‘If the Walls had Ears’ is a spoken word event curated by broadcaster Ann Marie Kelly and will take place in the walled garden of The Pantry in Portlaoise on Friday, September 13.
This unique event is a communal conversation which requires a ‘listening ear’ and a ‘quiet setting’.
The magical garden in The Pantry, in the heart of Portlaoise town centre is an ideal setting, an area of stillness and tranquility with no other distractions amidst the fairy lit trees.
Ann Marie will introduce each speaker who will then take to the stage alone.
Interspersed between each speaker, live music will be played with audiences encouraged to interact and get to know each other.
The invited contributors to the event – each a ‘storyteller’ coming from diverse backgrounds: From a young local poet to a hurling giant, a ‘lost’ engineer to a local sex education teacher, a psychotherapist to a Presentation Sister.
The stories supply and fuel the audience with musings on life and surviving each day.
The speakers are people who are breaking down barriers every day and are defiant in the face of adversity.
‘There is no perfect ending’ as Pam Clinton (psychotherapist) one of the event’s contributors might say, and this is the essence of the event.
There are no answers but the stories communicated on the night may provide guidance and inspiration to you.
The stories will be recorded for broadcast on the award-winning Open Door on Midlands 103.
Tickets are on sale for €10.85 at www.eventbrite.ie/e/if-the-walls-had-ears-tickets-69401544889?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. For more information, go to facebook.com/ifthewallshadears
Supported by Creative Ireland Laois, as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council.
Contributors include:
Eddie Brennan: Laois Hurling manager and multiple All Ireland winning Kilkenny All Star.
Glory Anumudu: 18 year old Poet and Spoken Word artist and is not afraid to speak out on race and sexuality.
Norbert Jez: Fifth Year student at Portlaoise College and recently performed a piece about the death of his father at the Laois Debating finals.
Pam Clinton: Psychotherapist based in Mullingar who challenges beliefs that there is an end line of perfection to be reached.
Ultan Conlon: Singer/Songwriter from Galway. Compared to Roy Orbinson, Ultan has recorded with Mary Coughlan and John Martyn and is just back from the U.S. where he recorded his brand new album.
Sr Helen Hyland: Presentation Sister based in Mountmellick and founder of St Francis School.
Aran Ni Mhurchu: Visually impaired young woman and her Guide Dog Buttons from Portlaoise, and volunteers in the NCBI charity shop in Kilkenny.
Helen Lalor: A free spirit and midwife/nurse on campus at Mary Immaculate College and delivers sexual health education in schools.
Kayleigh McGrath: Fifth Year Student from Portlaoise College who recently performed a piece at the Laois Debating finals.
Kieran Feeney: Engineer from Lanesborough. ‘My life is perfect but my perception of it is far from perfect.’ Kieran Feeney lives in his head.
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