ADULT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, 31 PARNELL SQUARE, DUBLIN 1. TELEPHONE: 01 873 5879

DEC

EMBE

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Jim Dorney

A New President for

the CollegeInside: Message from the College President

A visit to Brussels

Commemorating the Lockout

Remembering Tom Crean and Annette

O’Riordan

and much more.....

The People’s College Newsletter is produced and published by

People’s College,Adult Education Association,31 Parnell Square,Dublin 1.

Telephone: 873 5879Fax: 873 5164E-mail: info@peoplescollege.ieWebsite: www.peoplescollege.ie

The People’s College was established in 1948 under official trade union auspices.

The College is affiliated to Aontas/National Association for Adult Education and the Irish Labour History Society.

Patron:Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland

President:Jim DorneyDirector:Fionnuala Richardson, B. Comm, M.A.Secretariat:Gretta O’Neill

SPONSORSGrant Aid Department of Education and Skills

Foras Eireann/Shaw Trust

Irish Congress of Trade Unions & affiliated unions

Teachers’ ClubAs you will know already, many of our courses are held in the Teachers’ Club. We have a close working relationship with Tadhg Mac Pháidín and his staff. Students of the College are welcome to use the bar in the Club.

ICTU - Congress HouseThe College Office is in the premises of ICTU (Irish Congress of Trade Unions) and some of our classes take place there. It is a listed building - as indeed is the Teachers’ Club.

EditorialThis 2013 edition of the People’s College newsletter combines the new with the familiar, the looking forward with the looking back, with commemoration.

We are above all delighted to welcome our new President, Jim Dorney, who was elected during the year. He has contributed a most interesting and informative piece on the history of the College to the newsletter. You will also find entertaining pieces by two new lecturers, Colm McGlade (Public Speaking) and Stephen O’Kane (American literature between the wars). Joe O’Connor writes about the fascinating Study Visit to the European Parliament in Brussels that took place last June, following an invitation from Dublin MEP Emer Costello. There is even a piece on the newly restored fireplace in the beautiful upstairs bar of the Teachers’ Club.

Our Director, Fionnuala Richardson provides her usual overview of the year while the Student Committee report includes accounts of the various commemorative Lock out activities that took place in 2013, culminating in a most enjoyable evening of Stories and Songs in November. The Debating Society carried all before it in a trip to Paris last April and Martin Baldwin writes about that. Tom O’Brien reports on the flourishing Drama Group that was set up in 2012, and the Creative Writing classes are as productive as ever, as witnessed by extracts from the latest anthology, Winters’ Tales. Two of the Language teachers, Julien Porzadny and Salvo Cacciato Insilla, have given tasters from their classes, where students show off their proficiency in French and Italian.

Paul Walsh devotes his thoughtful report on the choir to the importance of commemoration and to the sad losses that took place over the year, the deaths of long-term choir-members, Tom Crean and Annette O’Riordan. We include appreciations of the two of them. They will be sorely missed.

Susan Knight, November 2013

A Happy and Peaceful Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to All

From the Administrative Staff of the People’s College, Director Fionnuala Richardson, Secretary Gretta O’Neill and Night Manager Derek (Bo Xu).

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Another year has flown by, bringing us to the 65th Anniversary of the founding of the College in 1948 by Ruaidhrí Roberts. It has been an eventful year. President Michael D. Higgins has agreed to become our patron and Jim Dorney, former General Secretary of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, has been elected President of the College, replacing Peter Cassells, who had filled the position since the death of Sheila Conroy. Our Central Council – the governing body of the College – was re-elected in May, its members coming from affiliated unions and delegates from the Student Committee.

So, far from retiring on our 65th birthday, we are gearing ourselves up for our centenary, at least!

It was also a satisfactory year for the College work-wise. Enrolments have stabilised and a few new courses were tried – of particular interest is American Literature between the Wars. The relatively new courses Hill-Walking and Irish Wildlife have maintained their popularity while the old reliables – especially Music, Art Appreciation, Languages, Yoga and Creative Writing – continue to attract an appreciative participation.

The Choir and Debating Society continue to flourish and the Drama Group is now in its second year and making great progress.

As usual over the past year a number of very successful social and cultural events outside the syllabus programme have been organised by the Student Committee, including visits to sites relating to the 1913 Lockout – culminating in an evening event with Stories & Songs of the Lockout in the Teachers’ Club. These are described elsewhere. In addition, many classes have their own excursions and outings, mainly organised by our highly committed lecturers, who consistently contribute to the reputation of the College as a provider of inspirational, relevant and enjoyable learning.

The Student Committee – newly re-elected this year – also helps out with administration. Indeed, it would be hard to run the College without the support and advice of Tony Black, Chair, Bernie Grant, Secretary, and the rest of the Student Committee to whom we remain ever grateful.

You may remember participating in our Survey in the spring of 2013 which gave an interesting overview of who comes to the College. While many of you return

year after year – a few for at least twenty years – one-third of last year’s intake was new to the College. Of the rest, another third have been with the College for between two and ten years. Half of you are between forty and sixty years of age, while twenty per cent are under forty and the rest over sixty. Some sixty per cent of the students are female and forty per cent male. The vast majority of the respondents were Irish with only six per cent non-Irish. This represents a decline from previous years probably due to the fall off in enrolments in English as a Foreign Language.

The Wexford Branch continues to keep the flag flying outside Dublin, organising a variety of courses in the town.

Most of our courses are held in the Teachers’ Club. We have a close working relationship with Tadhg Mac Pháidín and his staff to whom we owe many thanks for their continuing support throughout the years. Students of the College are welcome to use the bar in the Club.

The College Office is in the premises of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and some of our classes take place there. We are every grateful to Congress for their continued cooperation and support.

The newsletter is again edited by Susan Knight. Our thanks to her.

All of us on the College Staff – myself, Gretta O’Neill and Derek Bo Xu – look forward to seeing you all back again in January and wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year.

Fionnuala Richardson

A Message from the People’s College Director

Note from WexfordThis year at The People’s College Wexford, for our autumn courses we had courses in Sign Language, Photography, Genealogy, Art and Flower Arranging. We had a great attendance of sixty students who turned up each night to complete the individual course and the feedback we received was extremely positive. All the students enjoyed each course and are looking forward to the courses that we will run in the spring.

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In this historic year of 2013 - the 100th anniversary of the Lockout – it is entirely appropriate that we should celebrate our own historic anniversary, sixty-five years since the foundation of the People’s College by Ruaidhrí Roberts in 1948.

The radical idealism of Larkin and his followers in 1913, and also that of the aftermath of the defeat of fascism in 1945, is reflected and mirrored by the vision of Roberts and his associates in founding the college. In 1913 Larkin and Connolly had hoped that the workers would not only be lifted economically but also that in the future they would have access to education and culture, long the preserve of the better off in society. Similarly in 1945 across Western Europe, it was recognised that a new more egalitarian and fairer society would have to be built if the horrors of totalitarianism and war were to be avoided in the future.

The foundation of the college took place against this background and indeed, in the context of its time, was radical and visionary. At that time the Trade Union movement was split into two governing bodies – the Irish Trade Union Congress and the Congress of Irish Unions. Ruaidhrí Roberts, a man with a knack of bringing people together, was the Secretary of the ITUC and, following the reconciliation of the two bodies in 1959, he became General Secretary of the unified body, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The People’s College he set up sought to establish an ethos which was reflective of the Trade Union Movement – all inclusive and secular – as opposed to the all-pervasive religious ethos that prevailed in Ireland at the time, the College becoming affiliated to the International Federation of Workers’ Associations.

