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| Sean Dempsey Set Dancing Festival
The Sean Dempsey Set Dancing Festival is all set to take place this year here at the Irish World Heritage Centre from 22nd through to the 25th of October. Kicking off with the opening Ceili with Davey Ceili Band on Friday night (22nd) the festivities will cover set dance workshops and competitions over the following four days. All events are open to everyone, prices of admission range from £2.00 to £4.00. Please see our events guide for a day to day guide, if you would like to find out further information, please contact us. Tel: 0161 205 4007. Oscar Wilde Exhibition
Friday 16th October sees the 150th anniversary of the birth of the notable Irish writer, Oscar Wilde. To mark this special occasion the Irish World Heritage Centre is hosting a photographic exhibition by Dublin born Dorothy Ennis-Hand. The exhibition contains images of buildings in Dublin and London that were of Wilde’s time. It also includes photographs from the unveiling of the first public statue erected in memory of Oscar Wilde. It was unveiled by Mr Merlin Holland, grandson of the famous writer. This ceremony took place in the north-west corner of Dublin’s Merrion Square Park, renamed Archbishop Ryan’s Park in 1974. It faces the writer’s former home at number 1 Merrion North in Merrion Square. Merrion Square, one of Dublin’s finest, was laid out in 1762. It has had many distinguished inhabitants including Sir William and Lady Esperanza Wilde (parents of Oscar Wilde), Daniel O’Connell, W.B. Yeats and Sheridan le Fanu. The sculpture was commissioned by Guinness Ireland, and was created by the Cork artist, Danny Osborne. The memorial also includes two black granite plinths, supporting bronze sculptures, one representing Art – Dionysus, and the second is of a naked pregnant woman, said to be Wildes wife Constance, and representing Life. The exhibition will run from Friday 16th to Friday 29th October and admission is free. All are welcome. For further information telephone 0161 202 1200. read related story In the press A Celebration of Irish Storytelling
The conference titled ‘A celebration of Irish story telling’ which took place on Saturday 9th October at the Irish World Heritage was a great success according to all those present. It was attended by over 50 aspiring writers, who were taken through their paces and given advice on everything from how to get started, where to look for inspiration and most importantly of all, how to keep going! The conference was opened by Alrene Hughes, coordinator of the ‘Manchester Irish Writers’ who spoke about a novel in progress. She had hoped to write a lengthy saga and make millions, but has found that using tales she heard through her childhood, from her own family, was a more worthwhile and productive pursuit. Alrene’s piece was inspirational and there’s no doubt that many of those present went home and immediately started scribbling. The second speaker was Marion Riley, who is also a member of the Manchester Irish Writers. She opened with a short film produced by the BBC featuring the story of her late grandmother. She spoke about how she edited her mother’s memoirs for publication. She discussed the difficulties of finding solitude when writing, of finding suitable publishers and also of editing another’s work. She gave practical advice on issues ranging from ‘always save your work!’ to the challenge of editing surplus words from your writing. The valuable advice given by Marion will help inexperienced writers avoid the pitfalls of starting out. The third piece differed from the other two. Louise Twomey took a trip down memory lane with a ‘Women’s Little Christmas’. This was a comical but thoughtful theatrical monologue, followed by more practical advice on how to get your scripts recognised and used in the theatre. Lunch and refreshments were provided throughout the day, and activities concluded with an informal workshop given by the speakers. This was the first in a series of cultural activities organised by the Irish Diaspora Foundation, aimed at broadening access to heritage amongst the Irish community in Manchester. For further information contact Margot Ryan on 0161 202 1200 or email: margotryan@iwhc.com |
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