BY JOHN FITZGERALD
Fennelly’s of Callan has celebrated the first anniversary of its monthly Open Mic. The brainchild of poet/artist Julia Bohan, it aimed to create a new outlet for creative talent in the district.
Over the past year, the old Hearse Room at Fennelly’s, once used to accommodate the dearly departed, has hosted a variety of poets, musicians, storytellers, and graphic artists.
Julia Bohan spoke of her delight at the venture’s success, and the anniversary event had a rousing musical line-up, followed by soulful poetry, and a smattering of comic verse from historian, Philip Lynch, who also gave a brief dissertation on local heritage and cosmology
Joe McCollam on classical guitar pulled at the heartstrings as he strummed on the instrument, alternating with an uncanny flair between multiple genres. At one point, he used his hands to beat the guitar like an improvised drum when playing a contemporary piece. The audience loved it.
Jessie Cantwell wowed listeners with a selection of her own songs, including an unfinished composition, though the audience clearly felt it was going in the right direction.
Songwriting duo Poems to Go rounded off the musical session with a string of electrifying performances that shock the Hearse Room, with Juliana Hahn on violin and Remco Jacobs on guitar.
When the “official” performances concluded, members of the audience, in keeping with the Open Mic spirit, edged forward to read poetry, and recite prose compositions of their own.
Julia Bohan arranged an experiment in which all present penned a single sentence on an agreed theme. She then had all the lines read out as a piece of abstract poetry that, surprisingly, came across as a coherent and aesthetically pleasing effort.
After the event in the Hearse Room, the large gathering at Fennelly’s viewed a stunning piece of visual art: a print created by Bristol-based artist, Sue Gent.
Sue visited Callan a number of years ago as part of the Wayfarers creative project and got to know a lot about the town’s culture and social history. She immersed herself in the old traditions and discovered the significance of local landmarks, as well as learning about people whose lives become synonymous with the long-running Callan story.
She recognized the town’s great potential as both a creative hub and a vibrant cradle of biodiversity. Reflecting on her Callan experience, Sue, who’s now back in Bristol, created a silk-screen print that has enchanted visitors to Fennelly’s for the past few weeks.
It’s a semi-abstract homage to Callan, a kind of esoteric “map”, depicting via symbols and iconic images all aspects of the town’s multi-faceted story. It celebrates the town and its people via art.
It depicts Callan as a living, breathing entity, radiating life and vitality. The 13th Norman Moat, a much-loved ancient landmark and national monument, along with the historic Abbey Meadow, appear as the lungs of the town and around them scores of motifs and ornamentations draw us into the heart of a town whose waters once allegedly claimed the life of a king.
The river itself features prominently…the swimmers are there, along with the trout that have apparently made a comeback in recent years, along with the various birds that grace the water surface and riverbank, including the swans of yesteryear.
The otter finds his way into the mosaic, and the depiction of a fish on a bike harks back to an artist who included that comical image in an abstract painting. A hat belonging to another local artist, the great Tony O’ Malley, is there too.
Hints of the work done to preserve and reinvigorate biodiversity in the locality are speckled throughout the mosaic …Leaves abound, and images recalling Oak, Alder and Willow trees planted by eco-conscious volunteers.
Limited copies of the print are available from Fennelly’s at €60 each, with all proceeds going to the Unicef Gaza Fund.
