{"id":10348,"date":"2015-11-18T11:37:56","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T10:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/?p=10348"},"modified":"2015-11-18T11:38:16","modified_gmt":"2015-11-18T10:38:16","slug":"bard-of-armagh-celebrates-21-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/2015\/11\/bard-of-armagh-celebrates-21-birthday\/","title":{"rendered":"BARD OF ARMAGH CELEBRATES 21 BIRTHDAY"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cFrom Russia with Spuds\u201d to \u201cThe King of the Culchies\u201d, from \u201cShades of Fifty\u201d\u00a0 to \u201cHay-shed romancing\u201d, the 21st<\/sup> Bard of Armagh Competition presents a\u00a0 special feast of fresh, humorous and uproarious verse to celebrate its special birthday.<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>With 1000 patrons expected at the Armagh City Hotel on Friday 20 November for another night of hilarity and waves of laughter, this unique event has activated the ancient art of humorous versification like no other in modern times.
\nSince the first event held in Keady in 1995 before a small audience, the festival gained such immediate popularity that it was forced to go from venue to venue seeing ever larger premises until it became established in the City Hotel with its huge capacity.<\/p>\n

Since its inception, over three hundred bards from every county in Ireland without exception, and ever growing participants from across these islands male and female of all ages and religions have graced the lectern at the finals, setting ever fresh standards of creative humorous writing and \u00a0recitation and outstanding presentation.
\nThe annual Bard night is an occasion when people switch off the relentless in-your-face TV world of Soaps and Talent Shows and go for a refreshing, uplifting experience of genuine home-made entertainment in keeping with the great traditions of the past.<\/p>\n

The themes usually relate to ongoing controversies and topical issues of the day. For example, at the coming event Peter Casey from Co Clare will\u00a0 deliver his GAA related\u00a0 poem \u2018Hey Mr Chairman!\u2019 depicting the annual scene where committee members and players who complain all year still go with flow at the AGM and vote the same chairman in again.\u00a0 \u201cMr Chairman\u201d will promise, but of course won\u2019t deliver!<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the players will train six nights a week and they\u2019ll all give up the drink,<\/em><\/p>\n

And we\u2019ll bring in a sports psychologist to teach them how to think-<\/em><\/p>\n

But you and me we both agree that the players won\u2019t leave the pub<\/em><\/p>\n

And the outside man with his 5 year plan will break our little club\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

It also highlights tales of how well laid plans can go pear- shaped as Kerry Bard Sonia Elston tells of her meticulous preparation for a job interview then loses the car keys which triggers a monumental series of blunders. Keady\u2019s seasoned campaigner Donal McKenna has dug into the lore of his local town and conjured up a much overdue poem about the celebrated art-form of lying.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had lied all over Ireland wherever liars could be found<\/em><\/p>\n

Now I know he\u2019s happy for he\u2019s lying underground\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Then there is the art of the spell binding tongue twister, and Brookeborough\u2019s Damien McGirr will be doing his utmost to keep the Bard title in County Fermanagh after the exploits of Seamus Carolan last year with his poem \u2018Second Hand Handles\u2019<\/p>\n

Love poems have been one of the major themes of the Bard Festival of the festival and Sligo bard John McDonagh tells how \u201cit\u2019s never too late to look for love\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s useful to mention, if you\u2019ve got the pension, before your hormones started freaking,<\/em><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve gone past your prime and you haven\u2019t much time until the radiator starts leaking, <\/em><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be dejected, you can still get connected, someone may soon come along, <\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps a toy- boy all the way from Hanoi, or a thing in a thong from Hong Kong\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Another newcomer, Jennifer Herron from Larne puts forward a very convincing argument as to how and why dogs are more reliable than boyfriends and Dominic Bennett has to be among the favourites with \u2018Now I\u2019m in the doghouse\u2019\u00a0 This is a take on \u2018Fifty Shades\u2019\u00a0 and the exasperated husband finds himself intoxicated and reminiscing about exploits of days gone by.<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNow the whiskey bottle is empty, I\u2019m telling tales of yore,<\/em><\/p>\n

Of how I marked Joe Kernan and he didn\u2019t get a score\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In keeping with the non-conventional off the wall views of the world, Joan Rooney argues that a lot of what is dressed up and presented as \u2018breaking news\u2019 is nothing more than mere trivia and of no significance-<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Tyrone! says Fr McKeown<\/em><\/p>\n

Up Armagh! says Paul McGrath<\/em><\/p>\n

Is it ten pin bowlin\u2019? says Steven Nolan?<\/em><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s rugger, says Alan Sugar<\/em><\/p>\n

