On Sunday, Maedhbh and I drove down to Waterford with our stubbornly independent toddler to attend the launch of ‘Enchanted’, an exhibition of children’s illustrations in the Garter Lane Arts Centre that was taking place the following day. The exhibition is part of the Sprog Children’s Festival, which runs in advance of Spraoi, the main Waterford arts festival.
On the way down there on the Sunday, we stopped in at the Rathwood Centre outside Tullow. It’s a huge garden centre where you can buy all sorts of (expensive) designer clothes, homeware stuff and souvenirs, but it also has a lovely restaurant where we had a delicious lunch. 
There are walks through the woods, or you can take a ride on the little train that goes around the estate. It’s like the Avoca centre in Wicklow – not quite as picturesque, but much bigger.
Apart from the few animals we could see in one of the paddocks, there’s a falconry on the grounds, and we happened to show up at the right time to catch the falcon display, watching the hawk swooping low over our heads to snatch ‘prey’ thrown into the air. If you’re ever down that way, particularly if you’re taking a break from a long drive, Rathwood’s well worth checking out.
On Monday, we made our way over to Garter Lane for the launch. Broken into two parts of the centre, the show features work by Niamh Sharkey, Annie West, Adrienne Geoghan and Bruce Ingman, as well as a few of mine. 
Adrienne ran a couple of workshops in the morning, leaving a room full of books and drawing materials that became a hive of creative and messy activity.
Then there was much mayhem as the kids ran around fuelled by orange and biscuits, marshmallows and buns. Some local VIP’s did their meeting and greeting and some of the gang from CBI ‘facilitated’ (which I think means they stood around chatting, having a good time and being influential – like God, they move in mysterious ways). 
In the midst of this, Bruce, Adrienne and I did some readings and a bit of drawing for a very mixed audience, while Maedhbh tried to stop our little girl either eating the crayons, or drawing on everything that wasn’t paper.
Thanks to Kathleen and everyone at Garter Lane for setting up the exhibition, I hope both festivals go well for them. And thanks to Jenny in CBI for the two photos of the launch. The show will be up until the end of August, when it moves to Galway for the Babaro Festival.
16 thoughts on “Enchanted”
Comments are closed.
Mr.McGann.
Being an avid fan of yours for some time now, I’m delighted to be reading your blog at last!
I’m utterly delighted that you’ve won so many awards for your books and I’ve been nattering incessantly to my friends about them. They’ve been delighted to share their loving views with me and I’m proud to say that I’ve spread a little bit of “Oisín Fever” as my mom calls it.
I’m absoloutly itching to read The Wisdom of Dead Men” and I just have to tell you you’re one of the best authors I’ve come across in the longest time!
The Ancient Appetites Series is wonderous. It makes me laugh, makes me scared and I have to say my favorite characters have to be Nate and Gerald. They’re a howl.
I’m proud to say you’re one of my biggest idols and that i’m an avid reader of yours. I’d be thrilled to hear back from you if you can take a break from swearing at your computer. Hah!
Sending my best wishes and plenty of love to you, your characters and that fantastic mind of yours,
Nadine.
Hi Nadine. Thanks very much for your VERY enthusiastic words. I hope ‘The Wisdom of Dead Men’ lives up to your expectations. If you haven’t done so already, check out ‘The Vile Desire to Scream’, a short ebook that takes place between the first two Wildenstern novels, available free for download off the site (though I suspect you’ve found it already).
In answer to your question – and at the risk of of spoiling a bit of the surprise in ‘Ancient Appetites’ – Roberto is most definitely gay, but has to hide it, as homosexuality was illegal in Victorian times (and remained so in law until relatively recently).
PS:
I know this sounds odd, and you may gawk at this question, but a lot of my friends have been asking it.
Is Roberto actually gay and hiding it, or was it just a once off with Hennessey?
My apologies if that upset you in any way shape or form.
Love,
Nadine (17yrs)
I KNEW IT!
Hahah.
I read the Vile Desire To Scream last night. I thought it was excellent and just what the readers of this world need. I loved it and have passed it on to so many of my friends, while also keeping a copy on my computer to re-indulge in. Also, I’m pretty damn sure The Wisdom of Dead Men will also make me sigh happily and fall asleep with it. Oh god, I let out my secret. (I also did that with AA…Ended up sleeping with it under my pillow for.. ooh, weeks. Haha)
I think my mom just bought me The Wisdom of Dead Men, she won’t tell me where she is so… fingers crossed she got it. If not, its straight to easons, back home and into my room to indulge in my somewhat deadly sin of reading. If you can name it that.
