Christmas Past 2009, 5

5. I remember this Christmas as it was so different to all the rest. No snow, no lights. It almost seemed as if there was no purpose. No snow, no lights. It almost seemed as if there was no purpose. The Christmas spirit had gone on Christmas Eve, the same day that my brother died.

People say things change, but why? Do they have to? Surely it's not natural, it's not right for people to die at Christmas. After all, it's the 'season to be jolly'. We tried so hard to recreate the usual Christmas lunch. My mother made the whole package; it seemed as if she had put more effort into it, just to make up for the loss. It was strange only to have four seats at the table, not five.

Sometimes I think of Scrooge and how much he hated Christmas, and how I feel about Christmas now. To me it's no longer the season of festive frolics. But it is a time of remembrance, and imagining what things could be like. After all, things do, change. Nothing is ever the same, and you have to adapt to change, whether you want to or not.

Christmas Past 2009, 6

6. Turkey, ham and stuffing. I inhale the fumes as my grandmother puts her covered hand into the oven, and reaches for the biggest turkey I've ever seen. My Dad tells me to chew my food 'at least fifteen times, lad'. Of course, the taste gets to me and I chew a minimal four. I keep eating, pouring truckloads in. The flow of juices and the beautiful aroma tease my nostrils. Clearly I'm trying to beat the world record for quickest eater.

I get a bit of turkey lodged in my throat. Damn! I start to get violet. My mother gives me water. It doesn't work. Finally my grandfather hands me a glass of a brown substance he calls bourbon. Looks more like crude oil to me. I pour the foul stuff down my throat. It takes a second. Or two. Until a huge flaming fire-ball rips down my throat. I cough in panic, and the piece of turkey shoots into orbit.

I think: I'll move on to the ham.

Christmas Past 2009, I

Yesterday the whole school (including some teachers) took part in our Everyday Writes exercise on the theme of 'Christmas Past'. Over the coming days, we'll be posting some of these pieces. 10-15 minutes writing, in any form, mostly anonymous, and so for the most part no idea of the age or gender of the writer.

1. I drew back my heavy curtains, and set my eyes on a sight I had dreamed of for years: a thin blanket of soft moisture as white as snow fell onto the lawn, and melted away before my eyes. I walked downstairs getting that Christmas-Day-excited-feeling. I opened the door of the kitchen and smelt roast chicken in the oven. I wished my Dalmatian 'Happy Christmas' (he was quite alarmed I was awake so early). The Christmas tree looked better than ever and I counted my presents, and then my brother's. I couldn't believe it! My brother had TWO MORE than me. I just sat there, thinking: 'That's not fair. He doesn't deserve them.'

Christmas Past 2009, 2

2. I've never read much Joyce. 'The Dead' is masterful and set on the last day of Christmas. But I've heard tell of a Christmas scene in A Portrait of Stephen's aunts arguing over Parnell and his legacy. Christmas memories for me recall sniping aunts (my grandmother and her sisters) around the dinner table, monopolising the conversation. And what was being disputed? Turning points in the nation's governance? No. Usually it was the routes taken by long-defunct Dublin buses that caused the most rigorous debate.

A resolution: read more Joyce.

Christmas Past 2009, 3

3. We forgot, as one does with all the hype and excitement, to order the turkey in advance. Mum tried everything and called everyone we knew who had turkeys to see if we could by any chance have one. There was a lot of panic because for the first time in many years, Family were coming from Abroad. Towards the end of the 24th day, when we all decided that we would have to make do without, Mum's Russian assistant, Olga, offered to give us a piglet instead of a turkey.

At the time, it seemed like a great alternative. Until we all saw the size of the piglet. It looked as though it had spent its piglet-hood being pumped full of steroids. With no other alternative, Mum took the creature. On the 25th, however, problems arose. The monster of a piglet wouldn't fit in the oven. Dad then suggested that barbequing it would be the only other option. All the kids were sent to carry sacks of charcoal and place it in the BBQ. Needless to say, with the sweltering temperatures of the actual day, only the excess fat of the piglet was slightly cooked.

For distraction Dad sent out for crates and crates of the local Nile Lager to keep the guests happy. But for us kids, hunger set in, and all the younger ones started bawling. Sandwiches were quickly whipped out, while grown-ups patiently waited in the shade of the huge mess tent in the garden, drinking away waiting for the 'roast' to be ready.

The pig refused to cook. All the guests had to eat for Christmas dinner were sandwiches.

A Christmas Carol

Tomorrow, Mr Jameson and Mr Swift are taking all I form pupils to the Gate Theatre matinee performance of Dickens's A Christmas Carol, which they have been studying in class. In the words of the Gate website:

"Back by popular demand, Dickens’s timeless classic of the true spirit of Christmas at the Gate. The famous tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation from embittered skinflint to generous benefactor has delighted audiences for generations. With the return of all the much loved characters – miserly Scrooge, the loving Cratchits, Tiny Tim and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come – A Christmas Carol is a must for all the family."

Read Bruce Arnold's positive review in the Irish Independent here.

