Several of my students and I went to the monthly meeting of the Shannon Storytellers Thursday night at Flannery’s on Sean Costello Street in Athlone. I’d heard about the group from Jackie Gorman before we left Arizona and was able to join on Facebook. The organizer is local author Karen Goode, and people come to share both written and oral pieces. Here’s what Karen wrote about the group on Facebook:
Do you have a short story to tell? Something you've written and would like to share with like-minded people in a relaxed atmosphere? This is the place for you. All welcome!!!!!!
Flannery’s, with its distinctly relaxed atmosphere, is my favorite pub in Athlone. When we were talking about going, Danielle Allison said, “That’s your local. You’ll have spent more time there than some of the Irish attendees.” When I walked in last night, owner Ann Flannery said, “Ah, you’re back. Welcome home!”
Flannery’s is the perfect place for an event like this. It’s a tiny place, and there are no televisions. Ann is an enthusiastic proponent of the arts, and when people started speaking, not only did she quiet all the patrons, she and her dog sat down to listen.
Karen had passed around a sign-up sheet and three of my students and I signed up along with a few others. After Karen read her first piece, she called on Hannah Junion from our class. Hannah got up and told a rousing version of a well-known Irish folktale, “The Horned Women”. Karen then asked Casey Chisholm, also from our group. Casey told the story of Brigid O’Malley, which is Jennifer Armstrong’s version of “The Man Who Had No Story.” Casey did a tremendous job with the story, even singing a little lullaby for which she composed the tune for herself. (The first picture shows Hannah Junion. The second is Casey Chisholm.) 
Before the break we also heard a story from Maria Gillen. She told a very compelling and true ghost story from Mayo called “McEvilly’s Pub” that she had found published in a local paper from the beginning of the last century. I thought she looked familiar, and at the break I learned that I’d met her years before when she came to one of the concerts that Danielle Allison and I had organized as part of the Three Rivers Storytelling Festival. She was collecting stories for a degree she was pursuing in Galway and has never stopped!
After a short break, Karen read a short piece and then called on Juliana Martinez, another of my students. Juliana told a story about the consequences suffered by a thatcher who needlessly kills an eel. Now, granted, the eel did have its own tail in its mouth and was rolling down the road like a wheel. Who could blame the thatcher for thinking it was magical and might contain treasure? (The picture at the top shows everyone listening as Juliana tells.)
Jackie Gorman read “Our Cat Goes to Heaven” by Margaret Atwood, a great humorous and touching piece. One of the best lines – that turned the heads and raised the eyebrows of the men at the bar – is when the cat discovers that God is also a cat. The cat says, “I’m glad you aren’t a dog, said our cat. Do you think I could have my testicles back?” