Achill Island Arts Weekend
Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend1st - 3rd May 2009
In 1957 the German writer Heinrich Böll published 'An Irish Journal', an account of his recent journey across Ireland to Achill Island. His story chronicled the people and lifestyle he encountered in Achill. Böll loved Achill so much that he and his family returned annually, renting and later purchasing a holiday cottage in Dugort. In recognition of the legacy of Heinrich Böll, a weekend of artistic and literary events is to be held in Achill. Details of the event are outlined below.
For accommodation and inquiries, please contact Achill Tourism.
Friday 1st May 2009
7.00pm Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort
Welcome
Registration for all events.
7.30pm Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort
Official Opening
Official opening of the weekend by Mr Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The Minister will announce and present the award to the winner of the Heinrich Böll Memorial Essay, a competition open to second level students.
8.00pm Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort
Illustrated Lecture by Patricia Byrne:
The Life and Writings of Brother Paul Carney (1844-1928), Travelling Quester and Chronicler of the Life of James Lynchehaun.
Patricia is a native of County Mayo and currently lives in Limerick where she teaches Life Writing. Much of her career has been spent in regional economic development work until she took up writing several years ago. She graduated from the NUI Galway MA Writing programme in 2008. During this programme she researched the unpublished writings of Brother Paul Carney, the Franciscan monk who was based in Achill from 1869 until 1895 and left behind two manuscripts: an account of the life of James Lynchehaun and a chronicle of Brother Paul’s fund-raising trips to the USA in the first decade of the twentieth century. Patricia’s fiction, poetry and nonfiction have been widely published in journals and anthologies. Her review of Irish Theatre 2007, Playboys, Demons and the Last Kick of the Tiger, was published in the autumn 2008 edition of New Hibernia Review.
9.00 Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort
Reading by John F. Deane:
Poetry and Prose focusing on the Franciscan Monastry in Achill
Born Achill Island 1943; founded Poetry Ireland - the National Poetry Society and The Poetry Ireland Review, 1979; Published several collections of poetry and some fiction; Won the O'Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry, the Marten Toonder Award for Literature and poetry prizes from Italy and Romania. of the European Academy of Poetry. Shortlisted for both the T.S.Eliot prize and The Irish Times Poetry Now Award, won residencies in Bavaria, Monaco and Paris. Latest poetry collection "The Instruments of Art", Carcanet 2005; "In Dogged Loyalty", essays on religious poetry, Columba 2006; latest fiction "The Heather Fields and Other Stories," Blackstaff Press 2007. Poetry collection, "A Little Book of Hours", Carcanet 2008. He is a member of Aosdána. In 2007 the French Government honoured him by making him "Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres". In was visiting scholar in the Burns Library of Boston College.
Saturday / Sunday
Exhibition
Exhibition of a collection from the Heinrich Böll Archive will be on display at the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort. Open 11am to 5pm.
Saturday 2nd May
10.30am Guided Walk
Readings from Irish Journal in Deserted Village followed by guided walk through the deserted village and focusing on recent archaeological excavations.
Led by Theresa McDonald, Achill Archaeological Field School.
1.00pm Lunch Gray's Guest House, Dugort
3.00pm - 5.00pm Heinrich Böll Cottage open to members of the public
2.30pm - 3.30pm Illustrated Lecture by Rene Böll
Venue: Áras Forbairt Acla - Old Crumpaun School, Crumpaun, Keel.
Focusing on the writing of Heinrich Böll, beginning with the early 1930’s with the first poems written as a pupil, the letters written in the war time, the beginning in the post war Cologne in the late 40's and up until the 1980's. Also focusing on the experiences of the Böll family in travelling to Ireland, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia (August 1968), Yugoslavia, and Rome, and including experiences being under observation by the political police in the east and the west.
3.45pm - 4.45pm Writers seminar / workshop with John F. Deane
Venue: Áras Forbairt Acla - Old Crumpaun School, Crumpaun, Keel.
