My CBF 2009, Part Eight

I was in Mayo as planned on Thursday night, in my B&B by nine and phoning my wife who is still unable to accompany me on my journey. The train journey wasn’t too bad, although I was too tired to read, so I listened to The Kinks album, ‘Lola vs The Powerman and the Moneygoround.

Woke up and breakfasted, with coffee, early the following morning and then waited for Mary Murphy from Mayo county Libraries to pick me up and chauffer me around the Libraries of Mayo that I would be reading to today.

Whilst being taken from Castlebar to Kiltimagh, which was where my first reading was to take place, I noticed how lovely the Mayo Scenery was, and I’m sure my wife, with her passion and talent for artistic and nature photography, would have loved to have seen it too… but as we couldn’t stop to take photos, maybe it was a good thing she wasn’t accompanying us…

We got to Kiltimagh Library early, and sat having coffee and biscuits with Bridie, the Librarian there. A group of Children entered on time and it was the beginning of another wonderful session, although one of the boys in the group was an Arsenal fan and placed his fingers in his ears when I sang ‘Mis-Spelt Football Team Blues’. There was also a demonstration of how out of touch I am, when I was asked my favourite band, I answered, ‘The Kinks’ I was then besieged by numerous questions asking me my opinions of various pop stars, and there were a lot I’d never heard of… Again great Limericks and questions were had.

We then drove to Swinford Library for my second reading. Two schools were there for this reading and interestingly the teacher of one of the schools had taught the teacher of the other one. One Child asked me my age, this lead to guessing from the children eventually someone guessed correctly, only after some scandalous attempts… 50, do I look 50? Another great session with wonderful Limericks.

After Swinford we drove to our final destination, Charlestown. The reading was situated above the Library and again went wonderfully, with great Limericks and questions. After this reading we went to the Market Café for a lovely Sandwich with Chips.

I was then driven back to Castlebar Station to get the train back to Dublin, I had a two hour wait, so I took out my guitar and played it whilst sitting on an almost empty platform…

Again I would like to extend my thanks to all Teachers, Librarians, Parent/Helpers and (Most Especially) To all the Children who I read to during the week.