A Series of Online Literary Events with Annemarie Ní Churreáin & Charlie Gracie take place to mark the Colmcille 1500 Anniversary.
Led by Irish poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin and Scottish poet Charlie Gracie, these will include public workshops, poetry readings and podcast/webinar discussions: creating a space for poetry, reflection and the exploration of cross-cultural perspectives of Colmcille.
Course Outline:
“Of noble birth, Colmcille was regarded as a person of authority who could adjudicate in the political disputes between Ireland and the growing kingdom of Dalriada. As a poet, he is a representative of a society which took the role of the poet seriously. Of the stories which are told about him, two of the most famous concern literary disputes. His exile from Ireland, it is claimed, was a result of his defeat in the dispute about the copying of a manuscript. Later, at the legendary convention of Druim Ceat in 575 AD, he ensured the privileged position of the bardic order in Gaelic society, an order which was to retain its power and influence for a thousand years. As a missionary, he founded Iona which was to become a great monastic settlement, the centre of the Celtic church in these islands and a beacon of learning in Europe — President Mary Robinson”.
Annemarie Ní Churreáin is a poet from the Donegal Gaeltacht. Her publications include Bloodroot (Doire Press, 2017) and Town (The Salvage Press, 2018). She is a recipient from the Irish Arts Council of The Next Generation Award and a co-recipient of The Markievicz Award. Her new collection The Poison Glen is due for publication with The Gallery Press later this year.
Charlie Gracie grew up in Baillieston, Glasgow. His poetry collections, Good Morning, (2010) and Tales from the Dartry Mountains (2020), were published by Diehard Press. His first novel, To Live With What You Are (2019) was published by Postbox Press. He has strong links to Donegal, Leitrim and Belfast. His new poetry pamphlet, Belfast to Baillieston, will be published in 2021.
