This weeks guests are Noel O Briain and Oran Ryan.
Noel Ó Briain was born in Kerry, grew up in Dublin and now lives in Camolin, Wexford. He is a playwright and poet and a former head of drama at RTE. He has worked for many years in theatre, radio and television as an actor, producer/director, designer and script editor.
He played the part of Cranly in the premier of Hugh Leonard's Stephen D (an adaptation of Joyce's Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man) at the Gate Theatre. He also played the part of the IRA officer in the premier of Brendan Behan's An Giall in the Damer Hall in Dublin and designed the set for this production. The play was later translated into English as The Hostage and staged at The Royal Theatre Stratford by Joan Littlewood.
He has produced and directed many plays in the Damer Hall under the auspices of Gael Linn. Among others these included Gunna Cam agus Slabhra Óir by Seán Ó Tuama and Aggiornamento by Chriostóir Ó Floinn. He also designed the sets for these and many other production. He has directed Ulick O'Connor's Noh Plays at The Project. As a Radio Producer his drama productions have been selected as RTE's entries for the Prix Italia.
He has won a National Jacob's Award for his production and adaptation of Seán Ó Tuama's Judas Iscariot agus a Bhean.
He has worked as Producer, Director, Series Producer and Script Editor in numerous television one-offs, series and serial drama, often combining several of these skills in one production.
These have included The Riordans, Bracken (which launched the career of Gabriel Byrne) Glenroe and Ros na Rún among many others. He also produced and directed the controversial series The Spike until it was withdrawn by RTE itself after complaints from the League of Decency and State interference. He has participated in a documentary in the Scannal series on RTE which deals with well known Irish scandals – including The Spike! (to be transmitted in Autumn 2008). He has won the Celtic Film Festival Drama Award for his production of Tom Murphy's screenplay, Brigit.
He has devised and conducted numerous screenwriting courses. Among these was the initial course for the development of new writers for the series Ros na Rún on TG4. He has conducted several screen acting courses both independently and for the Gaiety School of Acting. His poetry and short stories have been published in a number of literary magazines including The Kilkenny Magazine and Poetry Ireland. They have also been broadcast on radio in the short story slot and on Sunday Miscellany. His poetry collection Scattering Day 21 Sonnets and Other Poems was published by Seven Towers in 2007.
Noel has two plays currently available:
The Land of She: An adapted for theatre translation of Brian Merriman's Cuirt on Mhean Oiche, this hillarious play is written for five parts.
He has also completed a short verse play inspired by Synge's Deirdre of The Sorrows, entitled Áinle and Árdán Are Already Dead.
Oran Ryan is a novelist, poet and playwright from Dublin. He has had poems, short stories and literary critical articles published in various magazines. His first two novels, The Death of Finn and Ten Short Novels by Arthur Kruger were published by Seven Towers in 2006. He is currently working on his fifth novel and had three plays and two screenplays in pre-production. Oran won a 2008 Arts Council Bursary Award.
Info: Dominic Taylor 087 2996409 or Barney Sheehan 086 8657494 Bloghttp//:whitehousepoets.blogspot.com
The White House Poetsgratefullyacknowledges the support of the Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge and PoetryIreland.
The White House Poetry Revival has being going now for over four years. Every Wednesday the famous old world bar is transformed into a centre of culture as poets recite their latest work. Barney Sheehan and Dominic Taylor , the people behind the revival of poetry at the White House, continue to attract the best of Irish and International poetry to Limerick. The reading has provided an open, supportive venue for countless poets to perform their work, and has fostered a community of poetry. Over the last four years the reading has grown, evolved and matured. We are proud to have provided an open-mic for poets from all over Ireland, Europe and the world: from Buddy Wakefield to Greg Delanty to hundred of others you have never heard, but should have. The reading continues to grow and change and we would invite you to come down, to listen - and should the mood strike you - to speak.
The White House Poets would like to acknowledge the involvement of the Arts Council, Poetry Ireland, Foras na Gaeilge, Limerick City Council, http://www.limerick.com/ and the White House Bar for their continued support, all of whom helped make the White House one of the pre eminent venues for poetry in Ireland. As usual the reading is preceded by an open mic session in which anyone who wishes to read is invited to do so. Complementary finger food is provided and proceeding commence at 9.00 pm.
The project is supported by Limerick City Council Arts Office
Info: Dominic Taylor 087 2996409 or Barney Sheehan 086 8657494 Blog http//:whitehousepoets.blogspot.com
The White House Poets gratefully acknowledges the support of the Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge and Poetry Ireland.
Email whitehousepoets@eircom.net Website http://www.limerick.com/whitehousepoets/ Blog http://whitehousepoets.blogspot.com/
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Website: http://www.limerick.com/whitehousepoets/
E-mail: whitehousepoets@eircom.net
Blog: http://whitehousepoets.blogspot.com/
Podcast: http://druidpaddy.blogmatrix.com/
Revival: http://revivalpoetrybook.blogspot.com/
How To get There
The White House pub is located in the centre of Limerick City at 52 O'Connell Street. Its exact location is on the corner of Glentworth Street and O'Connell Street, opposite the Ulster Bank and the Bank of Ireland. It is approximately 5 minutes walk from the train and bus station - exit the station and go down Davis Street, pass Taits Clock continue on down Glentworth Street and the White House is on the right hand corner at end of street.
Map http://www.limerick.com/streets/map.html
Visit the WhiteHousePoets and friends here:
http://www.limerick.com/whitehousepoets/thepoets.html
Buy the White House Anthology http://www.limerick.com/anthology.html