Just a quick question. I usually ask the authors this as to not cause offense before trying.
Do you enjoy reading fan-fictions that your readers have wrote or enjoy some of the fan art?
Speaking of art, I love the illustrations of the Wildensterns. But no Gerald? Disappointed there. Oh well, My imagination will make up for it.
Keep writing on, my Almighty Lord of Novels.
Love,
Nadine. x
I do keep meaning to put up more sketches for the Wildenstern books (I haven’t put any for ‘The Wisdom of Dead Men’ yet, and Gerald would have to feature). I haven’t really looked for any fan fiction based on my stuff online, although kids do show me plenty of drawings and stories based on my younger kids’ books when I do sessions in schools and libraries. My attitude to fan fiction is that, as long as nobody’s trying to make a business out of my ideas, I’m flattered that people should enjoy my stories enough to want to set their own in the same worlds, or create images of them. I did the same with my favourite worlds when I was young (though there wasn’t the same kind of outlet at the time).
I’m loving the Wisdom of Dead Men, as promised, I rushed into easons, bought it and poured over it on the bus home. Hah.
I was thinking of doing a small fan-fiction of the Wildensterns and I’ve draw a few small sketches of Nathanial and Gerald, But yours are much better. (Obviously.. though, I think I’m pretty decent… I hope. Maybe you could have a peek if I bump into you at some stage. Now THAT would be awesome. One day it’ll be coffee and my treat, kay? *smiles*.)
I’m sorry! I must be taking up so much of your time chatting to you! I’ve bought my niece to read a book of yours, she hasn’t started it yet, but i’ll help her along. *Grins*
Halfway through TWoDM and I’m dying for Merciless Reason. Already.
Maybe I’m just a wee bit too obsessed. However, who ever said being obsessed with books is a bad thing?
Sending my love,
Nadine
Delighted you’re enjoying ‘The Wisdom of Dead Men’. And obsessive enthusiasm about books is a charming and beneficial quality – as long as you take a break and go outside sometimes!
OISIN!
I JUST finshed The Wisdom of dead men
one, i’m shaking
two, I bawled all the way through the last few chapters of that book.
and three: G? Nooo!!! *Wails insanely* I’m devastated!
Four: Not happy about Nathanial’s little “incident” but, I digress. But if it wasn’t fiction. Nate would be mine! mwahahah!
all in all, it was a fantastic book and I never thought characters could provoke so much emotion from me!
i loved the story but i hated the ending. Perfectly pulled off and executed, depressed me, but well worth it.
You are genius.
Now I have to go wipe my blasted eyes.
Bright Blessings for the next one!
love
Nadine.
Ps: I do not cry over books, nor do i wail uncontrollably holding onto my bedsheets sobbing like a child….Blast it, old chum, i’ve cried a river in my bed 🙁
O.o I left a comment just here awhile ago, that’s off. Where’d it go? Loved the book anyway. Very upset by the ending but still fantastic, you never cease to amaze me. Can’t wait for the next one. Thanks again for your genius writing Oisin. Sending love, Nadine PS: a lot of writers have a hard time provoking emotion from their readers, you did it Sir. And I’m delighted to say I’m very much anticipating the next installment.
Hi Nadine. Really glad you enjoyed ‘Wisdom’. Provoking emotions is what it’s all about. As for the comment of yours that went missing, was it your last one? I hadn’t put it up until now. If it’s another one, I don’t know what’s happened to it. ‘Merciless Reason’ is finished, so we’re trying to nail down a release date. The whole publishing world has slowed down a bit.
Fantastic Sir and I’ll be seeing you and madam claire hennesey on sept 11th oh I can’t wait! 🙂 really looking forward to Merciless Reason. I’ll be at the top of the Q defiantly. Looking forward to the book and to the 11th! See you there!
Love Nadine xxx
Grand so. See you then!
The world of illness has foiled my plans… Maybe some other time…
Sorry you couldn’t make it, Nadine. Hope you get well soon.
we are from Italy and in july we visited Ireland for a long holiday. We thank you very much the man of the Woodlands Falconry because he let us make a really wonderful experience with birds of pray (first time in our life that we touched these birds and take them with the glove). THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, there’s a comment from out of the blue . . . Glad to be of service, and delighted you enjoyed yourself at the falconry.