In the first week of August a group of around 20 writers spent a week in Dingle, a lot of that time in Dingle Hub. The mostly American group ranged from new writers to international best-selling authors, who were here for an annual Summer Writing Seminar that was part of Bay Path University’s Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Nonfiction.
Bay Path University in Massachusetts offers this course as an all-online programme with the week in Dingle (happening since 2015) as an elective class that allows students to meet and work together in person. It’s also open to other writers who can attend the workshops, readings and lectures from creatives such as Paul Muldoon, Ann Hood, Ted Deppe, Annie Deppe, Jean Hanff Korelitz, Anne Pinkerton, Suzanne Strempek Shea and Tommy Shea who were all part of this year’s faculty.
Tommy Shea is a Massachusetts journalist whose father, the late Seán “The Diamond” Shea, was from Cahiratrant near Ventry and whose late mother, Maureen Browne Shea, was from Gallarus. Each year Tommy’s workshop “Talk of the Town” has delegates meet and interview locals. They met people like Dingle artist Carol Cronin and Johneen Brosnan, who talked about Fungie and life since his departure. Just two of the locals who made their group feel very welcome during their stay at Dingle’s Bambury’s Guesthouse.
Several workshops held in Dingle Hub were open to the public, on topics ranging from the use of metaphor to the benefits of incorporating the senses in writing, crafting stories about family to writing about grief and loss. 80 people attended a public reading at An Díseart, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon and music by locals Áine Uí Laoithe and Eilín Ní Chearna.
The organisers had visited Dingle Hub on their last trip and thought our facilities were a good match for their functional and creative needs.
We were delighted to have this friendly group of creatives in Dingle Hub and we hope to work with them again next year. Dingle Hub facilities like our meeting rooms are open to the wider community for events suitable for our spaces. Get in touch if you think your community initiative or group needs a space.
Baypath University ar Turas
Chaith grúpa de thart ar 20 scríbhneoir seachtain sa Daingean níos luaithe sa mhí, agus chaitheadar ana chuid don am san anseo sa Hub. Bhíodar anseo do Sheimineár Scríobhneoireacht an tSamhraidh a bhíonn ar bun go bliaintiúil ag Ollscoil Bay Path mar chuid dá máistreacht ”Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction”. Meiriceánaigh don gcuid is mó a bhí sa ghrúpa, le meascán de scríbhneoirí nua agus údair sárdhíola idirnáisiúnta.
Is iriseoir ó Massachusetts é Tommy Shea, ba as do Chathair an Treantaigh in aice le Ceann Trá dá athair, Seán ”The Diamond” Shea, agus ba as do Ghallaras dá mháthair.
