Category Archives: Events

‘Under The Hawthorn Tree’ – The Stage Tour

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On stage with the cast- Maeve, Adam, Frankie, Julia, Conor, Colette and Philippa   

What a great few weeks it has been as Cahoots wonderful stage production of ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ returned to the Mac Theatre in Belfast for a sold out run, before  travelling  to  a wide variety of theaters across Ireland.

The stage play was adapted from my book by the  great Charles Way and is blessed with an amazing talented cast and was directed by the incredible Paul Bosco McEneany with Garth McConaghies’s haunting, original music.

I couldn’t help but be blown away at seeing the reaction of audiences both young and old as I attended just a few of the shows in Cork Opera House and Wexford Opera House and The Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire.

It is really sad to say a final goodbye to all the cast and crew as the show ends its month long sell-out tour in The Market Place Theatre in Armagh. Thank you so much to everyone for all your hard work bringing ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ to life and staging it in such a magical and memorable way

 Charles Way, Marita and Paul Mc Eneaney,     With some fans at the National Opera House .    The Cahoots cast and crew of  ‘Under the Hawthorn tree 2020. 

 

 

St Brigid’s Day and Herstory!

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St Brigid’s Day on 1st February has always been a special day as here in Ireland we celebrate the first day of spring and new life and fertility and creativity.   I usually try to follow tradition and get my hands on some rushes or reeds to make a simple St Brigid’s cross, our national emblem. However St Brigid’s Day and the coming days will have special focus with the launch of HERSTORY, as all across Ireland from Dublin to Derry, Wexford to Kerry as buildings and monuments will be illuminated over the weekend with portraits of inspirational Irish women, who have left their mark in history, along with a wide variety of events all across the country.

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Marita  with Caroilin Callery

Attending the launch of HERSTORY in Dublin’s Epic Museum it did my heart good to hear about this fantastic new creative project founded by Melanie Lynch of HERSTORY and RTE, Dublin’s Epic Museum and Underground Films, all of them coming together to finally bring recognition of brave intelligent women from all strands of life, science, art, dance, aviation, medicine who have made an invaluable but often over looked contribution to the world.

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Melanie Lynch, Jessica Traynor,  Dee Forde and Dr Norah Patten  

This is all part of an exciting new project  which is spearheaded with the launch of RTE Television’s  HERSTORY , a six part documentary about incredible Irish women , many who have been forgotten which starts on Monday 3d February. RTE Junior will also show six animated films for younger viewers about inspiring Irish women. ‘Blazing a Trail’ an exhibition about many of these amazing heroines is running at Epic.

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‘The Hungry Road’ Book Launch

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Pat Donlon, Marita and Fiona Murphy of Transworld Ireland

Exciting times with the launch of my new book The Hungry Road at Eason’s book shop in Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin on Thursday.  It was great to see so many friends and family brave the elements to come along to celebrate with me on this very special night.    My agent, Caroline Sheldon came all the way from London to cheer me on.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wonderful publisher Fiona Murphy of Transworld Ireland who encouraged me every step of the way with this epic novel about The Great Hunger. My friend Pat Donlon, former director of The National Library of Ireland kindly agreed to launch ‘The Hungry Road’ for me.  I felt it was serendipity as she has played such a big part in my writing career and was the one who launched my first book ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’.

Thank you to Eason’s who looked after the large crowd really well. They have always been so kind and so supportive to me over all my years of writing and publishing.

The launch party continued as the merry crew made our way to Davy Byrne’s to mark the occasion of the publication of The Hungry Road.  A heartfelt thanks to everyone for helping to make it such a memorable  book launch.

Caroline Sheldon, Pat Donlon, Marita and Fiona Murphy.      P.L. Lynch and Marita

The Hungry Road

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What a great way to start the New Year with the publication of my big new book ‘The Hungry Road.’

Inspired by true Irish heroes the book is set during the Great Irish Famine and took me almost three years to write and research and to put flesh on the bones of such an epic story.  It tells of of great courage, the kindness of good people, and the strength of the human spirit. At times I found it heart-breaking to read accounts of the times that I was writing about.  But finally my book is done and hopefully ‘The Hungry Road’ will find its way into the hands, hearts and minds of my readers.

There will be a lovely launch in Dublin and also in Skibbereen in West Cork, which I am really looking forward to later on this month.

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‘Ireland’s hopes for freedom are dashed with the arrival of a deadly potato blight strikes terror in the heart of Irish people 

  1. Seamstress Mary Sullivan’s dreams of a better future are shattered as she looks out over their ruined crop. Refusing to give in to despair, she must use every ounce of courage and strength to protect her family as they fight to survive

Dr Dan Donovan is medical officer to the Skibbereen Union. The arrival of ‘The Hunger’ soon brings starving men, women and children crowding into the town and the workhouse desperate for assistance.

Parish Priest Rev John Fitzpatrick’s faith is tested by the suffering that surrounds him as the town’s pleas for help to the authorities fall on deaf ears.’

‘The Hungry Road’ by Marita Conlon- McKenna

 

 

Hawthorn Days

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Marita with two of the school’s Gardening Club  

This year the country side is all a bloom with white and pale pink hawthorn blossom.  It is everywhere in the fields and hedges and roadsides, the fairy tree in all its glory giving a truly magnificent snowy display. I have never seen the like of it as I traveled to Waterford  to visit The Ursuline Primary School. I got a warm welcome  there and the  students and teacher Catherine Tuomey showed me a small hawthorn  tree they  had planted there over ten years ago to remind them all of reading ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’.

The tree has grown and was just starting to blossom when to my surprise the school placed a plaque there in honour of my visit. The Ursuline School is one of the oldest schools in Waterford with amazing pupils, and even has a busy gardening club!

May is a lucky month because The Irish Public Library Borrowing figures have just come out.No surprise to discover that children’s books top the list and are borrowed more than any other books from the libraries across Ireland.

Top 20 Books Borrowed in Irish Public Libraries 2018:

  1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
    2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney
    3. The BFG by Roald Dahl
    4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
    5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
    6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
    7. Awful Auntie by David Walliams
    8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
    9. Wonder by RJ Palacio
    10. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
    11. Ratburger by David Walliams
    12. Matilda by Roald Dahl
    13. The World’s Worst Children by David Walliams
    14. Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
    15. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
    16. Demon Dentist by David Walliams
    17. Diary of a Wimpy: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
    18. Grandpa’s Great Escape by David Walliams
    19. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
    20. Under the Hawthorn Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna

Delighted to see there at number 20  is ‘ Under the Hawthorn Tree‘ – the only Irish book by an Irish author!  As I say hawthorns are everywhere….IMG_0492 (3) Marita and some great readers from The Ursuline Primary School, Waterford