PREVIOUSLY AT SPEAKEASY
Gerard Beirne reads for Speakeasy
Gerard Beirne has published two collections of poetry and 4 books of prose. Hennessy Award winner, shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, Bord Gais Irish Book Awards, and Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award. He lectures on the BA Writing and Literature Program, IT Sligo.
Moya Roddy reads for Speakeasy
. Her poems have appeared in the Irish Times, Crannog, Stoney Thursday, Stinging Fly, Boyne Berries among others. Moya’s novel The Long Way Home was described as “simply brilliant” in Irish Times; her short story collection Other People was nominated for Frank O’Connor Award. Her new novel A Wiser Girl was described by Ruth McKee in the Irish Times as a “blast of Italian sunshine, a sparkling glass of wine for these chilly and uncertain times”.
Brian Kirk reads for Speakeasy
Brian Kirk is a poet and writer from Dublin. His first poetry collection After The Fall was published by Salmon Poetry in 2017. His poem “Birthday” won the Listowel Writers’ Week Irish Poem of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2018.
Matt Mooney reads for Speakeasy
Matt Mooney.Born, a farmer’s son, in Kilchreest, Co. Galway in 1943. A graduate of UCG and UCC he has been a Vocational Teacher in Listowel where he is proud to be one of its townspeople. His collections of poems are: Droving (2003), Falling Apples (2010),Earth to Earth (2015), The Singing Woods (2017), Steering by the […]
Pete Mullineaux reads for Speakeasy
Pete Mullineaux lives in Co. Galway and has published four poetry collections, including Session (Salmon 2011) and How to Bake a Planet (Salmon 2016) – “A gem” – Poetry Ireland Review. A New & Selected is due in 2022. He’s been interviewed about his poetry on RTE’s Arena and also had three plays produced by […]
INTERNATIONAL IRISH POET PENS & PRODUCES PANDEMIC POLEMIC
Cork based Spoken Word Artist and Poet, Stanley Notte has today (12 May 2021) released a unique piece of spoken word reflecting on living with the Covid-19 pandemic. His prose creation has a special twist, with familiar Cork language and delivered over a version of The Specials ‘ Ghost Town’ track. Completely created in Cork, […]
Suzanne Power reads for Speakeasy
Suzanne Power is an author, editor and creative mentor who has had many lives, all of which involve writing and belief in the transformative power of stories. An award winning author of novels, poetry, creative non-fiction and short stories, her central themes concern the powerful presence of the silent majority, in memory, history and the […]
Nessa O’Mahony reads for Speaekasy
Nessa O’Mahony was born in Dublin and lives there. She won the National Women’s Poetry Competition and was shortlisted for the Patrick Kavanagh Prize and Hennessy Literature Awards. She is the recipient of three literature bursaries from the Arts Council of Ireland, the most recent being in 2018. She has a PhD in Creative Writing […]
A M Cousins reads REDRESS
A.M. Cousins’ poems can be found in The Stinging Fly, Poetry Ireland Review and poethead.com. Her poem Not my Michael Furey won the FISH Poetry Prize in 2019 and her work was shortlisted in The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Competition 2015, 2016 and 2019. She is a regular contributor to Sunday Miscellany on RTE Radio 1. […]
Paul Kestell reflects on a year of Speakeasy
Paul Kestell reflects on a year of lockdown Speakeasy performances, celebrates the much missed Angela Byrne, and reads his new poem ‘Empty House’ for us.