These developments were not viewed with favour by the Catholic authorities, who saw them as a form of crypto-communism. The Standard newspaper articulated this view, stating that ‘the college was once again introducing an alien philosophy into this country prejudicial to the Irish way of life’. Even the title ‘People’s College’ was considered by some as conclusive evidence of a close association with the other side of the Iron Curtain.

This opposition manifested itself in the establishment

of a rival Catholic Workers’ College which provided lectures for trade union members and invited trade union sponsorship. No sooner did the People’s College announce a course than it was duplicated elsewhere. When the People’s College opened its first successful summer school, another organisation was formed to offer an alternative summer school on the same subject. This pattern continued over subsequent years.

Funding was a problem for the College in its early years. In association with the ITUC, it

sought funding from the state on the same basis as provided to its counterparts in

Britain, Norway, Sweden and other European countries. This was refused. By contrast, the Catholic Worker’s College in 1954 sought and obtained a grant from Dublin Corporation of £3000. The saviour of the College was the Shaw Trust which provided grants towards certain courses. The body through which the grants were paid is called Forás Éireann to which the People’s College is now affiliated and from which it still receives funding.

The early years therefore proved challenging. It was only through the

dedication and voluntary efforts of union activists, committed lecturers

and enthusiastic students that the College kept going. A trawl through the personnel

involved in the early years reads like a Who’s Who of trade union, literary, musical and indeed

political personages of the time.

During the 1950s, the College held a series of summer schools in addition to lectures. The breadth of subjects covered is amazing and reflects the burning questions of the day in a country that was pondering why Ireland was not benefitting from the post-war boom enjoyed elsewhere in Western Europe. Topics included:

• Rise of a Democratic Society (1954)

• Industrial development in Ireland (1955)

• Productivity and Employment (1957)

Tens of thousands of workers were leaving Ireland every year throughout the 1950s and the Emigration Commission report was considered by the College. In the mid-1950s a worker’s travel company was suggested but was not proceeded with.

A Message from the President Sixty-Five Years of the People’s College

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In 1957 a part-time secretary was appointed to the College but was not retained due to falling numbers at courses. In 1959 the College considered the issue of Proportional Representation at its weekend school in the context of a forthcoming referendum on the issue. In the same year a mission was undertaken to Belgium and Germany to study trade union education in those countries.

The 1960s saw a belated economic upturn in Ireland and also an expansion of the College. Documents from the period indicate that it was being run rather loosely. In 1969 Sheila Conroy was appointed as a full time organiser by Ruaidhrí Roberts, an appointment that was over time to transform the People’s College into the flourishing organisation it is today.

Recently widowed in 1969, Sheila had been married to John Conroy who was the General President of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union. But she was a formidable person in her own right, the first woman to sit on the executive committee of the ITGWU. She was subsequently appointed Chairperson of the RTE authority. Her contributions to education and society were recognised in 2001 by the awarding of a Doctorate by NUI Maynooth.

In 1973 the college celebrated its 25th anniversary presided over by Ruaidhrí Roberts and Sheila Conroy, the opening being performed by Frank Cluskey of the WUI, then a government Minister.

Finding suitable buildings for the People’s College proved to be a continuing problem at this time. Up to this point the college had occupied rooms in Raglan Road and Grand Parade in buildings rented by the Congress of Trade Unions. Funds were put by with the long term goal of buying its own premises, but this was never realised. Instead the College ultimately invested some of its money in Prize Bonds, with the goal of putting the returns into the provision of further classes. The college now has its own premises on Parnell Square courtesy of ICTU.

The ‘70s and ‘80s were years in which the College came into its own. Courses expanded both in terms of numbers attending and subjects covered. Courses in Trade Union Studies, Languages, Art, Music, Social, Cultural and Environmental Studies, together with Politics and Current Affairs were provided.

In 1988, Fionnuala Richardson was appointed as Education Administrator to the College to handle this increased level of activity. Fionnuala had previously worked for the European Parliament in Strasburg and Luxembourg on behalf of the Socialist Group. She was formerly a teacher in Dublin.

It was becoming increasingly clear that Ireland’s future was as part of a European community. In addition to the lecture programmes, the international dimension of the College was strengthened and developed through contact with the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA) and study visits were made and summer schools held in various locations throughout Europe, including the European Parliament in Strasburg and the European Community offices in Brussels. These

initiatives were prompted by the increasing influence of European affairs on Irish workers. At home, a debate entitled ‘European Parliament Today’ was held in tandem with elections to the Parliament then taking place. Four candidates from different political parties attended to debate the issues to a full attendance.

The democratic philosophy of the College has always been of paramount importance. Barriers between students and lecturers are discouraged, a collegiate approach to teaching and learning is advocated, leading to a participative approach, with discussion and debate being encouraged.

The social dimension is also emphasised, with the College hosting a Choir, a Debating Society and a Drama Group, all of which are actively and enthusiastically attended.

In 1998, the College celebrated its 50th Anniversary at a Gala Event in the Gresham Hotel, hosted by Minister for Education, Micheal Martin, and attended by Dan Gallin of the IFWEA.

Ruaidhrí Roberts continued as President of the College until his death, when he was succeeded by Sheila Conroy. The extent to which Ruaidhrí and his wife, Nora, valued the College and its activities is illustrated by the fact that, on her death, Nora Roberts made a generous bequest to the College. The College is actively considering how this money can best be used to recognise the Roberts’ massive contribution to it.

The College today continues to provide educational courses primarily for workers and their families but also for the general public. As part of the European Workers’ Education Movement, it emphasises education for democracy and therefore tries to involve the students in all aspects of college decision-making. It aims to create a space where workers can study, reflect on and react to their continually changing environment as well as develop their intellectual, creative and social potential.

The College has a proud past and, we hope, a bright future. Contacts are being developed with other organisations such as the Trades Council, the Labour History Society and other workers’ organisations. Trade unions not yet connected to the College have been invited to affiliate, thus widening the range of possible students and demand for courses. Liaison with ICTU is being maintained, particularly in light of Congress developing its own workers’ education initiative.

The People’s College today, as in 1948, aspires to bring education and culture to those who seek them. We look forward to the future, confident that we will, as before, cater for the intellectual, cultural and educational needs of workers and others.

Jim Dorney, President

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‘Let us now work for a Europe for ourselves and for coming generations that holds out the promise of an economically strong, socially just, free and democratic home for all Europeans’

Martin Schulz - President of the European Parliament (2012-2014)

May 9th is celebrated as the EU’s birthday. On that date in 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman first publicly proposed the ideas that led to the European Union. Brussels was officially designated Capital of Europe in 2000 at the European Summit in Nice.

In 2013 Labour MEP Emer Costello invited a group from the People’s College for a study visit to Brussels to demonstrate the workings of the European institutions, and in particular the European Parliament. The group of ten included members of the Current Affairs/EU class with their tutor Odran Reid, as well as other members of the College including Bernie Grant of the Debating Society and College director Fionnuala Richardson.

Day 1: The group assembled on Thursday 20th June at 5:00am at Dublin Airport, and was met by our trip organiser, Elaine Regazzoli, assistant to Emer Costello. Emer has been a member of the Socialist and Democratic group in the European Parliament for Dublin since February 2012 and is on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs as well as being Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Before becoming an MEP, she was a member of Dublin City Council from 2003 to 2012, and was Lord Mayor of Dublin from 2009–10.

Arriving in Brussels airport, we were swiftly transferred by bus to our Apart/Hotel Citadines. Having checked-in, we shortly after met up and walked to the nearby EU Parliament Buildings. We were greeted on arrival by two more of Emer’s aides and, having cleared security, we had lunch in the visitors’ canteen. After lunch we were lead to the Audio Visual Centre where we were given a presentation explaining in detail the EU Institutions, the Commission, the Parliament and the Council. Following this, Emer joined us to speak about her role and the duties she had as an Irish MEP, speaking passionately about her interest in the problem of Palestine as well as the youth unemployment issue. This was all very informative culminating in a very lively question and answer session. On tackling youth unemployment Emer has written in September 2013:

‘I welcome the adoption of these resolutions on the youth strategy and youth employment as an indication underpinning the importance that the European Parliament attaches to the issue of youth employment. In my own country, Ireland, youth unemployment is unacceptably high at 26 per cent and indeed one-third of unemployed people live in the capital city, Dublin, my own constituency’

Current Affairs/European Union ClassStudy Visit to the European Parliament Brussels 20th/21st June 2013

Joe O’Connor

With Emer Costello at the European Parliament

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Unfortunately, due to renovation works, we were unable to enter the Parliament chamber itself, which was a disappointment. But we stopped for a photo-opportunity with Emer and her team in front of the flags of all the member states before we left. On exiting the EU Parliament Building – and by the way, it is a very impressive modern structure – we had a short pit stop at the Place du Luxembourg to discuss what we had seen and heard before making our way back to our hotel. There was some free time for resting or exploring the city and then later that night we strolled along Avenue Louise to the nearby Lucas Restaurant, where we dined in the company of Emer (does she ever stop working?) and her staff. Tom McLaughlin thanked Emer on behalf of our group and summarised how he felt about the EU, voicing what many of us were thinking: that he hadn’t realised before quite how what happened in the EU Parliament could affect us but that, after the talk by Emer, everything was much clearer. We left the Restaurant in good fettle, our heads buzzing.

Day 2: Friday 21st was our opportunity to do some more sightseeing and get to know Brussels a little better. Odran, Bernie, Rita Costello and myself entered into the bowels of the Brussels Metro System. Suffice to say we eventually arrived in the city centre and the spectacular Grand Place. We discovered that walking was the best way to get around. Off the Grand Place you will find some very narrow historical streets, where you can see the famous fountain of the little boy, the Mannekin-Pis. We discovered the Église St-Nicholas behind the Bourse along a street which then led to a small triangle with its monthly Craft Fair. There we met a very entertaining couple, Michael and Hilda from Antwerp, who truly dispelled the myth that Belgians don’t have a sense of humour. Further on, another small street revealed its Antiques Market. Meanwhile Tom and Margaret-Ann McLaughlin with Sean and Maeve Donoghue had the

good sense to jump-on the Brussels Sight-Seeing Tour Bus and explore the various sights of the city in comfort.

Some of the group, myself included, had decided to stay on for a few days to find out more about Europe’s Capital. If you ever visit Brussels make sure to try some speciality Belgian chocolate and freshly made waffles in the Galleries Saint-Hubert, visit the Museum Magritte, take a stroll by the Palais Royal and into Parc de Bruxelles or visit the Petit Sablon Park: all both unique and interesting. There are some very expensive shops in the city alongside a surprising number of beggars. On Place Fontainas you will find the unique Moeder Lambic Bar. It has thirty-three taps of genuine famous Belgian Beers, ranging in strength up to 10.5 per cent alc./vol! From Blond, Zacht & Licht, Bitter & Sterk, Zoet & Fruitig to Spontane Gisting. In my opinion, the Blond is simply the best.

Thanks to Emer, Elaine and Fionnuala for organising this good and very purposeful trip. And a special thanks to my fellow travellers for creating many memorable moments.

Outside the Parliament

European Parliament Building

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It was another successful year for the Debating Society with good attendance at our meetings and social events.

This year the structure for our meetings were Icebreaker, Tabletopics and the second part of the meeting included In-House Debates, Workshops, Unusual Object Night, Impromptu Mini-Debates (One V One). The Icebreaker has worked very well in that everyone attending the meeting stands up, introduces themselves and says a few words about the chosen subject. The subjects are simple, such as a favourite TV programme, actor, film, book, holiday and so on. As a speaking club we believe that everyone should say at least one thing during the course of the meeting.

Getting 2013 off to a great start, our first meeting of the year included a guest speaker, Ann Loughney, who hosted a workshop about the ‘The Art of Debating’ which included great tips on how to improve debating skills. So with this new-found knowledge we launched into our debates with much enthusiasm. The subjects we covered are as follows:

That things are looking up in Ireland.

That the Seanad should be abolished.

That organic food is worth the extra cost.

That there should be gender equality in the Dail.

That cannabis should be legalised.

That leaders are born and not made.

That political correctness has gone too far

Our main social events this year included a trip to Paris to debate against Busy Professionals Toastmasters, the

motion being That Organic Food is Worth the Extra Cost (see separate article); and our week-end in Cork debating against Bishopstown Toastmasters, the motion picked by the Rebels being ‘That Cannabis should be legalised’. Both debates were very exciting.

We are already planning 2014 with Paris booked for the end of April and are currently checking out the possibility of a debate in Spain following an invite from a Toastmaster Club based in Majorca.

Our meetings take place every second Wednesday, visitors are always welcome, details can be found on our website www.pcds.ie

Report compiled by Bernie Grant, Auditor

People’s College Debating Society 2013

A Passionate Delivery by Stephen O’Neill

The Debating Society Mafia in Cork

The 2 Teams Cork V Dublin

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There are times in life when you just want to say, like Hannibal said in the old TV series The A Team, ‘I love it when a plan comes together.’ April 8th 2013 in Paris was one of those times. There was also a feeling of relief and almost a Yes! Yes! Yes! We did it! After three attempts to win a debate on foreign soil we had finally managed it. As the climax of a successful trip to Paris it would be hard to better it. A group of twenty-five of us headed to Paris that weekend and stayed four nights. As well as attending the debate, some members of the society visited the Chateau de Versailles, the Louvre, the flea market, the Arc de Triomphe, the Irish College, EuroDisney, Montmartre and went on a very enjoyable guided tour organised by one of our members of the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery, which included music and recitals at famous graves, such as those of Jim Morrison and Chopin.

The debate took place in a private room above a pub on the Rue de Rivoli which is just around the corner from the Louvre. The whole group was at the debate with one exception: a minor injury resulted in one member being unable to climb the four flights of narrow stairs to the room where the debate was being held. The room was filled with the rest of our team supporters and the members of the toastmasters club in attendance. The four members of the team, Martin, Bernie, Trish and Seamus did the college, the debating society, themselves and Ireland proud. The opposition team from ‘Busy Professionals Toastmasters’ had a background from various parts of the globe. Paris is an international city and theirs was an international team. The motion for the debate was ‘That Organic Food is Worth the Extra Cost’. Our team were opposing the motion, in other words saying that it wasn’t

worth the extra cost. The team had scoured Paris, the Irish and international press for articles, items and information on the subject for weeks before the debate. Some of them went so far as to go specifically shopping for organic food. There is even a rumour that one of the team members even gave birth to children in the process - dedication beyond the call of duty. Other members appeared to have been practising for their whole life as they pointed directions all over Paris. The props included

a range of unusual shaped vegetables (organic of course) which one of the members of the opposition decided to eat!! Concerning another contributor, Enda Kenny is not the only good speaker from Mayo and he is definitely not the best debater. And as for the other team member, even Barrack Obama rarely debates with his children in the room, - I know I wouldn’t like to do it, would you?

The team are of course not resting on their laurels and a repeat debate is being organised for April 2014. Although some members of this year’s team have decided that next year it is time for them to take a back seat and let others display their skills, hopefully they will be available in a coaching capacity.

It was a great trip to Paris enjoyed by all - many of whom are planning to go again next year when the debate will take place on 28th April.

Martin Baldwin Secretary, People’s College Debating Society

Paris Trip 2013

PCDS in Paris

In Paris: Martin Baldwin, Bernie Grant, Trish Rose & Seamus Gill.

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Once again this year the Student Committee organised various outings for the students of the College. Among the highlights early in the year was a 1913 Lockout tour with our excellent guide and renowned author Padraig Yeates. Although it was a bitter February day, all in the group agreed it was a most informative and interesting tour.

We visited the Botanic Gardens in March and because the weather was inclement, our guide sensibly kept us mainly in the glass houses. Again it was a very enjoyable few hours on a dank spring day.

On a balmy day in May we had the best supported event of the year. We met in Bully’s Acre in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham. Our guide was the ever reliable friend of the college, author and historian Paul O’Brien. Bully’s Acre is a hidden gem, a cemetery for a thousand years and in the 18th and 19th centuries a prey to body-snatchers who took the corpses for use in dissecting rooms. It was a great discovery if gruesome

for all of us. On another occasion, Paul gave us a brilliant tour in St Stephen’s Green on the battle that took place there in 1916. He has just had a book published on this very battle, so it was a privilege to have such an authority on the subject as our guide. Paul has a great ability to bring history alive and we look forward to many more collaborations with him in the future.

The most unusual event we organised was a visit to a tenement house in Henrietta Street as part of the 1913 Lockout centenary commemoration. This was a profound and moving experience for all who attended.

Unfortunately, numbers were limited so we couldn’t bring as big a group as we would have liked.

This centenary year of the 1913 Lockout is an important one in the history of the Labour movement and so we in the College decided to mark this heroic struggle in our own inimitable way with a night of spoken words and music, which took place on November 15 in the Teachers’ Club.

Student Committee ReportTony Black

Tom Wall, Tony Black and Theresa Moriarty at Lockout Night

Enjoying the Lockout Commemoration

At Bully’s Acre

Jim Dorney & Fionnuala Richardson at Lockout Night

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Student Committee Chairperson: Tony Black,

Vice Chairperson: Paddy Glavin

Treasurer: Norah McDermott,

Secretary: Bernie Grant

Other committee members:

Eileen Courtney, Paul Fannin, Brigid Mulligan,

Hugh Murray, Josephine O’Mordha, Paul Walsh.

We had two speakers, Labour historian Theresa Moriarty and Tom Wall, former General Secretary of ICTU, who both gave brilliant presentations on their given topics. Theresa covered the ‘Save the Kiddies’ campaign, which was an attempt to move starving Dublin children to homes in Britain where they would be fed and kept warm. Theresa described how the plan was violently opposed by the Catholic Church who saw it as an attempt to convert Irish Catholic children to Protestantism, even though in fact many of the families offering shelter were Catholics themselves. Because of this church opposition, the plan foundered at the last minute and the children remained in Dublin.

Tom talked about the novel Strumpet City, which describes these events, and told us of the life and working-class background of the book’s author, James Plunkett, who died in 2003. Tom was followed by two actors, Sarah Barraghy and Finbar Doyle, who enacted a scene from The Risen People, Plunkett’s play based on his novel. This sketch featured a hilarious lesson in begging given by Rashers Tierney to his equally disreputable friend.

Our two musicians on the night were Jimmy Jordan on guitar and vocals and Noel Pocock on Uileann pipes and vocals. They covered songs from James Connolly to Billy Bragg and threw in a few traditional tunes as well,

making a huge contribution to the success of the evening. Everyone agreed it was a very fitting tribute to the men, women and children who were embroiled in the Lockout of one hundred years ago.

So all in all it has been a busy year for the Student Committee’s social activities and we hope the students continue to support our various events in the coming year.

Noel Pocock & Jimmy Jordan at Lockout Night

At Bully’s Acre

Bernie & Paddy at the Lockout Commemoration

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Tom Crean - a memory

Tom Crean’s passing has been widely felt and grieved, particularly within the Peoples’ College community. Tom had many interests, amongst which was his membership of the Peoples’ College choir and where I, a fellow chorister, got to know him after we had both retired.We met every Tuesday evening for choir practice, typically in the basement of the Teachers’ Club, under the tutelage of Paul Walsh, our Musical director. I’m a tenor and am normally located at the end of a row of tenors, and therefore some distance from the line of baritones and basses. Tom had a deeply resonant bass voice which I could clearly hear and distinguish throughout our practice!He did of course have other musical interests outside our choir. In particular he was a major part of the traditional music scene. At Tom’s funeral this was recognised, with many musicians, including Paul Brady, performing.

As a choir we are fortunate to have amongst our members Jimmy Kelly. Jimmy, a natural baritone, and Tom, a bass were often to be heard singing in harmony (sometimes an impromptu performance, at the command of the late Dr. Sheila Conroy!) After choir practice many members gravitate upwards to the Teachers’ Club bar, for the socially less formal part of the evening. Tom would be there on his favourite chair at the bar, his glass of brandy and half bottle of his favourite Rioja to hand, his engaging conversation a draw to his fellow choristers and many friends. A very old Scots song of farewell, one of Tom’s favourites and given rebirth by Shaun Davey, says it all :Of all the money that e’er I spent, I’ve spent it in good companyOf all the comrades that e’er I had, they’re sorry for my going awayFill to me the parting glass - he is sadly missed.

Alex McIntosh - Peoples’ College Choir

This year we have witnessed the commemoration of an event that is of special significance to all trade union members. I refer, of course, to the 1913 Lock-out, an event whose enormous social and political reverberations can be felt to this day. It could be said that the Lock-out stood at the head of a decade of turmoil which laid the foundations for contemporary Ireland, both north and south. And so one hundred years on, we are facing into a decade of commemorations. But why is it that we commemorate and, indeed, what is it that requires commemoration? Although there is no agreed consensus on the answers to these questions yet one may point to the refrain from Rudyard Kipling’s prayerful poem ‘Recessional’ as a focus for these endeavours: ‘Lest we forget.’ Through our shared collective past we use commemoration as a buttress to support the meaning in our own lives. Commemoration, though of its nature pointing to a past event, is very much rooted in a present need, a need that looks beyond today to tomorrow. It helps us to survive the coming years with the support of the ghosts and shadows from past landscapes. But

above all, commemoration is not just about events, it is about people, about the real and received memories with their associated feelings that transcend time and are rekindled in the present. Commemoration allows us new possibilities for sharing these memories. It enables us to write a new and better script on today’s blank page of history for it is in memory that we can recapture those shared feelings and bring them to life in the present.

Marking major occasions and saying collectively what we think about them is important in reinforcing a shared identity and purpose. And what is shared and commemorated on a grand scale by communities and nations is also replicated in the microcosm of the family. We have only to think of birthdays, anniversaries and deaths: these are given significance year after year and marked by select commemorations. All of us share a common desire to commemorate. In this I reflect on the fact that this year also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s College Choir an event that is not significant in itself. Rather in the spirit of commemoration it provides an opportunity to reflect on all those with whom it has been my privilege to share the joy of singing. Many names come to mind of those who participated for short periods and others who gave so freely of their talents over many years. In particular, I wish to dedicate this piece to two special members, dear friends of all of us in the choir, Annette O’Riordan and Tom Crean, who sadly passed away this year. They embodied the spirit of the college and its ethos and their personalities and talents made them stand out. Those of us who have had the good fortune to have had their friendship for many years will know the impact that their musical energy and enthusiasm brought to our ensemble. In remembering them through song we bring them to memory and commemorate their participation in our lives.

