus lanes is a constant issue for bus users and now this government is proposing further degrading the attractiveness of this mode by making bus users sit in even more traffic that they had no hand in causing.’
The organisation points to bus users making up 30% of Dublin city commuters in 2018,[ii] the largest single category of transport users. By choosing to take the bus they claim ‘these users have done the city a massive favour by taking cars off the road and making congestion in the city less of a problem.’
The proposals they say: ‘shows a profound ignorance or disrespect of the very central tenets of any sound sustainable mobility policy.’
They also point to how the Minister for Transport holds the right to drive in a bus lane as a government minister, and warn that then Ireland will continue to overshoot emissions targets if he fails to prioritise electric vehicles over walking, cycling and public transport, and Dubliners will continue to live in one of the most congested cities in the world.
Feljin Jose Public Relations Officer: info@dublincommuters.ie; 0871236795
Kevin Carter Chairperson 0851751487
[i] Hugh O’Connor, ‘Government to examine plans allowing electric cars to use bus lanes’, Irish Independent, November 1st, 2019, https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/government-to-examine-plans-allowing-electric-cars-to-use-bus-lanes-38642359.html
[ii] National Transport Agency ‘Canal Cordon Report 2018 Report on trends in mode share of vehicles and people crossing the Canal Cordon 2006-2018.’ Dublin City Council, April, 2019.
This second volume was launched in Dublin in June, bringing together an array of writers, poets and photographers from Ireland, and beyond.
These include legendary filmmaker Bob Quinn (pictured on the cover), who recalls an extraordinary meeting with Muammar Gaddafi in 1988; the celebrated poet Micheal O’Siadhail who reflects on his new home in Manhattan; barrister David Langwallner, who discusses the ambit of free speech in the Facebook era; and artist and activist Emily Robyn Archer who reveals the inspiration behind her latest project Native Art Circles.
Elsewhere, editor Frank Armstrong explores a growing dissonance and loss of human contact caused by smart phone dependence in ‘Doomsday Machines’, and, separately, calls for the Irish courts to embrace the revolutionary concept of Wild Law, whereby all living beings are accorded a right simply to exist. Meanwhile, Ilsa Monique Carter wittily conveys her love of public transport, while Roxanne Smith (a pseudonym) enters the dragon’s den of elite fashion model casting.
The edition was designed by award-winning design studio Distinctive Repetition and runs to 128-pages. It also includes a photo essay on his native São Paulo by Felipe Lopes, and stirring images from Daniele Idini throughout.
While we wait for the bookshops to open you can ORDER your copy by transferring €15 through PayPal to admin@cassandravoices.com, which includes post and packaging, or €17 if you live overseas. Then email us your ADDRESS to that account admin@cassandravoices.com.
Cassandra’s Cultural Roundabout is a light-hearted take on the cultural scene of Dublin and beyond, containing the odd acerbic note.
Make Merry
We know precisely how fine a documentary film maker Sé Merry Doyle is from our experience working with him on his short film, ‘Cassandra Voices – the Hard Copy.’ Sé put two chronically camera-shy characters at ease, while shooting amidst general hilarity, but with a clear idea of what he wanted to achieve in the short time allocated.
Man about town, Sé Merry Doyle.
Fittingly, his work is now reaching a wider public through the availability of the Loopline Collection on the IFI’s player. More treasures await, for this is only Volume 1. Mainstream media have predictably drawn attention to unseen U2 footage from the early 1980s, but there is much more than that to enjoy in documentaries that are often hymns to the town he loves so well.
Sé’s work is simultaneously featuring in an exhibition in Trinity College’s Douglas Hyde Gallery, which also includes Garret Phelan’s new radio station FREE THOUGHT FM, offering the general public an open platform, where all voices will be heard.
The seemingly indefatigable Sé has a number of projects on the go, having just returned from showing his films at Belgrade’s Irish Festival. We hear rumours of a forthcoming Brexit documentary, exploring comparisons between the ongoing British drama and the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
His most immediate concern, however, is to finish ‘Hannah and Me’, an account of the life of one of Ireland’s foremost suffragettes of the early twentieth century, Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington, seen through the eyes of her granddaughter, Micheline – a doughty fighter for gender equality and justice herself.