Rude Judes performs for Speakeasy
Rude Judes rings through from Cobh with more saucy fun in verse for this month’s Speakeasy. Rude Judes (aka Judith Coffey) scribbled ditties for years. From her childhood in Sydney, Australia, to teenage years in Crosshaven, then those impressionable London years in her 20s-30s until she returned home to Ireland for Millenium. Now a resident […]
James Lawless reads from American Doll
James Lawless is an Irish poet and novelist. His awards, include the Scintilla Welsh Open Poetry Competition, the WOW award, the Cecil Day Lewis Award, the Sunday Tribune/Hennessy and Willesden Herald award nominations, and he was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize for short stories (2014) and was an award winner in the Colm Tóibín Short […]
Poet Terry McDonagh reads for us
Terry McDonagh, www.terry-mcdonagh.com poet, translator and dramatist has published eleven poetry collections, bilingual letters (German English), drama, prose and writing for children. He taught creative writing at Hamburg University and facilitates in schools, colleges and at literary festivals in Europe, Asia and Australia. His poetry has been published worldwide and translated into German and Indonesian. […]
Una Mannion reads for Speakeasy
Una Mannion reads from her debut novel ‘A Crooked Tree’. Una Mannion was born in Philadelphia and lives in County Sligo. She has won numerous prizes for her work including the Hennessy Emerging Poetry Award and the Doolin, Cúirt, Allingham, and Ambit short-story prizes. She edits The Cormorant, a broadsheet of poetry and prose. Her […]
Victoria Keating sings with Declan Sinnott
Victoria Keating is a singer, writer and blogger who digs a good garden and prefers books to shoes. Victoria’s first single is called ‘Little Rooms’ It’s the title track of her debut album, which will be released in September 2021. This song is her first release as a solo artist, and it is very special. […]
Poet Moyra Donaldson reads for Speakeasy
Moyra Donaldson is a poet and creative writing facilitator from Co Down. She has published nine collections of poetry, Snakeskin Stilettos, Beneath the Ice, The Horse’s Nest and Miracle Fruit, from Lagan Press, Belfast and an American edition of Snakeskin Stilettos, published in 2002 from CavanKerry Press. Her Selected Poems and The Goose Tree, were […]
Colm Scully Poet and Filmmaker Reads for Speakeasy
Colm Scully is a poet and poetry filmmaker from Douglas, Cork. He has previously won the Cúirt New Writing Prize and been selected for Poetry Ireland Introductions. He has been published in Abridged, Cyphers, The Poetry Bus, The Honest Ulsterman and been shortlisted for a number of competitions. His collection “What News, Centurions?” was published […]
Mike Gallagher reads for Speakeasy Skibbereen
Mike Gallagher is an Irish writer and editor. His prose, poetry, haiku and songs have been published worldwide. His writing has been translated into Croatian, Japanese, Dutch, German, Italian and Chinese. He won the Michael Hartnett Viva Voce competition in 2010 and 2016, was shortlisted for the Hennessy Award in 2011 and won the Desmond […]
Mags Wade Dark Matter video
Relevant Creative Work Two plays of mine, Silk Kimonos and The Adventures of Aurora, have had professional productions in Sligo, ,London at various arts centre, Tricycle Theatre Upstairs and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I have devised and written plays for many different groups as my way of teaching theatre skills to them. Doing and being are […]
Jack Grady reads
Jack Grady is a founder member of the Mayo-based Ox Mountain Poets. His poetry has been published in Ireland, the UK, Canada, the USA, France, Portugal, Greece, Columbia, India, Nepal, and Indonesia, and some of his poems will be appearing, translated into Spanish, in the February issue of Alameda 39. His most recent publication credits […]
Eileen Sheehan reads for Speakeasy
Eileen Sheehan lives in Killarney and is originally from Scartaglen, in the Sliabh Luachra area of County Kerry. She has read at festivals in Ireland and abroad including The Shanghai Literary Festival; the ACIS Conference in Davenport, Iowa and The Cork International Poetry Festival. Anthology publications include The Watchful Heart: A New Generation of Irish […]
Audrey Molloy Reads for Speakeasy
Audrey Molloy is an Irish poet based in Sydney. Her first collection, The Important Things, will be published by The Gallery Press in 2021. Her debut pamphlet, Satyress, was published by Southword Editions in 2020. Her work has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, The North, Magma, Mslexia, The Moth, The Tangerine and The Irish Times. […]
