Recently, The Kilkenny Observer attended the launch of Willie Egan’s eagerly anticipated novel, 125 West Street. The ballroom of the Club House Hotel was packed to capacity as family and friends of the author turned out to support the Mullinahone born writer.
From a theatrical perspective, the Club House holds a unique place in the annals of Kilkenny theatre, having played host to many of Ireland’s most famous companies who performed in the 800 seater Theatre, at that time situated next door. During the 1980s, the much admired Kilkenny group Pan Players performed for a number of years in this very ballroom presenting a series of one act plays that added vibrant lustre to the summer months. By allowing the hotel premises to be used by local Thespians during the height of the tourist season, Jim Brennan displayed a degree of altruism that was astounding in its generosity. Theatre in Kilkenny owes Jim and the Brennan family an enormous debt of gratitude. It is no exaggeration to say that at a time when Kilkenny theatre led a nomadic existence, Jim Brennan and the Club House Hotel were instrumental in sustaining the arts in our medieval city. Today, the Club House continues to thrive under the astute guidance of Ian and Joanna and their professional and dedicated staff, proving the hotel to be an ideal venue for tourists and locals alike.
The title, 125 West Street brings to mind television shows such as Murder, She Wrote, Father Brown, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Columbo. In actual fact the title is taken from the address where the character from the novel, Charlie McCann, lived when he worked in England. Primarily, this is a love story for which there is no scientific, philosophical or therapeutic accountability. A love story that weaves forward and backwards through twenty years of youthful discovery as it searches for an often elusive shore.
This novel is a first from the pen of Willie Egan. However, it is by no means the first time he has created artistic work. Words, and the use of words are important to Willie Egan. The Mullinahone man goes along the lines of Con Houlihan who said “any man who misplaces an apostrophe, is capable of anything.” Professionally, Willie Egan has his own private practice talk-therapy clinic in Kilkenny for more than 25 years, having trained with PCI college Dublin, with whom he graduated to become one of their faculty lecturers. Choosing to work predominantly with teenagers who find life difficult for whatever reason, there’s a chapter in the book which explains his raison d’etre for the same. He was a regular visitor to the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny and was always happy to chat about a production he had seen. One of the most pleasing things about Willie was that he was unafraid to voice an opinion. He would regularly and vociferously challenge the status quo. He would of course listen to other people’s opinions and more importantly respect them. Hardly surprising, he was after all a counsellor.
Willie wasn’t content with the role of theatre goer, he wanted to create his own works and present them to the public. Once more he diligently applied himself and he wrote and presented five productions at the Watergate. Each production was skilfully crafted, was rich in content, abounded in humour and contained pertinent life messages. Invariably, Willie always ensured his productions delivered a song or two. Each play was treated with extreme professionalism, refined and polished by the author, director and cast.
Willie Egan is a writer who dares to challenge himself, who alone and unaided walks unchartered byways and with unswerving determination and belief bares his soul in the public domain. With his latest work 125 West Street Willie Egan has voyaged to previously unexplored horizons. By publicly divesting himself of another dream that dares to become reality, Willie Egan has cemented his place as a writer of the highest calibre.
Opening proceedings at the launch, Cllr David Fitzgerald congratulated Willie on his work while friends from the theatre fraternity; Clare Gibbs, Fergus Heffernan, Brendan Corcoran and Ger Cody launched and also read from the book and from previous plays written by Willie. Speaking to the attendees, Mr Egan thanked everyone for attending the launch. He paid a special word of thanks to Madeline Nugent Polcer who designed the book cover and to Mark Turner who edited the book.
125 West Street is available from Khans bookshop on James’ Street and The Book Centre on High Street.
