We were delighted to hear poet Mick Delap on tonight's RTÉ Poetry Programme reading from his latest collection 'Opening Time', and discussing his love of sailing, amongst other things. Mick will be joining us in Ballyshannon for a reading on Friday November 4th, and if his contribution to the Poetry Programme is anything to go by, this is one definitely not to be missed! In fact this will be a homecoming of sorts for Mick as he is descended from the Delaps of Ballyshannon, whose estate used to include the area now occupied by Dicey Reilly's.
We are delighted to announce that poet Afric McGlinchey will be taking part in this year's Allingham Festival. Afric will host a poetry writing workshop and will read from her work over the weekend. In addition, she will act as judge in the Allingham Poetry competition.
Afric McGlinchey grew up in Ireland and Africa, moving frequently during her childhood and early adult years. She won the Hennessy Poetry Award in 2011, the Northern Liberties Prize (USA) in 2012 and Poets Meet Politics Prize in 2015. Nominated for the Pushcart and Forward prizes, she has also been placed or listed in numerous other competitions, including the Bridport, Plough, Magma, Gregory O’Donoghue, Trocaire/Poetry Ireland and the National Poetry prize. Her début collection, The lucky star of hidden things, published in 2012 by Salmon Poetry, was translated into Italian and published by l’Arcolaio. She has also had work translated into Spanish, Polish and Irish. She received a Cork Country Council Arts Bursary to write her second collection, Ghost of the Fisher Cat, which was has been nominated for the Forward Prize for Best Collection. Afric has read her work at festivals and events all over Ireland as well as in Italy, South Africa, Zimbabwe, England and France. She was selected as one of Ireland’s rising poets in a special issue (118) of Poetry Ireland Review. Afric works as a freelance editor, facilitator and reviewer and lives in West Cork.
The next performer we can confirm for our Allingham Saturday Night Concert is wonderfully talented local flautist Amy Gillen. Amy will perform both classical and Irish pieces on the Abbey stage for the Allingham concert. Currently the co-principal flute in the Royal Irish Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, Amy is just about to begin her third year in her degree, so we're very lucky that she will have the time to make an appearance at Allingham 2016!
Amy's credentials and achievements are almost too numerous to mention. She has played in the Donegal Youth Orchestra, the Donegal Chamber Orchestra and performed solo in the National Concert Hall. Over her career she has won multiple prizes in féiseanna across the country, including the RTE Lyric FM Senior Bursary Award at this year's Sligo Féis Ceoil and the award for most promising musician under-21 in the Clandeboye Festival, Belfast, in 2015. In addition, she is on the board of directors for the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras, and was recently presented with a Gemeinhardt Piccolo Sir James and Lady Leanne Galway!
We look forward to having such an accomplished local talent taking part in the Allingham Saturday Night Concert.
The first artist confirmed for the Allingham Saturday Night Concert on November 5th is the wonderful pianist-composer (and ex-Sligo football player!) Kieran Quinn. Kieran will be performing songs from his latest album 'The Next One', and will be accompanied by the Seamie O'Dowd, a musician who is no stranger to Ballyshannon.
Here's a track from his new album 'The Next One'.
https://youtu.be/xP9dYUms8Qw
Allingham 2016 are delighted to announce that two of Ireland's foremost documentary film-makers Jamie D'Alton and Garry Keane (both with Ballyshannon connections!) will present a screening of the highly successful documentary 'Toughest Place To Be', and will then take part in a Q&A at this year's festival.
'Toughest Place To Be' follows a Dublin street cleaner as he travels to the Philipines to work as a street sweeper in a crowded, impoverished suburb of Manila. The film's producer D'Alton and director Keane will be on hand to answer any questions about this challenging production, first broadcast on RTÉ in April. The film received such high ratings that RTÉ have commissioned two more episodes to be broadcast later this year.
“this determinedly observational film stays in the mind - long after the credits roll”
This is an excellent opportunity to meet and chat with two people at the forefront of Irish documentary film-making.
Jamie D'Alton
Jamie D'Alton is the joint managing director of the IFTA award winning Motive Television production company, and is one of Ireland's most experienced documentary producers, perhaps most recently well-known for the Conor McGregor documentary series 'The Notorious'.
Garry Keane
Garry Keane won the Best Director IFTA for his documentary on Sligo-based poet Dermot Healy, 'The Writing in the Sky'. Garry hails from Ballyshannon and still lives in Donegal, but his work takes him around the world regularly, working as cinematographer, producer and director.
Garry Keane on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user6198108