Acclaimed novelist Nicola Pierce
Nicola Pierce published her first book for children, Spirit of the Titanic, to rave reviews and five printings within its first twelve months. City of Fate, her second book, was shortlisted for the Warwickshire School Library Service Award, 2014. Nicola went on to write Behind the Walls (2015), a rich emotional novel set in the […]
C. Lee McKenzie young adult novelist
C. Lee McKenzie writes contemporary/realistic novels. Double Negative, Not Guilty, Sudden Secrets, Princess of Las Pulgas and Sliding on the Edge are five written for the young adult-crossover market. Double Negative was chosen as one of the top ten Young Adult novels in 2019. Her middle grade fiction include adventure-fantasies Alligators Overhead, Great Time Lock […]
Poet Mary J. Oliver reads for Speakeasy
Mary J. Oliver has a background in the visual arts. Her first book, Jim Neat, The Case of a Young Man Down on His Luck was published by Seren 2019. It’s a collection of poems, archival material and photographs, a distillation of 10 years’ of research into the mysterious life of her father. She was […]
Novelist and filmmaker Caroline Farrell
Caroline Farrell is a writer and filmmaker from Dublin, Ireland. She is the author of the novels ARKYNE, STORY OF A VAMPIRE (2015) and LADY BETH (2017) winner of an Eric Hoffer Award 2019 (Mystery/Thriller Category) and ‘Best Novel’ at The Carousel Aware Prize Awards 2017. In 2018, Caroline wrote and directed the short film […]
John W. Sexton reads for Speakeasy
John W. Sexton was born in 1958 and lives on the south west coast of Kerry near Kenmare. He is the author of seven full poetry collections, the most recent of which is Visions at Templeglantine (Revival Press 2020). His previous collections are: The Prince’s Brief Career, (Cairn Mountain Press, 1995), Shadows Bloom / Scáthanna Faoi Bhláth, […]
James Rooney reads for Speakeasy
James Rooney. Lives in Skerries, Co Dublin. Very fond of Skerries too. Has published his first book of poetry with Lapwing…”Molly, poems to mildly amuse…” Enjoys the writing community in Ireland…and further…a wide and varied bunch of wonderful. A novel on the way, plus another poetry collection, and believe it or not, some rocky songs, […]
Karl Parkinson reads for Speakeasy
Karl Parkinson is a writer from inner-city Dublin. Sacred Symphony his third collection of poetry is published by Culture Matters. The Blocks his début novel was published to critical acclaim in 2016 by New Binary Press. In 2013 Wurmpress published his début poetry collection, Litany of the City and Other Poems, and his second poetry […]
Award winning writer Jaki McCarrick
Jaki McCarrick is an award-winning writer of plays, poetry and fiction. Her debut short story collection The Scattering was published by Seren Books and was shortlisted for the 2014 Edge Hill Prize. The collection includes her story The Visit, which won the 2010 Wasafiri Short Fiction Prize and was included in Best British Short Stories […]
Margaret O’Driscoll reads her poetry for Speakeasy
Margaret O’Driscoll lives in West Cork, and is a busy mother of seven and grandmother to thirteen. In 2016 she published her first collection of poetry and since then her work has been published worldwide and translated into many different languages. She has been invited to read at international poetry festivals in many countries including […]
Fiona Cooke reads for Speakeasy
Fiona Cooke is a writer and blogger living in rural Ireland. She is greedy and refuses to be tied to genre. Her first book was published in 2015; The Lights Went Out and Other Stories, a quirky collection of long and short fiction in a mix of genres from dark faerie, to romance, contemporary fiction […]
Playwright Trudy Hayes reads for Speakeasy
Trudy Hayes is an author, playwright, and journalist. She wrote “The Politics of Seduction”, and her last play, “Do Nothing, Say Nothing, Be Nothing” was produced by Fishamble Theatre. Her stories have been widely published and anthologised, and she was nominated for a Hennessy Award. Her play, “Out of my Head”, was nominated for the […]
Helena Mulkerns reads for Speakeasy
HELENA MULKERNS is a freelance writer and author whose debut title, Ferenji, was published by Doire Press and her story “Dogs” shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards. She has been internationally anthologised and was shortlisted for the Pushcart Prize and the Francis MacManus awards among others. She previously worked as a journalist (Irish Times, Hot […]