Kick her low, says Tommy Bowe<\/em><\/p>\n

He\u2019s not fit, says Joe Schmidt<\/em><\/p>\n

Your man is trippin\u2019, says Angela Rippon<\/em><\/p>\n

Must be a free! says Opra Winfrey<\/em><\/p>\n

Give him a yella! says Nelson Mandella<\/em><\/p>\n

Send him off! says Bob Geldoff<\/em><\/p>\n

Put him in the sin-bin! says Jeremy Corbyn<\/em><\/p>\n

The ref\u2019s a looper! says Henry Cooper\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

And four times Bard winner Jimmy Rafferty from Loughgall has pulled the rabbit out of the hat once more with a gripping tale of espionage in the true James Bond style.\u00a0 \u2018From Russia with Spuds\u2019 is one of his greatest creations.<\/p>\n

Great favourite Rob Barratt from Cornwall always gets a tremendous ovation and this year\u2019s ode is another utterly clever spellbinder.\u00a0 \u2018The troofa bout the Garra Rufa\u2019 is a rare gem and Rob\u2019s presentation is always impeccable.<\/p>\n

\u201cGarra Rufa, Garra Rufa<\/em><\/p>\n

You’ve no need to use a loofah<\/em><\/p>\n

They’ll nibble on your new veruca<\/em><\/p>\n

And gorge on ageing hardened corns<\/em><\/p>\n

And other growths your body spawns<\/em><\/p>\n

A cooly callous callus feeder<\/em><\/p>\n

A bold bloodthirsty little bleeder<\/em><\/p>\n

A manky festering puss-filled bunion<\/em><\/p>\n

Is to him like cheese and onion\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>With folk band \u2018Puzzle Find Pat\u2019 performing uplifting reels, jigs and song, Master of ceremonies Pearse McBride with his exuberance, elegance and charm, there is no better place to be on Friday 20 November than in The Armagh City Hotel for the ultimate night\u2019s crack of the year when sixteen accomplished poets will compete for the mantle \u2018Bard of Armagh 2015\u2019 and a share of the \u00a33000 in prize money.<\/p>\n

The finalists in this year\u2019s Bard of Armagh are as follows:<\/p>\n

The finalists in this year\u2019s competition are as follows:<\/p>\n

Paul Gallagher, Omagh, Co Tyrone.\u00a0 \u2018The futility of gambling\u2019<\/p>\n

Rob Barratt, Launceston, Cornwall. \u2018The troofa bout the Garra Rufa\u2019<\/p>\n

Jennifer Herron, Larne, Co Antrim. \u2018Dogs are better than boyfriends\u2019<\/p>\n

John McDonagh, Ballymote, Co Sligo.\u2019 Every dog has its day\u2019<\/p>\n

Donal McKenna, Keady, Co Armagh. \u2018The special presentation\u2019<\/p>\n

Joan Rooney, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. \u2018Any news\u2019<\/p>\n

Dominic Bennett, Glengormley, Co Antrim. \u2018Now I\u2019m in the doghouse\u2019<\/p>\n

Padraig McGinn, Carrick on Shannon. Co Leitrim \u2018King of the Culchies\u2019<\/p>\n

Damien McGirr, Brookeborough Co Fermanagh. \u2018Second hand handles\u2019<\/p>\n

Phyllis Murphy, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan. \u2018Marry in haste\u2019<\/p>\n

Jimmy Rafferty, Loughall, Co Armagh.\u00a0 \u2018From Russia with spuds\u2019<\/p>\n

Patrick Gormley, Draperstown, Co Derry.\u00a0 \u2018Nick Evans\u2019<\/p>\n

Peter Casey Fanore, Co Clare. \u2018Hey Mr Chairman\u2019<\/p>\n

Sonia Elston, Ardfert, Co Kerry.\u00a0 \u2018Lost and found\u2019<\/p>\n

Patsy McDermott, Virginia, Co Cavan. \u2018Learning to recite\u2019<\/p>\n

Tickets for the event are currently on sale in the following venues:<\/p>\n

Armagh City Hotel<\/p>\n

Mona McEntee Crossmaglen<\/p>\n

House of Gold Monaghan<\/p>\n

Gene Stewarts Dungannon<\/p>\n

Tommy Makem Arts and Community Centre Keady<\/p>\n

Or through the website www.bardofarmagh.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cFrom Russia with Spuds\u201d to \u201cThe King of the Culchies\u201d, from \u201cShades of Fifty\u201d\u00a0 to \u201cHay-shed romancing\u201d, the 21st Bard of Armagh Competition presents a\u00a0 special feast of fresh, humorous and uproarious verse to celebrate its special birthday. With 1000 patrons expected at the Armagh City Hotel on Friday 20 November for another night of … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10348"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10348"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10351,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10348\/revisions\/10351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}