Updates & Hidden Gems at Allingham 2017

UPDATES AND HIDDEN GEMS 

On Nov 9-12, the 2017 Allingham Festival will bring writers, artists, workshops and excitement to Ballyshannon. Please note the following updates in the schedule, and please join in the daytime events and other “Hidden Gems” of the Allingham Festival.  

Updates: 

Thursday 

• Festival Opening – “No Woman's Land” – Susan McKay will speak about her life and career as a cross-border journalist – 8:00 pm in the Abbey Centre, following a wine reception. The Opening Night programme is sponsored by AIB.

• Friday 

• John D. Ruddy / “Manny Man” – 11:30 am Friday in the Abbey Centre – see detail below.

• Jo McCusker – 2:00 pm Friday in the Abbey Centre – see detail below.

• “Songs of Erne” musical programme – 8:00 pm in St Anne's Church.

• Saturday 

• High-tech vinyl cutting and design by The Fab Lab – a free event, but pre-booking is essential for limited seats – 10:30 am, The Mall 

• The Allingham Concert – 8:30 pm in the Abbey Arts Centre.

Hidden Gems

• Jazz Night – the first fringe event of the Allingham Festival – 10:00 pm Wednesday 8  November at Dicey Reilly's.

• Fighting Words – public information session about the new creative writing programme for primary and secondary students – 10:30 am Friday in the Abbey Centre.

• John D Ruddy / Manny Man – a YouTube celebrity shares his secrets – guaranteed to interest the younger crowd – 11:30 am Friday in the Abbey Centre.

• “The Art of Awareness: A Creativity Workshop for Adults” – personal and artistic insights with Sunday Miscellany favourite Olive Travers – 1:30 Friday in Ballyshannon's unique Abbey Mill Restaurant. 

• Jo McCusker – award-winning BBC sports documentary producer – stories and film clips for filmmakers and sports fans – 2:00 pm Friday in the Abbey Centre.

• Wild Atlantic Writers – poetry and songs by Mick DeLap and local writers Win McNulty, Monica Corish, and Enda McGloin – 4:00 Friday in Dicey Reilly's, preceded by a brewery tour at 3:45. 

• “For the Right Reason” – Maurice Lennon's Ireland – original music, storytelling and photography – 5:00 Saturday in the Abbey Centre.

Plus nationally-acclaimed writers, award ceremonies, open mic sessions, the Allingham Songwriting Competition finals and a Sunday-afternoon screening of The Jungle Book (1967). Pick up a programme or check the website www.allinghamfestival.com for an overview of the event-packed, family-friendly 2017 Allingham Festival. 

- Tom Sigafoos, Chairperson

Susan Mc Kay on RTÉ's Arena Tonight

Susan Mc Kay will be interviewed tonight on RTÉ's Arena programme (RTÉ Radio 1, 7pm). Susan will deliver the Allingham Lecture on Thursday night in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon. 

Taking as her starting point the “No Man’s Land” that lies along either side of the Irish border, writer Susan McKay will explore No Woman’s Land, the somewhat larger territory which nonetheless remains to be fully mapped.  Originally from the border town of Derry, and currently living near the border in Leitrim, she will look at questions to do with the crossing of lines, incursions.  She will look at how women who are writers have negotiated frontiers into places where they were never expected to be, and where their voices are not always heard.  She will draw on writings by poets Eavan Boland, Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, Rita Ann Higgins and Seamus Heaney, essayist Rebecca Solnit and Professor Mary Beard, as well as on her own experiences. 

Watercolour Painting Workshop Reduced to €20

Thanks to support from Donegal ETB, the cost of Barry Sweeny's Watercolour Painting workshop on Saturday Nov. 11th has been reduced to €20. 

Renowned artist Barry Sweeny will lead a workshop to create your own Ballyshannon cottage watercolour, as Helen Allingham did on her visit to the town in 1891. A relaxed, fun workshop for adult beginners or intermediates.

Allingham 2017 Primary School Art, Poetry and Short Story Awards

The results are in for the Primary School Art, Short Story and Poetry Competitions. Congratulations to all our winners, and well done to everyone who took part in this year's competition. The standard was very high in all categories. Thanks to all who took part, and thanks to the teachers and family members who encouraged and helped the entrants to get their work. 

The winners of the primary school competitions are invited to the Prizewinners' Ceremony in the Abbey Arts Centre at 12pm on Saturday Nov. 11th. We look forward to seeing you all there!

 

Art

Junior  A U7

 1st Leigha Mc Cafferty, 'Rainbow', Creevy N.S.

2nd Savannah Mc Cormack, 'Trees on the Hill', Scoil Chaitríona

3rd Finian O Breisleáin, 'Lady Bird', Mín Tine Dé

Junior  A U10

1st Éadaoin Finnegan, 'Fairies', Creevy N.S.

2nd Jake Mc Eldowney, 'Autumn Wonderland', Glenswilly

3rd Daniel Mc Garrigle, 'Dragons and Halloween', Creevy N.S.

Senior U13

1st Aoife Devine, 'Bobbing Ducks', Milltown, Letterkenny

2nd Patricia Poprawa, 'Bedtime Stories', Newmills, Letterkenny

3rd Shannon Sheridan, 'My Feathered Friend', Newmills, Letterkenny

Comortas na Gaeilge Bunscoileanna

Filíocht Sinsear 2017

 1iú  Aaron Ó Cuinneagáin, 'An Fómhar', SN Mhín Tine Dé

2iú Seán Ó Treamhair, 'Ag Fanacht ar na Sméara', SN Mhín Tine Dé

3iú Alsíse Ní Bhreasleáin, 'An Fómhar', SN Mhín Tine Dé

Primary School Junior Short Story 2017

1st Donagh Kelly, 'Did The Game Console Just Suck Me In?', Creevy N.S.

2nd Annabelle Mc Hugh, 'A Kind Deed', Glenswilly N.S.

3rd Harry Davies, 'Harry’s Space Rescue', Donegal Town

Primary School Senior Short Story 2017

1st Conor Boyle, 'Locked in the Zoo', Killian N.S.

2nd Catherine Browne, 'The Chimera Strikes', Creevy N.S.

3rd Saoirse Woods, 'The Alarm', Newmills, Letterkenny

Primary School Junior Poetry 2017

1st Amanda Dorrian, 'Autumn', Rathdonnell N.S.

2nd  Jon Farren, 'I Like', Scoil Aodh Ruadh & Nuala

3rd Oisin Woods, 'The Light and the Dark', Donegal Town

Primary School Senior Poetry  2017

1st Emma Tinney, 'A Winters Chill', St Baithins N.S.

2nd Barry Campbell, 'Winter', Creevy N.S.

3rd Declan Delahunty, 'The Ducks', Scoil Chaitríona

Michael Colgan Interview

Michael Colgan has decided to withdraw from this year's programme as he believes his continued involvement could distract from the festival.