Childrens Books Ireland

Hello and welcome to the WRITE STUFF – the online home of the 2009 CBI author residencies project. For the month of October, writers Celine Kiernan, David Donohue and Mary Melvin Geoghegan will be stationed in counties Monaghan, Sligo and Longford respectively – working on a variety of  creative projects with young people in each area. This website has been set-up provide a space for those involved in each residency to showcase their stories, poems and artwork produced over the coming weeks – as well as sharing their thoughts, experiences and feedback.

To find out more about what’s happening in each area click on the boxes below:

If you’re lucky enough to be one of the WRITE STUFF elite and fancy putting up some of your own work CLICK HERE and enter the username and password Celine/David/Mary gave to you. (If you have any problems logging on let us know in the comments section)

ALRIGHT! So here you go folks! Finally and at last, all the work that my wonderful Monaghan and Clones nutters produced during our workshops!

Just click on a name! Go on, I dare yah. ( OH, and don’t forget to click on the artwork in the profiles. It will bring it up full size in it’s own window.)

(AHEM: Clones and Monaghan nutters, if any of you guys have been left out, then it’s because we don’t have your work! You know where to contact me if you’ve been neglected or abandoned or passed over in any way!)

I’d been warned that Sligo was a backwards place but that was an tnemetatsrednu! From Gurteen to Tubercuury, Drimona to Alchonry, Eniscrone to Grange, Rathcormac to Sligo town, children were spelling words backwards… words like Elephant, Tarantula, Hippopotamus and…. wait for it CONCENTRATION! Yes indeed a thirteen letter words was spelt successfully by EVERY school! Yllacirogetac this means that the children of Sligo are the best backwards spellers in the UNIVERSE! The character of my three books, Walter Speazlebud, Moon Man and Alien Timebomb, would be proud to know that his quirky little talent has influenced so many, and driven a few teachers crazy along the way.

And if backwards spelling talent wasn’t enough, the writing workshops I had the pleasure of hosting in Sligo Library (thanks for the tea and biscuits) showed me that the children of Sligo can write a bit. We had a story about a purple Goldfish that could turn into an ELEPHANT, and a boy who wanted to be a history teacher was wasn’t very good at history, until he tumbles back in time and becomes part of it! ‘Wedgie man and the talking toilets’ speaks for itself, while ‘Moonshine the unicorn’ told a magical tale of a unicorn who turns into a pony whenever a human appears. This causes some problems when when taken away to a stable to be turned into a showjumper!

I enjoyed the workshops so much and learnt a LOT! I learnt that you don’t have to be afraid of the blank page. You just sit down and put words on it. I witnessed extraordinary noitanigami and exemplary gnitirw and it was great bloomin fun.

I even got to walk on the beaches at Eniscrone and Rosses point and on the fossil beach up beyond Lisadell. What a week, what a county, what a life!

*Pictured here are students from Rathcormac N.S Sligo. Thanks to Frank O’Sullivan for sending on the photos!

Hi Guys,

we’re having some small difficulties setting your pages the way we want ( especially for you guys who are putting up art work) Bear with us for another little while. We’ll have it all set up soon.

hugs

Celine

MY UNCLE’S IN A BAND – Daragh McPartland

My Uncle’s in a band

I don’t hear him much
because he plays at night.

Someday I hope to hear him live
But, I’ll have to wait
and listen to the music
in my head.

‘GREETINGS YOU ARE FULL OF GRACE’- Barry Smith

When fortune shined on us.

When an angel smiled on us.

When a saint prayed for us.

When the children of Uganda waited for us.

On our Cake Sale Day

When we raised for you…………….

WE LOVE IT IN THE SHELTER – Laura Gorman

We love it in the shelter
selling cakes and buying buns.

I wish it didn’t have to end
taking some of Andrew’s buns

.

ON OUR CAKE SALE DAY – Martha O’Brien

I could hear the chit-chatter
the cakes with bitter batter.

All the different makes of buns
everyone having so much fun.

The parents buying all around them
YOU JUST HAD TO BE THERE.

THERE IS ONE SECRET THING – Eimear Kiernan

There is one secret thing
that happens every year
as we spread the word.
Collecting flour, salt and butter
mixing in a day for Goal.
The kitchen’s very busy
a bowl falls on the floor
I have to start again.
That’s why I love
The Cake Sale.

WHAT IF THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR – Stephen Donnelly

What if the cake sale was here
helping children and their villages
from far, far away.
Children who don’t have cake sales
no buns, no pies or cookies.
But, we tried to change that
so what if there’s really is
nothing to fear.

IN A GIFT FROM BALLINAMUCK N.S. – Brona Brady

In a gift from Ballinamuck N.S.
I think I ate too much.
I felt the bag was too loose
just kept eating and buying
it was hard to stop!!!!!!!!!!!!
It served me right
I couldn’t sleep, felt sick.
Drank some water

and fell back asleep.

I DID MOST OF THE COOKING – Shane McLoughlin

I did most of the cooking -
it isn’t working out that well.
My voice is hoarse shouting
for someone to buy from me
for CHARITY
it’s definitely not working for me.

IN A DAY OF POSSIBILITY – Samantha Curwin

Everyone rounds up the cakes
lots and lots of jelly
going into my belly.
Treats and sweets
Sharon Commins is released
everyone is pleased.
People shooting round her
but, she still survived.
Giving Goal,clothes and toys
and everything we can think of
it really feels like
a day of possibility

MY MAM’S IN THE KITCHEN – Aaron McGee

My Mam’s in the kitchen
cooking some buns
while I’m asleep.
I go downstairs
and steal a bun
brush my teeth and go
back to sleep again.
Next day for Goal
I’m selling them all
out in our school shelter.