Emer Martin reads from The Cruelty Men
Emer Martin’s The Cruelty Men, her most recent novel is published by Lilliput Press and has been nominated for Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Her first novel Breakfast in Babylon won Book of the Year 1996 in her native Ireland at the prestigious Listowel Writers’ Week. Houghton Mifflin released Breakfast in Babylon in the […]
Fiona Bolger reads for Speakeasy
Fióna recently launched her first poetry collection, a compound of words (Yoda Press, 2019). She lives between Ireland and India. Her work has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, Southword, The Brown Critique, Poetry Bus, The Chattahoochee Review and others. She co-edited All the Worlds Between (Yoda Press, Delhi, 2017), a poetry project between Ireland and […]
Aine O’Gorman sings for Speakeasy
Aine 0 Gorman is a singer-songwriter based in WesÇCork. A multi-instrumentalist, she writes primarily for voice and piano and creates lush string arrangements. Her songs have a hypnotic folk sensibility; delivered with strength and tenderness. Having played with various bands, including ‘From the Forest’ with Vickie Keating and renowned guitarist Declan Sinnott, Aine recently signed […]
Eileen Moynihan reads for Skibbereen Speakeasy
Eileen Moynihan was born in Essex England, and grew up on the Isle of Wight from the age of three. At the age of 22 she moved permanently to Ireland, where she lived in West Cork, and more recently on the border of Co. Roscommon and Longford. For most of that time she was teaching […]
Stanley Notte reads for Speakeeasy
Stanley Notte, visual artist, writer, poet and performer and stalwart of the spoken word and storytelling scene reads exclusively for Skibbereen Speaekasy.
Pam Lecky reads for Speakeasy
Pam Lecky is an Irish historical fiction author, writing crime, mystery, romance and the supernatural. Pam is represented by the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency in London. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Society of Authors and has a particular love of the late Victorian era/early 20th Century. Her debut […]
Estelle Birdy reads for Speakeasy
Estelle Birdy is a writer, yoga teacher and mother of four, living and working in Dublin but when she wins the Lotto, she’s moving to West Cork. She has recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCD and is currently working on a novel about a group of young fellas living in Dublin’s city […]
Deirdre Wadding reads for Speakeasy
Deirdre Wadding is a native of Wexford town now living in Kilrane Co Wexford close to the sea with her family.. She is a former teacher , a Storyteller, a lover of words and stories in all forms She is an Irish Pagan priestess and founder of COIRE SOIS School of Irish Spirituality..her work focuses […]
Lynn Buckle reads for Speakeasy
Lynn Buckle’s contentious debut literary novel The Groundsmen was published by époque Press in 2018. Winner of the Greywood Arts Prize, John Hewitt Society Bursary and funding from Culture Ireland.
Attracta Fahy, Rae McKinlay and John Devoy
Join us for another great line up of spoken word performances crossing three genres. Award winning poet Attracta Fahy reads from her new book Dinner in the Fields. Mystical story teller Rae MacKinlay talks Wolves and legends and travel writer John Devoy features in a documentary film about the writing of his travel novel Quondam. […]
Nicola Kearns lockdown reading for Speakeasy
International Best Selling Author, Nicola Kearns, has published three novels – Under a Maltese Sky (2015), The Azure Window (2017) and All The Seas Between (2018). All her books reached Number One on Amazon’s Best Seller’s list. Her book of short stories, ‘Patches’, was released in February 2020 and includes her earlier published work. […]
Angela Byrne, Nick Smith and Daniel Wade
Another dazzling release from Skibbereen Speakeasy featuring award winning poet and artist Angela Byrne, talented playwright and Hennessy New Irish Writing winner Daniel Wade, and short story writer supreme Nick Smith. Daniel Wade is a poet and playwright from Dublin. In January 2017, his play The Collector opened the 20th anniversary season of the New […]
Nick Smith reads his short story ‘Altostratus’