Time to CommemoratePaul Walsh, Musical Director, People’s College Choir

Tom Crean and Annette O’Riordan singing carols with fellow members of the People’s College Choir outside the GPO in 2010.

11

Tom Crean – an appreCiaTion

Tom Crean’s death on September 7 occasioned widespread shock and grief. At his hugely attended funeral, music was played by leading traditional musicians including Paul Brady, and novelist John Banville delivered the eulogy.

Trade unionists, Labour Party activists, socialists, radicals, industrial relations practitioners, traditional musicians, People’s College choristers, golfers, neighbours: all mixed with family and friends, united in their respect for Tom Crean.

Beginning his working life as a gas fitter, Tom served on Workers’ Union of Ireland General Executive Council before being appointed branch secretary. After 1990 he represented Energy and Local Authority Engineers in SIPTU. He earned a deserved reputation for astute bargaining skills, an ability for problem-solving, and telling it straight to member and employer alike.

He never compromised his social conscience and commitment to equity and equality. After retiring, his skills as a facilitator, conciliator and problem-solver were much in demand.

Tom was active in the Labour Party as Chairman, Dublin Central and Joe Costello gave one of the readings at

the funeral. For Costello, Crean was ‘at the helm’ and noted for ‘his reason and wisdom’. A lifelong socialist, any conversation with Tom embraced the day’s political issues, national and international, his perspective always being informed and progressive.

A fine singer with an instinct for harmony and novel arrangement, Tom was central to the running of The Neptune Folk club and the rightly celebrated Tradition Club in Capel Street. As a performer, Tom was a member of Press Gang who introduced Irish audiences to unaccompanied harmony singing, and influenced a generation of performers, including The Voice Squad. More recently, he graced An Góilín, Howth Singing Circle and the Clé club, as well as the People’s College choir.

To relax, Tom played golf in Deerpark, Howth and was an enthusiastic supporter of Bohemian FC soccer club.

He was great company, never short of a story, an appropriate song or tale. To be in his company was a joy and in union circles, particularly with Jimmy Kelly, he was catalyst for fun and a good session.

Above all, Tom will be missed by his wife Mags and their children Aonghus (who teaches Irish here at the College), Katie and Lucy and the wider family.

anneTTe o’riordan – an appreCiaTion

Hearing from our Choir Director Paul Walsh that Annette O’ Riordan was seriously sick and that her illness was terminal was, for me, and I’m fairly sure for everyone else in the choir that knew her, the first shock of 2013. He told us that she might only have till Christmas. The second shock was when she died, just a few weeks later, on 4th of May, the day after her 60th birthday.

Annette joined the choir a little after me around 2001. She went on to be a good friend to myself and two other girls in the choir, Joan and Jo. Every Tuesday, after choir practice, we would head up to the bar and mix with other people from the choir and sometimes even get involved in a sing-song which would be requested by Sheila Conroy. Annette was in her element on a high-stool, singing along with the rest of us. Tom, Jimmy and Jack on one side, and the girls on her other side. It was on one of these Tuesday nights at the bar that it was decided that Annette, Joan, Jo and I would take a trip to London and Annette volunteered to organise the trip.

Every moment of our stay in London was highly educational, sometimes raucous, slightly intoxicated, but mostly just a good laugh. This being my first trip to London, I was fascinated by its underground railway and wondered out loud when it might have been built. I didn’t expect to hear the history of the British transport system, but I did. The Londoners on the train didn’t expect to hear it either - especially coming from a fairly decent Dublin accent, but they did, learning that their Metropolitan Railway system was the world’s first underground railway and that it was opened in 1863. In no time, we were engaged in lively conversation with these normally reticent commuters. What a great start to our trip! Annette never passed an opportunity to enlighten us along with any others who were lucky enough to stand near her. Another such occasion was while standing at

Emmeline Pankhurst’s statue in Westminster Park where she proceeded to correct a tour guide who was out of earshot and give us (and some of his group) the corrected version of the events of Pankhurst’s life.

Annette had no fear of man or beast and she showed no sympathy in my slight show of apprehension at the thought of boarding the London Eye. While ignoring me, she just laughed and said, ‘What are ye like’... End of that subject! That was London by storm via Annette.

Annette could and would move mountains if possible and, speaking of mountains, she was one of the organisers of the trip across the Pyrenees in 2006 when a large Irish group met with other groups from England and Wales to retrace the steps of the Spanish Civil War volunteers of the International Brigade. With the choir she again proved what a great organiser she was. Trips to Spain, France and Austria went all the better when Annette was involved. I realise now with sadness that she did some of this while being seriously sick.

She appreciated all that was fun and really made a difference to everyone. Annette’s final sing-song in the Teacher’s Club bar was a Tuesday night after choir practice. It was just three days before she died. Years before, she had joked that she would go out with a song and not go quietly. She was as good as her word.

The choir had more sad news recently when Tom Crean, from the bass line, died in early September. Tom was a fantastic singer and a friend to Annette also. I’d like to think that somewhere in heaven there is a bar with a couple of stools where two friends sit, chat and sip on a Bacardi and Coke and a glass of Côtes du Rhône, then belt into ‘The Parting Glass’.

Thanks for the memories Annette.

Brenda Crowe

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The idea of setting up a People’s College drama group as opposed to another drama class caught the imagination of a sizeable number of individuals in September 2012.

There was a feeling among the participants that the activities of each session should ultimately end in a public performance of some kind. In December 2012 an eight minute comedy sketch was presented at the Christmas party. Though short, it served to galvanize the group spirit and the individual strengths of each member were showcased. While most drama groups would meet three or four times a week ahead of a performance, the People’s College drama group was limited to one meeting per week. Given this time limitation the group was pleased with their contribution. However, it became clear when the new group assembled in January 2013 that rehearsing even a short show would be demanding. Finding a play to allow up to fourteen actors to perform in would also prove a tall order. Following prolonged discussion it was decided that a dramatization of a short story would be the best option for the group. The Verger by Somerset Maugham was chosen and it was given a once off private performance in the Teachers’ Club in April 2013.

The reaction from the fifty or so audience members

was as positive as the performance on the night was professional and polished. Keeping in mind that some of the actors had never performed before and that some had been resting for a long time, the evening was a great success. As most of the performers on the night had been together since September there was great understanding and trust within the group. Given the show was thirty minutes long it was necessary for the actors to really keep on top of their roles on rehearsal nights but also to keep practicing them in their own time.

Since meeting in September 2013 many of the original members have returned and many new people have joined. Activities on each night can include all kinds of theatre games, improvising, working on scenes from plays, audition pieces and of course planning the Christmas sketch. The group is flexible enough to allow people to come and go as they like and it always welcomes new members. The atmosphere is always friendly, supportive and fun. There’s lot of drama but no drama queens!

In January 2014 the group will plan its next show with a view to a performance or performances in March or April. Given the level of commitment and ambition among the members it promises to be an exciting event.

People’s College Drama GroupTom O’Brien

CHOIRThe People’s College Choir is looking for additional male members with a view to expanding its bass and tenor sections. While the ability to read music would be a definite asset it is not by any means a requirement for membership of the choir; indeed, most of our members do not read music.