That documentary recreates Hannah’s campaigning journey around the United States in the wake of the summary execution, by a deranged British officer, of her pacifist husband Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, during the 1916 Easter Rising.
Given Sé’s outstanding record, and the importance of restoring these sadly overlooked characters to the narrative of the state’s independence movement, it is unthinkable that the minimal funding required should not be forthcoming.
Music in Film
Myles O’Reilly has single-handedly carved out his own genre of short Irish music films. He now collaborates with many of the big names in the music business, but still seems to find time for what must be labours of love.
His latest offering ‘Rhob Cunningham Verses the Alps’, follows the impish troubadour, and Cassandra Voices Musician of the Month for February, as he climbs, bare-foot, for seven hours, with a guitar strapped to his back! There awaits a cabin where he plays what must have been a delightful gig. Rhob’s alluring tones and playful guitar harmonises perfectly with Myles’s stirring shots of the Alpine landscape.
We like the pun on “Verses” in the title, recalling Bruce Chatwin’s account of the aboriginal population of Australia, who believe their ancestors sang the land into existence, writing: ‘In aboriginal belief, an unsung land is a dead land; since if the songs are forgotten, the land itself will die.’
Chatwin concludes that the Songlines are not necessarily an Australian phenomenon, but universal: ‘the means by which man marked out his territory, and so organized his social life.’ Or, as Rainer Maria Rilke put it: ‘Gesang ist Dasein’ – ‘song is existence’. Unfortunately Rhob was unavailable for comment as his voice is still recovering from the feat of singing the Alps into existence, but we expect to hear from him soon – or his lawyers anyway.
Album Releases
Meanwhile April’s Musician of the Month Bartholomew Ryan led his Visionary crew of Loafing Heroes, Giulia Gallina, Jaime McGill and Judith Retzlik, on another tour of Ireland and Portugal this month, following the release of ‘Meandertales’, their sixth album, which mixes distorted fairytales into their dream-folk brew.
The Loafing Heroes in Concert, Image (c) Daniele Idini
According to the press release: ‘The band’s vision of entanglement, transformation and subversive joy responds to the technological overload and ecological catastrophe of our troubled times.’ Just prior to the album launch, they put out an outstanding video for the track ‘stairs’, made by the Austrian filmmaker Otwin Bernat, featuring Portuguese, Irish and Brazilian locations. It is now in the running for a number of awards.
We travelled with The Loafing Heroes all the way to Waterville in Kerry, where they played a concert in Tech Amergin to rapturous acclaim, with not one, but two encores demanded. Sensing it might get ugly, they sensibly acceded to the rising clamour of the audience’s demands, to the bemusement of their impatient driver…
‘Forest’, Bartholomew’s spoken-word final song on ‘Meandertales’ is published as a poem in the current edition. He closes with the words:
never before has there been such an open sea
never before did I see so many trees
the endlessness of the forest swallowed up my consciousness
take me, eat me, drink me, drown me
we are all strangers now
we are all tyrants now
we are all shamans now
we are all charlatans now
it’s all good. the animals are here.
Another Cassandra Voices contributor Anna-Mieke Bishop also launched her first album, ‘Idle Mind, this month. Anna’s outstanding voice and lyrical sensitivity make major success inevitable. Or is that her star already visible in the night sky?
The aforementioned hard copy edition – our own labour of love – Cassandra Voices – Volume I, along with the work of photographer-in-chief, Daniele Idini, will be appearing in ‘Social Commons’, a multi-disciplinary exhibition exploring issues experienced by communities, both local and global. We are in the company of May’s Artist of the Month Jota Castro, Áine Ní Chíobháin, Francis Fay, Gillian O Shea, Kate O Shea, Dr Katherine Nolan, Eve Olney, Kathryn Maguire, Siobh McGrane, Sphere 17, A Homeless Hub in Ireland and Durty Words. The launch is happening on May 2nd at 6.30pm in Liberty Hall, Eden Quay, Dublin 1. Bring your dancing shoes!
Until next time, and do keep us posted on major happenings in Dublin and beyond: admin@cassandravoices.com
