At the Irish Writers' Centre on Thursday evening a parcel of poets, including Paula Meehan, Philip Casey, Dennis O'Driscoll, Julie O'Callaghan, Siobhan Campbell and diplomat husband Kevin Conmy celebrated the safe delivery of Katie Donovan's second book of poetry, Entering The Mare. The book was launched by Irish-language poet Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, whose own next collection, currently in the final period of gestation, is due to be brought forth sometime next year. At present Ni Dhomhnaill's hopes are pinned on Chughat An Puca, a song she has written with jazz singer Melanie O'Reilly. The composition has reached the finals of Raidio na Gaeltachta's Realta '98, which take place early next month.
Theo Dorgan and Niamh Morris of Poetry Ireland touched down briefly before flying off to the Winding Stair Bookshop Cafe for a poetry reading by Matthew Sweeney and Harry Clifton.
Also there were Quentin Gargan and Clare Watson of Genetic Concern. Clare had taken time off from preparing for her David-and-Goliath court case on December 10th against mega-giant company Monsanto over that field of genetically-modified sugar beet in Carlow. "We've had great support from all kinds of people, but we need more funds, the legal bills are mounting up," pleaded the brave campaigner, herself the subject of a poem in Katie Donovan's first collection, Watermelon Man.
Donovan, who goes back to her journalistic desk in The Irish Times this week, has just returned from a poetry tour in the United States. Her father, Richard Donovan, to whom the new book is dedicated, had travelled up from his farm in Co Wexford for the launch, which includes a poem, Magic Brushes, devoted to the artist, Phoebe Donovan, the poet's great-aunt.