Megalithic mirth & poetry in motion! (2017)

BY GERRY MORAN

We are not pagans, we are poets, and we have come to Knockroe

Passage Tomb in the south-west of our county to read poetry and to get close to our past - the megalithic slabs of Knockroe

Passage Tomb. Megalithic!

Comes from the Greek ‘mega’ meaning large or great (kids know that even though they don’t know Greek!) and ‘lithos’ meaning stone. We, three poets, and a small appreciative ‘audience’ travelled in a mini-bus to see the great stones of Knockroe Tomb as part of the AKA (Alternative Kilkenny Arts) ‘Poetry in Motion’ initiative combining poetry with a visit to some of Kilkenny’s ancient monuments and historic sites. e concept (brain-child of Malcolm Noonan TD and Nuala Roche, librarian and poet) is simple – poets and punters travel by bus to the various historic locations where each poet reads a poem, or two. Our schedule on the tour included Knockroe Passage Tomb, Kilree High Cross and Kells Priory. We didn’t make it to Kilree High Cross because we dallied too long in Fennelly’s Café in Callan for some tea and co ee, served in a delightful, eclectic array of cups, accompanied by cream buns, brownies and lemon tarts to die for. And so, Nora Brennan, kick-started the inaugural ‘Po- etry in Motion’tour as she read ‘Dandelion’ from her recent publication: ‘ e Greening of Stubble Ground’. Nora, the poet, would later become Nora, the SatNav as she directed us to Knockroe; and, in fairness, you’d need a SatNav to get there. Back in Fennelly’s, yours truly read ‘Lunch with My Sons’and a little poem called ‘Lidl Poem’ while Alice Bennet, from KCAT, read a specially composed poem about Fennelly’s Café. And Fennelly’s deserves a poem, an epic even; formerly a pub cum un- dertakers, Etaoin Holahan & Co have transformed the premises (without altering the original) into something special and unique, there’s even a small theatre cum cinema out the back! My rst time there, I loved the moody, sepia-like interior with its old Brasso tins juxtaposed beside modern art. And the old pagan sun smiled benignly on us as we arrived at Knockroe where there were more readings by yours truly, Nuala Roche and Nora Brennan who read her poem, ‘Winter

Solstice’ about Knockroe Passage Tomb. Finally, our last port of call - Kells Priory where I got lost! Or rather I lost the group (and it can easily happen among the ‘Seven Castles’) In short, I was taken short and had to slip away. And so I ended up reciting poetry, and piddling, in Kells Priory on the ‘Poetry in Motion’ tour! May the God of all things cultural, historical & archaeological forgive me. Homeward bound, the ‘craic’ was mighty in the back of the bus where one Cathal McFarlane, Arthur Drohan, Nuala Roche and myself had a right good natter about the need for a comprehensive archival library in Kilkenny to preserve the precious memories, documents, photographs, lms etc. in circulation out there, not just of major events but ordinary, everyday occurrences also before they vanish from sight. e chat was much enhanced, I should add, by Mr. Drohan’s quick wit and Mr. McFarlane’s jokes. And so ended this inaugural ‘Poetry in Motion’ tour which was thoroughly enjoyable, memorable and, dare I say, MEGA!