JUNE
Events
Saturday 12th June 10.30am to 4.30pm (Registration 10am)
Voyages to the Otherworld
in Medieval Ireland
A workshop led by John Carey
The idea that another dimension exists behind the surface of the world of our everyday awareness has been a potent part of the collective imagination of the Irish, throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. This immortal realm was often referred to as the síde, the ‘hollow hills’ which were thought to be the dwelling places of the old gods, but the Otherworld does not have any single geographical location. It could also be reached through mist or darkness, by passing beneath the waters of springs or lakes, or by crossing the sea. This day will be devoted to four medieval Irish tales, composed between the seventh and the ninth centuries: The Adventure of Connlae, The Voyage of Bran son of Febul, The Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot and The Voyage of Mael Dúin’s Boat. The shorter texts in their entirety, and significant extracts from the longer ones, will be distributed on the day. These vivid and fantastic narratives serve as vehicles for fundamental themes: the nature of the other realm and its inhabitants; the power of the imagination to transform our experience of the world; and the ways in which the sensation of wonder can be a path to God. John Carey MA (HARV), PHD (HARV), is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Early and Medieval Irish, University College Cork, Ireland, and a Fellow of the Temenos Academy; he is general editor of the Temenos Academy Review. His publications include A Single Ray of the Sun: Religious Speculation in Early Ireland (1999), King of Mysteries: Early Irish Religious Writings (2nd ed. 2000) and Ireland and the Grail (2007).
Cost: £30 (concession available).
Please bring a packed lunch. Soup, tea and coffee will be provided.
Venue: The Hall Barn
Saturday 12th June 10.30am to 4.30pm (Registration 10am)
Voyages to the Otherworld
in Medieval Ireland
A workshop led by John Carey
The idea that another dimension exists behind the surface of the world of our everyday awareness has been a potent part of the collective imagination of the Irish, throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. This immortal realm was often referred to as the síde, the ‘hollow hills’ which were thought to be the dwelling places of the old gods, but the Otherworld does not have any single geographical location. It could also be reached through mist or darkness, by passing beneath the waters of springs or lakes, or by crossing the sea. This day will be devoted to four medieval Irish tales, composed between the seventh and the ninth centuries: The Adventure of Connlae, The Voyage of Bran son of Febul, The Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot and The Voyage of Mael Dúin’s Boat. The shorter texts in their entirety, and significant extracts from the longer ones, will be distributed on the day. These vivid and fantastic narratives serve as vehicles for fundamental themes: the nature of the other realm and its inhabitants; the power of the imagination to transform our experience of the world; and the ways in which the sensation of wonder can be a path to God. John Carey MA (HARV), PHD (HARV), is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Early and Medieval Irish, University College Cork, Ireland, and a Fellow of the Temenos Academy; he is general editor of the Temenos Academy Review. His publications include A Single Ray of the Sun: Religious Speculation in Early Ireland (1999), King of Mysteries: Early Irish Religious Writings (2nd ed. 2000) and Ireland and the Grail (2007).
Cost: £30 (concession available).
Please bring a packed lunch. Soup, tea and coffee will be provided.
Venue: The Hall Barn
Sunday
13th June 2.30pm to 4.30pm
The Bleddfa Poetry Group
Led by Daphne Turner
The second afternoon on Seamus Heaney.
Cost: £5 per session.
Venue: The Hall Barn
