The Deserted Village
The nineteenth annual Goldsmith Summer School takes place at venues in the Ballymahon area of Counties Longford and Westmeath, from Friday 30 May to Sunday 01 June. This year's theme is Oliver Goldsmith- The Deserted Village should have particular relevance in the light of the EU Agricultural Commissioner, Franz Fischler's reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy.
On Friday 30th at 8.30 pm in The Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule, former minister and Fine Gael Leader, Alan Dukes, who will be introduced by ICMSA President, Pat O'Rourke, can be expected to focus on rural issues in the Opening Address of the Summer School. Vona Groarke's Keynote Address, Postcards from The Deserted Village, its people, its places and its readers follows. A successful poet, Vona acknowledges Goldsmith's influence, having lived for most of her early years a stone's throw from Lissoy Parsonage, the "modest mansion" of Goldsmith's The Deserted Village. She has edited Gallery Press's acclaimed edition of The Deserted Village, published in December 2002. In her talk she will look at some of the ways in which what we know of Goldsmith's Lissoy experience influenced his life, the writing of The Deserted Village, and how readers have understood his most famous poem.
On Saturday 31st, Chris Wheatley speaks in The Bog Lane Theatre at 8:00 pm. Chris is Professor of English, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Catholic University Of America, Washington. His talk will focus on Goldsmiths View of Luxury. Also on Saturday night Anthony Cronin speaks on Oliver Goldsmith, The Lucky Poet. Anthony Cronin has been cultural and literary advisor to former Taoiseach, Mr. Charles Haughey. He has been Editor of The Bell and published several books of verse, literary criticism, essays and a play. He is a member of Aosdana and has recently received the Torc.
On Sunday June 1st at 3:30, children from Primary Schools in Goldsmith Country read their poems on the lawn at Pallas, Goldsmith's birth-place. Anne Tully, an emerging young poet from Goldsmith Country will read a selection of her work. Anne has been twice published in The International Anthology of Poetry . Her award winning poem was published in the The Best Poems of 2002 .Conor O'Callaghan also reads at Pallas. Conor's second collection Seatown was published 1999. With his wife, Vona Groarke, he will co-hold Heimbold Chair of Irish Studies in Villanova University in 2004. The Summer School closes with Cheese and Wine and some light entertainment at 5.00 pm