My Children's Book Festival 2010 - Part one

Tuesday October 12th

The Spire on O’Connell Street is not popular with the boys from, St Joseph’s School Fairview… They made sure I knew that.

But I jump forward. As a chronicler I need to set the scene, the place and the background and I have done none of these things in that first sentence.

The truth is I am referring to the 2010 Children’s Book Festival, that is in its 20th year and I am in my 6th year of performing for it.

After last years 35 performances, I have managed to get 6 performances this year, but I am not complaining. I understand that these are recessionary/purse-string-tightening times and I’m just happy to have readings… I may complain if I had none, but then I wouldn’t be writing a blog so you will not have to read it…

So the first port of call for this year’s festival is Dublin City Libraries. I have never before performed within this jurisdiction, but this completes my visits to all 4 Dublin-based areas. This year I have the treat of having the company of another performer for the festival. My wife Daria is making her maiden voyage in this year’s festival, reading her wonderful stories regarding Lorcan the Lamb and others, and we were both doing Dublin City on the same day, different Libraries. So we travelled together from our base in Howth, me getting off at Clontarf Road as she went further to Grand Canal Dock.

My first reading was in Marino Library and I was given Coffee and Chocolate as I set up (Always a good start). A group of 25 boys from the above mentioned school entered at ten and I went straight into, ‘The Coat-hanger Song’. It was like I’d never been away. I read poems, asked questions, sang songs and gave the children a Limerick section asking them to write their own Limericks. Following the format of previous years, with one major difference… This year I was able to read some Dublin-Based Verse in a Dublin based Library…

I have recently written a collection of Nonsense/Comic verse that centres on Strange Creatures to-be found in the Dublin area, and I was looking forward to reading them to a Dublin based Children-Audience. I premiered some of them at a reading I gave to Celebrate 10 years of Stewarts Hospital Library and they were well received, so I really wanted to read them as part of this festival. One of the poems details the purpose of the Spire on O’Connell Street and after the reading, many of the questions concerned this and their disapproval of it. Hence the beginning sentence. The word Ugly was used in reference to it more than once…

A successful and enjoyable time was had by me and hopefully by all… Although I was asked if I could sing Paparazzi by Lady Gaga, something that is never going to happen… Ever, I tell you…

After Marino, I made the pain free journey to Raheny Library. I was immediately made to feel welcome again, thanks to friendly faces and the all important offer of Coffee…

Taking my coffee, I started to set up my stuff… This session I was told would be 60 children from two separate Schools… And I wasn’t misled; this was exactly what happened… These classes seemed to have no strong views on the Spire in O’Connell Street, but when I asked if anyone could tell me what purpose it served, one young girl answered that it is big enough to be seen from other areas in town, so if you are lost you can get your bearings from the spire… This had never occurred to me.

Also during the Limerick section a group of young boys approached me and asked if they could sing a song about Ronaldo. I said yes, and the entire audience of teachers, Librarians, Children and I were treated to a song about Ronaldo song to the tune of Dean Martin’s: That’s Amore. Again a wonderful session was had and it feels good to be back doing the CBF again…

I’d like to thank all from Dublin City Libraries involved, The Schools and the teachers who came and most of all, The Children to whom I was allowed to read and to sing to.

I’m back in Cork next week and looking forward to it.