If you can sing and hold a tune that is all that is required - we will teach you the rest!Founded in 1993 as part of the wider cultural programme of courses and subjects offered by the People’s College. The members range from all parts of Dublin and we have an eclectic repertoire; from madrigals, spirituals, and traditional Irish airs to arrangements of modern popular songs. The choir generally performs at concerts and college social events and has participated in festivals both at home and abroad, having travelled to Denmark (2000), Italy (2004), France (2006), Vienna (2008), Catalonia (2010) and France (2013).

If you are interested in joining the choir please contact the Musical Director, Paul Walsh (via the College) or turn up in advance at one our rehearsals which are held on Tuesday nights at 8.30 pm in the Teacher’s Club, Parnell Square.

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La classe de français...Julien Porzadny, lecteur

On papote, on bavarde, on discute - We talk, we chat, we debate.

On apprend, on écoute, on regarde. - We learn, we listen, we watch.

On rigole, on ressent, on partage. - We laugh, we feel, we share.

Et tout ça en français! - And all of this in French!

And here is some work from the French classes:

Moi...

J’ai peur quand je fais des examens - Enda

Les films tristes me font pleurer - Angela

Ma petite fille me fait sourire quand elle vient chez nous - Fran

J’aime entendre tous les types de musique mais je déteste la Techno - Karina

J’aime sentir les fleurs car elles sentent bon - Ciaran

J’aime sentir le sel près de la mer pendant mes vacances - Ciara

Je me battrais pour ma famille car ils sont très importants pour moi - Kathreen

Je me battrais pour mes amis parce que je les aime - Grace

Je me battrais pour l’égalité, la fraternité et la liberté - Dermot

Exercice d’écriture:

Le dernier jour de la semaine de la mode à Paris est un dimanche. Malheureusement, en France et à Paris aussi, tous les commerces, sauf les boulangeries, sont fermés le dimanche. Cela peut être une surprise pour les gens non préparés. Aussi, lorsque les top modèles et les gens du festival ont essayé d’obtenir des fruits, de l’eau et des cigarettes entre les spectacles, tout ce qu’ils pouvaient trouver était du pain, des croissants et des croque-monsieur avec beaucoup de fromage. Quel désastre! Ils ont dû retourner à leur place sans rien manger et pour essayer de rester éveillé ils ont bu beaucoup de vin et de champagne. – Ciara

Parliamo Italiano!Salvo Cacciato, professore

Teaching and learning Italian at the People’s College is as fun as always this year. Our three courses, ranging from Beginners to Intermediate, have increased numbers and students keep making their way every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to Parnell Square for their class, regardless of the weather...

Many of the students have been part of my classes for a few years, and that has made it possible to create a strong bond and a vibrant atmosphere that make classes fun and make every newcomer immediately feel welcome. That spirit goes beyond the pure teaching and learning process, and it clearly shows in our annual performance at the College Christmas Party, where every year we sing famous Italian songs.

I recently asked some of the students to discuss and illustrate some of the strong points as well as what they would like to see improved about our Italian courses. Here are the students’ words (no google translation allowed):

‘Sono molto felice di avere trovato un corso cosí comodo e economico nel centro della cittá!’

‘Mi piace molto il fatto che abbiamo la possibilitá di incontrare e conoscere altri studenti, tutte persone molto interessanti e simpatiche. Inoltre, amo il fatto che abbiamo tutti la possibilitá di parlare in italiano in classe!’

‘Amo lo stile dell’insegnamento, sempre ben preparato e adatto al nostro livello. Le lezioni sono sempre rilassanti e divertenti e impariamo cose attuali che non si trovano nei libri di scuola o nelle guide turistiche.’

‘Mi piacerebbe che ci sia la possibilitá di una pausa caffé durante le lezioni...!’

‘Vorrei che ci fossero piú lezioni e non solo una ogni settimana.’

‘Vorrei che ci fosse materiale didattico piú moderno, come lavagne magnetiche, computer e proiettori.’

From the Language Classes...

14

The course, American Literature between the Wars, ran for the first time in the autumn of 2013. Novels studied included The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The group also looked at poems of the period by Robert Frost.

The inter-war years produced a golden age of American Literature and the novels studied on this course captured their particular moment in time quite brilliantly. Four million soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces returned to an America of prohibition, gangsters and corruption. It was the age of the Klan, of industrialisation, urbanisation, isolationism, and the excesses of rampant capitalism. Young women wore short skirts, smoked in public and had their hair bobbed. People listened to jazz music on their new radio sets and went to the new movie theatres three or four times a week. Evolution went on trial, people careered around in automobiles and Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic. Then came the Wall St. Crash, the Great Depression, the rise of National Socialism at home and abroad, the New Deal, the Dust Bowl and an eventual re-run of the war.

Fitzgerald observed that these young men were part of ‘a new generation dedicated more than the last to the fear of poverty and the worship of success; grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken’. Gertrude Stein called them ‘a lost generation’. These disillusioned young people questioned, and often rejected, their parent’s values in a way that wouldn’t be repeated until the 1960s.

Great writers describe the world around them and the human condition in a way

that speaks directly to the reader. It is a highly personal thing, though. How

many times have you finished a good novel and enthusiastically tried to give a second-hand account of it to a friend? Invariably, you see their eyes glaze over before they start telling you about the book they’ve just finished!

Wouldn’t it be so much more satisfying to talk with like-minded

people who have just finished reading the same book?

Once upon a time my brother was returning home on the commuter train.

The attractive young woman sitting opposite finished her book, put it down, looked him straight in the eye and blurted out, ‘Wow! That was a great book!’ He replied, ‘Yes. I

read it at the weekend.’ They got chatting about it, missed their respective stops, went and had dinner, and, if I may

cut a long story short by paraphrasing Charlotte Brontë, Reader, he married her.

The texts on this course are particularly interesting because they are all based, to

a remarkable extent, on the personal experiences of troubled creators who struggled to find meaning in their lives. One of Hemingway’s characters, a thinly veiled portrayal of himself, says, ‘I did not care what it was all about. All I wanted to know was how to live in it. Maybe if you found out how to live in it you learned from that

what is was all about’. None of our authors found answers that made

them particularly happy but they did provide our band of literary aficionados

with a great deal to mull over during the week and talk about on a Monday evening.

American Literature Between the WarsStephen O’Kane, lecturer

Ernest Hemmingway

F. Scott. Fitzgerald

15

A few years ago, a survey was carried out in America to find out the ten things that people feared the most. Most people would have expected death to be at number 1. But no. It was the fear of speaking in public.

It is important to realise that everyone, no matter how experienced a speaker he/she may be, feels a certain amount of apprehension when standing up to speak. Yet, this can be a good thing, and helps to add an edge to a presentation. The extra adrenaline helps you think faster and speak more fluently and with greater intensity than under normal circumstances.

However, too much nervousness can cause problems and prevent you from becoming a good speaker. You must learn to control and harness it to your advantage.

The following are some tips to help you do this:

1. Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Preparation is probably your most important ally in overcoming nervousness. Perfect preparation will melt away fear. Abraham Lincoln once said: ‘I believe that I shall never be old enough to speak without embarrassment when I am not properly prepared.’ Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.

2. Positive Thinking - Visualisation: Confidence starts in the mind. Think confident and you will act confident. Act confident and you will begin to feel confident and as a result speak with confidence. Always visualise yourself making your presentation with confidence and impact. This will help ensure success.

3. Enthusiasm and Gestures: Have you ever observed a person speaking on a topic about which he feels passionately. He loses himself in his subject and uses his hands and arms to help get his message across. Be enthusiastic about your subject. Lose yourself in your topic and all self-consciousness will disappear. Gestures add power and vitality to your words and will help to channel nervousness so that it works for you and not against you.

