Kilbixy Poetry Evening goes Gaeilge this year

The 11th annual Evening of Poetry in Kilbixy Church on Friday evening, August 21, drew a full house and 35 performers. There were plenty of choice ditties and stories on offer, and a distinct feature of this year’s event was the increase in the number of poems recited as Gaeilge or interspersed with Irish.

One of the highlights was an account by Ita Kiernan from Killare of how a local horse won the Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, 1916, while the Easter Rising was erupting. It was a unique day when sport and history collided, Ita remarked.

All Sorts was owned by James Kiernan of Dysart, the grandfather of Ita’s late husband Frankie. It was trained by Dick Cleary of Bishopstown, Streamstown, and ridden by Jackie Lynn from Edgeworthstown. There were 25,000 in Fairyhouse that day when the 5/1 All Sorts stormed home, Ita stated.

As the celebrations began, news filtered through of the Rising in O’Connell Street, and with all the trains, trucks and carts commandeered to take troops to the city, All Sorts and his entourage had to walk the 60 miles home.

Rumour has it that it took five days and nights to get home as they had to stop several times along the way to celebrate, Ita laughed. All Sorts went on to take second place in the Grand National two years later.

At the 100th anniversary of racing in Fairyhouse in 2016, the guests included Johnny Lynn, the 89-year-old son of the All Sorts jockey Jackie, Connie Cleary, granddaughter of the trainer Dick, and Frankie Kiernan, grandson of the owner James.

This year brought the return of popular poet Pat Carton from Horseleap, who explained that he had been unable to attend for seven years because he works nights with An Post, sorting the mail.

His first poem was one that came to him when he was emptying sacks of mail one night. It was a lively ditty about Ciaran Mullooly’s election to the European parliament.

He also performed his “hit of the year”, a poem about Jim Gavin’s bid for the presidency, which has earned him 10,000 hits on You Tube.

Therese Keenaghan recited a poem she wrote about growing up in Rosemount. Chele Crawley and Pat Kenny of Inklings both had witty verses about football.

Chele had a poem about Mayo’s All-Ireland SFC win, at last, while Pat’s contribution dealt with the link between football and funerals, and the importance of both.

Moe Heduan from Milltown read a poem by Malachy Scott, who appeared in the 1911 Census, aged 15, a scholar, and about whom little else is known.

His poem was a farewell to his native Dalystown, Moyvore, as he emigrated to Argentina, filled with hope of a bright future.

Moe’s second offering was one of the dátheangach contributions – City Sue.

Tom McGahon, also from Dalystown, is a regular at the Kilbixy Poetry Evening and again he performed two moving poems – The Volunteer Organist by William B Gray and Henry Longfellow’s A Psalm of Life.

There were many contributions from members of the Inklings writing group and many works dealing with loss, grief, strife, nature, the weather, farming and much more.

Samantha McKenna (Inklings) recited a poem entitled Trust in memory of two much loved locals who have passed away, her grandaunt Anna May Drew and Watson Mills, who instigated the Kilbixy Evening of Poetry.

Watson’s legacy is carried on by Betty Murtagh and Eleanor Murtagh, who were his trusty lieutenants from the start. They run the Evening of Poetry each year, with the support of Westmeath Rural Arts, and in aid of North Westmeath Hospice.

Mary Tunney, on behalf of the Hospice, thanked the organisers and Rev Ian Horner, Rector of the Mullingar Union of Parishes, for the use of St Bigseach’s Church.

She outlined the work being done by the Hospice group and expressed delight that planning permission had been given for a Level 3 hospice in Tullamore.

Betty and Eleanor thanked all who attended and contributed and all who helped to organise the event.

They look forward to seeing everyone again next year, they concluded.