Nick Smith has been writing short stories, flash-fiction, essays and longer works the best part of his adult life, occasionally dabbling in poetry. He is a voracious reader and loves films and whilst his work tends towards a strong, imaginative content, he has a philosophical outlook and a firm belief in the ‘reality of fiction’. […]
Peter Murphy performs at the Dora Keogh
Peter D Murphy was born in Killarney where he spent his first three years before his family had to move to Dublin. Growing up in the verdant braes of Templeogue, Peter was schooled by the De La Salle brothers in Churchtown where he played rugby for “The Wine and Gold.” He also played football (soccer) […]
Paddy Cullivan, Moze Jacobs and Anton Floyd
A brilliant and varied line up featuring the multi-talented Paddy Cullivan (of Late Late Show band fame) and now introducing his latest ‘historical entertainment’ revealing some of the10 Dark Secrets of 1798. Supporting Paddy are acclaimed poet Anton Floyd reading from his latest book and multi-media artist Moze Jacobs, also of the De Barra’s Spoken […]
Moze Jacobs reads for the Speakeasy
Moze M. Jacobs plays with words and other wind instruments. Partly to earn a living. Born in Holland of Dutch/German extraction she has lived in Surrey, Liverpool, Belfast, and for ong stretches in Amsterdam where she had her children. She moved to the outskirts of Clonakilty 22 years ago. Along the way she has been […]
Angela Byrne reads from The Keepers of the Hill
Angela Byrne was born in Dublin. Her training includes: City and Guilds Printing, Guildford College of Technology, Surrey, UK. She was a founder member of the ‘Pauper’s Press Printing Cooperative’, Oxford, UK. In 1987 she set up ‘pirateproductions’, Design and Screen-Printing. Returning to Ireland in 1997 to settle in Connemara. Her writings include poetry a […]
Paddy Cullivan talks to Skibbereen Speakeasy
EXPERIENCE the incredible true story of Ireland’s 1798 Rebellion through song, imagery and storytelling in the capable hands of historical entertainer and musician Paddy Cullivan. Inspired by the American and French Revolutions of the late-18th Century, the ’10 Dark Secrets of 1798’ is a historical drama of ‘Game of Thrones’ proportions, bringing a staggering array […]
Paul Kestell reads from ‘The Baby Farm’
Local author Paul Kestell will be reading from his novel ‘The Baby Farm’ with some discussion afterwards. Hear him at the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen on Wednesday 29th January 2020. It starts at 7pm and goes till 8pm. Paul Kestell published his debut novel Viaréggio in October 2009, this novel has received excellent […]
Estelle Birdy – Speakeasy October 29th 8.00pm
Another fantastic mix of drama, poetry, comedy and prose. FREE ENTRANCE. Taking to the Speakeasy stage this month will be award-winning short story writer Estelle Birdy, acclaimed author Lynn Buckle and novelist Paul Kestell. Joining them will be poet Anton Floyd and Joy Lawlor who will be reading from her father’s letters published on her […]
Comedians and poets – 24th September
Another fabulous line up featuring three poets, two storytellers, four comedians, and two novelists. Adds up to more than 8? Exactly. Enjoy some of the finest comedy talent from as far as Scotland, Cork and Dublin, together with poetry and pokes. Find out more by booking your seat!
Kevin Higgins Tuesday 27th August
8.00pm at the Tanyard Bar. All welcome. Free. The Speakeasy Sessions are delighted to welcome internationally renowned poet Kevin Higgins, debut contributor and local author Karen Billing, comedian Dakota Mick and spoken word veteran Cormac Lally to The Tanyard for the August event. There will also be four open mic slots for anyone who would […]
Story Slam Competition July 30th
Story Slam 2019- A Skibbeeen Arts Festival Fringe Event THE STORYTELLERSPICTURES BY DETLEF SCHLICHPICTURES BY PHOEBE COTTON
ER Murray Speakeasy Session June 25th
Speakeasy June 25th 8.00 pmJune 25th is next Speakeasy Sessions in Skibbereen and the slate this month is as exciting and varied as ever. We reconvene at 8pm at the wonderful Tanyard on Main Street – a beautifully refurbished venue with a specialist whiskey bar and a lovely mini-theatre in at the back. This month we will […]
William Wall Speakeasy April 30th
8.00PM AT THE TANYARD SKIBBEREEN TUES 30TH APRIL A fantastic evening of spoken word fun, storytelling, poetry and readings. Superb line-up for April: internationally acclaimed author and poet, William Wall; magical, mystical story-teller Rae McKinley; poet, author and translator Daniele Serafini from Italy; writer, broadcaster and performer Moze Jacobs; story-teller Pat Speight (prepare to laugh […]