4. Eye Contact: Most fear is caused by the unknown. When you look at your audience, they become a known quantity. You will see that they are ordinary mortals like yourself and that most of them are interested in your message. This will give you encouragement and will help you form a positive relationship with them.

5. Relaxation: Practise relaxation exercises before you walk up to make your presentation. Deep breathing is particularly helpful. It is a wonderful means to ease tension and prepare you for your talk.

So don’t allow nervousness hold you back. Harness and transform it into enthusiasm and vitality so that it becomes your ally towards perfect presentation.

* * * * *

The People’s College course covers all the important areas of Public Speaking/Presentation Skills, including:

How to Structure a Presentation – Planning and Preparation: Every speech should have a clear opening, which grabs the audience’s attention, a body where the main points are expanded, and a conclusion which should be memorable and climactic.

The importance of non-verbal communication and the huge impact this has on an audience. People remember more of what they see than what they hear.

How to make the best use of your voice – It’s not just what you say, but how you say it.

How writing for a speech, for the ear, is totally different to writing something to be read.

Making an emotional impact- feelings, not facts, move people.

Humour: If they’re laughing, they’re listening and then you can tell them anything. Various ways of using humour, especially for those who find humour difficult, are explored.

Impromptu Speaking: There is a way to be prepared for this. As Mark Twain once said: “It takes me three weeks to prepare a good impromptu talk.”

How to handle a Questions and Answers session, especially when there are some difficult questioners in the audience.

Some people think you have to be a certain type of person to become a good public speaker. This is not true. The course is run on a workshop format. The best way to learn is by doing, by active participation. Anyone can become a good, confident speaker, with commitment, guidance and feedback.

How to Control Nervousness and Speak with ConfidenceColm McGlade, Lecturer in Public Speaking at the People’s College

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Extracts from ‘Winter’s Tales’ Poetry and Prose from the People’s College

Writers’ Groups 2012-2013

Here’s a selection from our latest anthology, Winter’s Tales, with a wonderful cover illustration by Caroline Nolan. Thanks again to her. Of necessity, due to space constrictions, most of the pieces here are poems, ranging from the witty and whimsical to the elegiac to the topical (the discovery in 2012 of Richard III’s remains in a Leicester parking lot). However, there were some wonderful longer stories and reminiscences in the anthology this year, too. At least we can include some of the Six Word stories from Valerie’s group and the Fifty Word Mini-sagas from Susan’s. And don’t be fooled: it’s often more difficult successfully to write short than to ramble on.

CREATIVE WRITINGSusan Knight and Valerie Sirr

He drove fast. Hit tree. RIP.

by Anne Manning

Haiku Under the white moon

The black collie sleeps wellHis breath is music.

They are laid down nowNear him on the brown earth

The birthday flowers.

Looking at the sheep’s wool on the mountainsideI thought of your warm sweater

In the cold clay.

by Roisín CoadySusan and writers at book launch

17

FiFTy SHadeS oF SHopping

It’s not easy lying here among the kiwifruit hoping

to be squeezed as a test of perfectionor shivering in the refrigerated cabinet

displaying my one-dimensional raspberry while the yogurtal attraction

of combined peach and apricot is constantly up-turned for inspection.

It’s not easy being rejected simply because I’m fat and chunky

rather than thin and crispy even though the packaging on us both says

Chips as chips should be.

It’s not easy being left on the shelf because my sister beans

have no added sugar

or because my quinine is not slim-line or because my see-through

freshly-baked ham is not wafer thin.

It’s not easy being on offer as part of a ménage-a-trois

with carrot and cauliflower when my leafy shape alone can turn heads

or being a wallflower hiding among these striking blues

and whites and reds.

It’s not easy being deemed surplus to requirements

because I do not have a peel or because I’m extra virginal

especially when I know that my dressing can match the best.

It’s not easy being cast aside after all my years

of quenching thirst because I’m past my sell-by date

unlike that slim Belgian blonde bursting out of a 6-pack.

It’s not easy being sacrificed on the altar

of fresh meat because I look too pale or am a little overweight

or am seen to have something less than an ample tail.

But most of all, it’s not easy being eyed up-and-down

under a promotion banner, tasted and trollied only to be jilted because the guy

can’t use his scanner!

by Henry Mitchell

WordS

I love fluffy words likeSouffle, kerfuffle and ruffle.

I adore idiosyncratic, but pedantic and ironicLeave me quite unsympathetic.

I’m frightened of freaky ones likeFracas, frenzy and fretful.

Factotum is a special favouriteBut facelift and faeces are frankly offensive

Best that all nervous, timorous and pusillanimousTypes do not eavesdrop

Lest they succumb to the sickness and sufferingThose words might subject them to.

Hoards of words, hundreds and hundredsTumbled together in an hilarious hodgepodge.

I could go on ad infinitum in an addledAd hoc manner but feel it best to say

Adieu

I might get addicted.

by Ann Ingle

Valerie at book launch

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WHaT To do WiTH Him?Sometimes after guys the poetry stays.Verses ragged with commas, stops.Deeply hidden in a drawer,carefully placed in forbidden diaries.

Sometimes after guys the memory stays.Pictures flash in your mind.The song sings itself.Summoning a smile, or a tear.

Sometimes after guys the things stay.Kept in secret places like the most expensive treasuresor thrown in the bin,Perhaps useful to someone else.

And sometimes the guy stays.And what to do with him? – The question arises.When a man stands in front of you,his eyes laughing...

by Samanta Stochla

my Car Tilly

I had a red Almera, a hatchback that took us all over the country, both for work and pleasure. She was a lovely friendly car like a large affectionate cat. My friend christened her Tilly and the name stuck. When I drove her, I loved listening to my favourite CDs and I think she did too because she definitely purred along. Then tragedy struck! A man with a big aggressive car smashed into the back of poor Tilly and pushed her into another big bull of a car in front. Tilly had the life squashed out of her. But true to the good and faithful friend she was, she got me home before she gave up the ghost.How sad she looked outside the house, all squashed up like a concertina. She was finished; her days of carefree purring around the Cooley peninsula and the Mourne mountains were over. Nevertheless, it came as a shock when I got a letter from my insurance company telling me that they deemed poor Tilly to be an end of life vehicle! I had to get another car and I wanted another Tilly. I got a newer version, with more mod cons. I christened her Tilly II. It hasn’t really stuck yet. It’s like this car is telling me it has a different personality and wants its own name. It is a more sedate one, like a well-heeled older woman.Everything about her is discreet. She too purrs along but with a more sophisticated air. People see me differently in this new car. Maybe as a more serious person. She invites brief-cases on her passenger seats. I resolved to get a cover for the back seat so that my dog would not dirty her.This new car purrs like a cheetah or a jaguar, full of power and speed too if I want it.It is strange how cars take on personalities. Red Tilly was carefree and footloose or tyre-loose! Tilly II commands respect. I really have to come up with a more suitable name.

by Patricia McCarthy

noTiCe oF deaTH

Darragh was in shock. He had just read his mother’s death notice. He rang his older brother. They met and held each other and went to their old home. Darragh knocked on the door. ‘Ah great to see you. I thought that might make you react,’ said their mother.

by Deirdre Morrissey

Billy

Half asleep from a good night out,Dad came into my room.He said ‘Billy’s dead,’ and my shock grew and grew.

Are they sure it’s him?It couldn’t be.They must have it wrong. I saw his daughter last night.

A friendly face,A welcoming place,Fond memories of ‘out you’ll go.’Singing, dancing and romancing.Yes, it’s true. Billy’s gone.