Born on Achill Island in 1943, John F. Deane founded Poetry Ireland - the National Poetry Society and The Poetry Ireland Review, 1979; Published several collections of poetry and some fiction; Won the O'Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry, the Marten Toonder Award for Literature and poetry prizes from Italy and Romania. President of the European Academy of Poetry. hortlisted for both the T.S. Eliot prize and The Irish Times Poetry Now Award, won residencies in Bavaria, Monaco and Paris. Latest poetry collection "The Instruments of Art", Carcanet 2005; "In Dogged Loyalty", essays on religious poetry, Columba 2006; latest fiction "The Heather Fields and Other Stories," Blackstaff Press 2007. Poetry collection, "A Little Book of Hours", Carcanet 2008. He is a member of Aosdána. In 2007 the French Government honoured him by making him "Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres".
3.45pm - 5.45pm Film Screening: Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)
Venue: Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 137 min., colour, 2005/2006
7.30pm Reception at Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort
8.00pm Readings & Discussion: German Identity 20 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall
In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Irland.
Introduced and chaired by Prof. Dr. Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa, Head of the Department of German, National University of Ireland, Galway.
8.15pm Reading by Ulrich Peltzer
Ulrich Peltzer studied philosophy and social psychology in Berlin since 1975. He graduated as psychologist in 1982. Since then he has been working as a free author. He wrote five novels, four of them deal with his experiences in Berlin, one takes place in New York (Bryant Park). Ulrich Peltzer lives in Berlin. Ulrich Peltzer has received several awards: 1992 Bertelsmann-award at the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in Klagenfurt; 1996 Berliner Literaturpreis of the Stiftung Preußische Seehandlung; 1997 Anna-Seghers-Preis; 2000 Preis der SWR-Bestenliste; 2001 Niederrheinischer Literaturpreis of the city of Krefeld; 2003 Bremer Literaturpreis; 2008 Berliner Literaturpreis for lifetime achievement.
8.35pm Reading by Jan Böttcher
Jan Böttcher was born in 1973 in Lüneburg and studied German and Scandinavian literature in Stockholm and Berlin. He has lived in Berlin since 2003 and works as an advertising copywriter and a musician as well as a novelist. He is the front man of the band Herr Nilsson. In 2003 he published his warmly received debut 'Lina or The Frigid Moor' . At the Ingeborg Bachmann Competition in 2007 he won the Ernst Willner Prize for the short story on which this novel is based. 2008 his novel Nachglühen (Afterglow) was published. It is moving between pre- and post-unification periods and was on the longlist of the German Book Prize 2008.
8.55pm Reading by Hugo Hamilton
Reading by Hugo Hamilton from his recent novel Disguise (2008), a compelling drama tracing Berlin's central historical importance throughout the twentieth century.
Hugo Hamilton was born in Dublin of Irish-German parentage. He has brought elements of his dual identity to his novels including in his published a memoir The Speckled People (London, Fourth Estate, 2003); and its sequel, The Sailor in the Wardrobe (Fourth Estate, 2006). For The Speckled People Hugo Hamilton received the Prix Femina etranger in France, as well as the Berto Prize in Italy, and appeared on the New York Times notable books list.
8.55pm Open discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa
Sunday 3rd May
10.00am Clare Island Trip
Meet at Cloch Mór pier for day long visit to Clare Island. Transfer on ferry. Guided walks with archaeologist Eoin Halpin to Clare Island Abbey, and other sites of archaeological, cultural and historical interest. Lunch at Bay View Hotel. Return to Achill at 4.00pm.
End of Weekend Activities.
For event inquiries, contact John McHugh (Tel. 086 232 5516) or Mary Lavelle-Burke (Tel. 087 772 0192). Email: hbollachill@anu.ie
For travel and accommodation inquiries, contact Achill Tourism.
Achill Tourism provides a comprehensive directory of all types of accommodation providers in Achill on this Web site, along with detailed information on travel to Achill Island.
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