Everybody Writes Again

Today in class and prep we'll be holding our second Everybody Writes Day on the theme of Christmas Past. Each pupil in the school (and some staff, we hope) will write for 10-15 minutes on the same theme - a memory, a poem, a description...

Last year's exercise was very successful, with lots of vivid, interesting, moving and funny writing, and as with last year, we'll be regularly posting the best of this material here over the coming period leading up to Christmas itself.

All Shakespeare's Sonnets via Wordle

No 38 in our Shakespeare Wordles series : the full texts of all the Sonnets.

And finally... the last image in the Wordle marathon. We'll now be working on putting them all together in a multi-media slideshow, perhaps at the start of next term.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' poster

Thanks to our colleagues over at SCC Art for re-discovering the lovely poster above, which was created for the 2002 Shakespeare Society production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (four years before this blog started). This was designed by OC Emily Archer as a drawing which pupils were then invited to colour and decorate as part of a competition, and this version is by Johnny Hollis, then in I form, now an Old Columban.

Emily Archer's first solo exhibition opens this Thursday in the MTSL in Dublin: more here.

'The Two Noble Kinsmen' on Wordle

No 37 in our Shakespeare Wordles series : The Two Noble Kinsmen.

And finally... the last play in the Wordle marathon (co-written with John Fletcher). Tomorrow, a Wordle of all the sonnets and then we'll be working on putting them all together in a multi-media slideshow, perhaps at the start of next term.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

Ronan Swift in Concert

It seems only yesterday that we were interviewing departmental colleague Ronan Swift for a podcast about his first album, the memorably-named Farewell Future Wives. Now comes news of a new gig, with new tunes that will find their way into the next album.

So see him on Thursday 10th December, at Bewley's in Grafton Street. Entry 8.30 for a 9pm start, 10euro in.

In the words of the Bewley's site:-

Dublin singer-songwriter Ronan Swift is coming down from his home in the mountains to join his band (regulars Josh Johnston - piano, Eoin O'Brien - guitar, Bill Blackmore - trumpet, Malachy Robinson - bass along with some special guests) in the intimate surroundings of Bewleys Cafe Theatre in the city centre of Dublin to play tracks from his debut CD farewell future wives (launched September 2009), and to preview tracks from his forthcoming CD to be released Spring 2010. Ronan was born in '72, the year Al Blue Lewis fought Ali in a bout of Gaelic Boxing at Croker and came second. He has been a schoolboy, a schoolmaster, a window cleaner & a gardener. His folky/rocky/poppy tunes of love and life are adorned by a dedicated gang of selfless musicians. Both words and music are equally important in the constant striving to create dingin' tunes. Tracks can be heard at www.myspace.com/ronanswift.

He also has his own Facebook fanpage. farewell future wives is available from Tower Records and Road Records in Dublin, or www.Shandonrecords.com, CDBaby.com and I-Tunes worldwide. Ronan also featured on Josh Johnston’s 2008 Shandon Records CD “Asylum Harbour” singing his own song “The Forty-Foot”.

'King John' on Wordle

No 36 in our Shakespeare Wordles series : King John.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

Poetry Aloud Finals Day

Good luck this morning to Hamish Law and John Clarke, our two semi-finalists in this year's Poetry Aloud competition, which comes to a climax today at Wesley College. The final will be held in Wesley this evening in front of President Mary McAleese.

'Richard III' on Wordle

No 36 in our Shakespeare Wordles series : Richard III.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

Punctuation New's on Apostrophe's!!

In July last we reported on the local Guerrilla Punctuation Action Group (GPAG), who seemed to be inserting apostrophes on local signs during covert night-time raids.

Here's a site ('How to Use an Apostrophe') which explains clearly when to use and not to use those tricky little marks, and there's also Sue Palmer's Home for Abused Apostrophes. And here's a Flickr group in which you can see lot's of example's of egregiou's error's.

'The Merchant of Venice' on Wordle

No 35 in our Shakespeare Wordles series : The Merchant of Venice.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.

Review of 'The Acharnians'

A week before the recent exams, we had our annual Senior Play, this time the ancient Greek comedy The Acharnians, by Aristophanes. Click here for an Animoto video, here for a rehearsal video.

Now, Amelia Shirley reviews the production:-

The acting was of a very high standard this year, with participants from 4th Form up to 6th Form. Poppy Vernon opened the evening, complaining about “no one being on time”. She swaggered onto the stage in a black trilby, waistcoat and boots, only to pace back and forth, ranting on about something or another that no one could really relate to at this early stage in the performance. Her outspoken character, Dikaiopolis, was conveyed magnificently, and nothing seemed to faze her acting skills, not even the shameless Michael McBurney in his Speedos and swimming goggles.

Click here for Amelia's full review.

'The Winter's Tale' on Wordle

No 34 in our Shakespeare Wordles series : The Winter's Tale.

Wordles are created by Jonathan Feinberg's online tool here; the more times the word appears in the text, the larger the word. In our Shakespeare Wordles, the entire text, including the name indicators of the characters before they speak, is included. Thus you can see how relatively dominant a character is in each play, as well as spot recurring ideas and themes. Our Wordles use different numbers of 'maximum words'. Click on the image for a closer view.