I used to dream, I ‘d thank him on a larger stage.Hope fades.

Thank you for starting the show.It must go on, it will go on.

A fond friend.Missed by all.

Billy.

by Roseanne O’Leary

19

a dog iS For liFe

Philip and Elizabeth were married for fifty years. They had three children, six grandchildren and some fine properties. Everyone assumed they were happy but they barely spoke to each other. When Philip died, Elizabeth sighed a little. Three months later her dog was killed by a car. She was distraught.

by Deirdre Morrissey

THe king iS dead, long live THe king

Now is the winter of my discontentAt last in Leicester’s earth, now at an end

If I have now my disbeliefIt is because I have relief

That soon, at last, I’m laid to restIn a cathedral. Yes, the best

For England’s ruler, Richard III,No longer in a carpark, me!

For five hundred years I’d been lostUntil some workmen to their cost

Did uncover all my regal bonesFrom others, after battle, under stones

Now, thanks in part to DNAFrom sister’s long lost cousin found today

To all I’m proven, so let bells ring‘The King is dead, Long Live the King.’

by Alex McIntosh

a CaT’S liFe

There once was a chubby pussy catAll day long she sat on her matLicking her paws, face and tailHoping to attract a furry male

Meow, meow is all you sayCan you change the record for once today

You laze around all day in the houseMake yourself useful and go catch a mouse

Finally pussy met her endWhen a car came speeding around the bend

Pussy slipped and fell on her browShe opened her mouth and murmured her last

meow

Away to heaven she did flyWhen St Peter saw pussy, he gave a deep sigh

No cats allowed, he stamped his feetTry hell down the road – you’ll thrive in the heat

Pussy peeped into hell scared she would be skinned

The devil shouted, ‘You’re not welcome here if you haven’t sinned’

Pussy felt rejected and sat scratching her hivesThen flew back down to earth to live her other

eight lives.

by Deirdre McKeon

empTy SHell

‘Through my window shines the season of summeBut every brick in my cell carries the curse of winter.’

Billy Weedon, Mountjoy Prison 2012

My home is now a prison cellMy days are laced with dankest dread

My mind is but an empty shell.

The day begins with warder’s yellI shift and wrestle in my bed

My home is now a prison cell.

And I have nothing left to sellTo ease the storm within my head

My mind is but an empty shell.

The jail emits its putrid smellIt fills the precious air with leadMy home is now a prison cell.

The golden brown has cast its spellI’m in its trance, I must be fed!My mind is but an empty shell.

And I have nothing more to tell,Hope’s eclipsed and dreams have fled

My home is now a prison cellMy mind is but an empty shell.

by Brian Kenealy

Six-Word STorieS

The beginning. Intensive care. The end.------------------------------Clothes on floor. Another great night.------------------------------Late availability on cancellation. Honeymoon suite.

by Henry Mitchell

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Those of us who frequent the Teachers’ Club will not have failed to notice the splendidly restored white and yellow marble fireplace in the bar. While a plain wall had existed there for decades, it seems likely a fireplace was originally built in, since it would back on to the one in Room 4 and share the chimney. After all, No. 36 was built in 1760 as a residential property. Parnell Square, then called Rutland Square, was a highly desirable area in which to live at that time, with James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont as a neighbour in what is now the imposing Hugh Lane Municipal Art Gallery.

Look closely at the fireplace and you will see a small brass plaque dedicated to the memory of Tony Cloran. Tony, who died in 2012 aged seventy-nine, had been employed for many years by the INTO to be in charge of all restoration work at Nos. 33-39 Parnell Square. It was always Tony’s ambition, frequently expressed to Teachers’ Club manager Tadhg MacPháidín, to reinstate a suitable fireplace there. Virtually on his deathbed, he told how he had it stored in the basement. In bits but complete. Tadhg, with the blessing of the Club Committee, decided to fulfil Tony’s dream and employed Joe Kelly of Artefaction to do the restoration work. The very beautiful brass inset was purchased separately, though it too is an antique, probably Victorian, so later than the fireplace itself, which is Georgian.

A lovely white marble carving of a voluptuous goddess of plenty provides the central plaque, a detail highly characteristic of Georgian fireplaces, and much valued, while over the mantelpiece hangs a large Victorian mirror with an ornate gilded frame. This mirror used to belong to No. 36 but was stored elsewhere until Tadhg reclaimed it. The silver backing on the mirror has perished in some places but according to experts this only proves the age and original condition of the piece.

Reflected in the mirror is the striking lifesize photograph of Maud Gonne that dominates the opposite wall. There

is a good story attached to this as well. The photograph was taken when Maud was a very young woman by Alfred Werner, later President of the Photographic Society of Ireland. To take the picture Werner had another PSI member, J.V.Robinson of Malahide, a man renowned for designing photographic equipment, construct a special camera, about the size of a small furniture van.

To operate this camera it was necessary for two people to enter it and move the glass negative into focus. The photograph on display is a contact print from a 5’ 6” by 3’2” negative and it won a premier award at the World’s Fair in 1893. Through the courtesy of Mr Werner’s family, both negative and print are among the treasured possessions of the PSI, who used to hold their meetings in the Teachers’ Club and were delighted to find there a suitable premises to hang the picture.

Both fireplace and photograph enhance what is already a beautiful room in a beautifully restored building. A credit to Tony Cloran, Tadhg MacPháidín and everyone else involved in preserving this corner of Georgian Dublin.

Fireplaces and PhotographsSusan Knight

LIST OF COURSES JANUARY 2013

ENROLMENTS

December 2013 Monday 9th to Monday 16th weekday evenings (except Friday) - 5.30 to 7.30pm

January 2014 Tuesday 7th to Thursday 9th: 2pm to 5pm

POSTAL ENROLMENTS WELCOMED. Classes recommence from Monday 13th January

CONTINUED & REPEATED COURSES

MONDAY 13th January 2014

The following classes will re-enroll for a further 10 classes:Italian for Beginners (€60)

Irish Conversation & Beginners (continued) (€60)Current affairs/Politics/European Union (€70)

The following classes are 20-week classes and do not need to re-enroll:Yoga II & III

Painting for Beginners & Painting 2

TUESDAY 14th January 2014

The following classes will re-enroll for a further 10 classes:Conversational Italian (€60)

Spanish Survival Skills(Morning) (€60)Spanish for Beginners (Evening) (€60)Introduction to Creative Writing (€70)

Mindfulness & Yoga are 20-week courses and do not need to re-enroll

WEDNESDAY 15th January

The following classes will enroll for a further 10 classes:Wild-Life (€70)Pilates (€95)

French and Italian classes, Spanish for Beginners (Evening) (€60)Creative Writing Workshop(2) (€70)

THURSDAY 16th JANUARY 2014The following classes will re-enroll for a further 10 classes:

Introduction to Creative Writing (morning) (€70)Historic Dublin (€70)

Spanish Intermediate (€60)French Intermediate II (€60)

Public Speaking (€70)The following classes are 20-week classes and do not need to re-enroll:

Music Appreciation I & IIGuitar I & II

Tin Whistle I & II

UNDERSTANDING NEW TECHNOLOGYDifficulty getting to grips with your Smart Phone? Want to know what’s an App and what it can do for you?Want to use your laptop or computer more? Maybe you can send emails but want to know how to use the

internet, fill in forms, book flights, maybe even Skype? We will be organizing shorter courses (4 weeks at 2 hours) in the New Year).

If you are interested, let us know - by phone, letter or email!

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People’s College Office31 Parnell SquareDublin 1.Phone: 873 5879 Office Hours