IN AN ASTONISHING GENEROSITY – Ciaran Caulfield

We’d be making poor children happy
and what they could do with the money!
Everything happens in one day
on the day of The Cake Sale for Goal.
I don’t know what to say -
buns, cakes, kebabs, pies and jelly
everything was there,
suddenly in five minutes
they couldn’t be seen anywhere!

We might E-Email Sharon Commins – Stephen Donnelly

We might e-mail Sharon Commins
from the computer here in school.
To say about our cake sale
on the day she’s coming home
to sleep in her own bed again.

We might e-mail Sharon Commins
we could save her some cakes
I wonder what she’d choose?
buns, cake, jelly or kebabs
I don’t know if she has a sweet tooth.

‘Greetings Your Are Full of Grace’ – Michaela Devaney

The words in school today
everybody shouting
giving money
getting change.
Saying ‘THANK YOU’
happy children
munching on sweets
having so much fun.

God Help Them – Barry Smith

We made cakes, buns and tarts
to raise money for Uganda.
For shoes, trousers and t-shirts
for toilets, schools and houses.
Looking at the gingerbread men
on a plate, looking at its smiling face,
it will be the real children
when the cake sale is through.

We Had it in Our Shelter – Ryan Forde

We had our cake sale yesterday
we had it in our shelter and
Sharon Commins came home as well.
Its a school one year -
a pair of trainers another
even a well…………..
but, they’re pleased either way.
This year was fantastic
we had it in our shelter.
It’s always a pleasure
to help people poorer than me.

I Brought a Poet to School – Samantha Curwin

I brought a poet to school
his name is Padraic Colm
and he’s related to us.
It really is wonderful to know
his poems areread all over the world.
I don’t want to miss a word
sitting down beside me
busy as a bee, dancing around
words jumping up and down
he deserves a crown.
My Mammy’s cousin is the best
a part of our family tree.

In The School of Santas – Aine McKenna

In the school of Santas
we’re all baking at home
for our cake sale tomorrow.
As soon as I came to school
all I could see were
boxes of cakes and jelly.
Everybody buzzing with excitement
setting up the tables and bringing
all the goodies to the shelters.
We raised a lot of money
that we’re going to give to Goal.
It feels like being Santa
leaving presents under the tree.

I can’t believe my time in Ballinamuck N.S. has come to an end – it was quite an emotional goodbye but a very special day -
the day after The Cake Sale for Goal so
there was such an after glow of achievement
and a job well done Dolores the Principal even saved two buns for me. It
so happened to coincide with the release of Sharon Commins – so we wrote poems inviting her to come and visit the good work. This school has already raised enough money to support one whole school in Uganda as well as
helping to fund other projects in Africa
they’re a total inspiration I’m left dumb
founded. I’d like to wish them every happiness
in the future and to urge my young poets to fill their poetry diaries. I will
never forget my time with you all.

All my love

Mary

Thank you to my Monaghan and Clones nutters! I’m going to miss you guys. YOu made the workshops such great fun, and I simply cannot get over how talented and interesting and just damned cool you lot are! I promise we’ll get all the work up online and visible to the public very soon :0)

hugs and stay in touch!

Celine

hi just like to say Celene is fantastic… so down to earth and a pleasure to talk to and me teached my…:)

 

Hi Everyone, getting used to having poems to post – and so grateful to the students
at Ballinamuck N.S. for writing their hearts out with such enthusiasm they’re
such an example to me – as a poet it’s
always what’s under your nose and on that theme Stephen Donnelly is writing about The Farmer’s March, while poet Ryan Forde goes deep and thought provoking in his poem ‘In a Posture of Grace’. Recently I visited Veronica Bolay’s Exhibition at The Paul Kane Gallery and was blown away by her painting called Charisma so much so
Paul kindly allowed me to download the image to bring to school – so that’s where all the boat references come from and it
was an opportunity not to forget Rembrandt or indeed the children’s reaction to Rhotho’s work. I found by chance a poem
by Poet Vincent Woods ‘A Song of Lies’
with the opening line ‘In a boat without oars we rowed for land’ that so twined
with Veronica’s painting. The children brought their own poetic imagination to the stimulus. I also couldn’t resist, as I’m getting to know my young poets two
of my own recent poems ‘Say It Like a Paragraph, and ‘Up On a Wall in Galway’
that I knew would appeal to Barry and
Paul. I better sign off for now and get busy
thinking about our final time together.

All the best for now

Mary.

I Drew A Seagull – Erin Duffy

I drew a seagull
for the boat named CHARISMA
I watch it flutter, splash and fly
as I draw it swoops down again.
Like one of God’s greatest creatures
in charge of the sea.

Flying all around me
like the boat sailing on.
Its long neck looking out
but there’s no one else
to be drawn.

I Knew I couldn’t Make it Better – Aoife Whelan

I knew I couldn’t make it better
that’s life -
and I wouldn’t change it one bit.
I love it the way it is.

I will sail out to sea

and will look after it

like someone close to me.

At The Waterfall – Andrew Doyle

in a boat without oars
we couldn’t stop.
The tide bringing us to the waterfall
it’s getting more and more scary.
We shelter under the waterfall
and ask for directions.

Like a Paragraph – Paul Donnelly

When Mammy tells me

to get up and go to school

she says it like a paragraph.

When I think the words out loud

I get the answer and run

straight out the door.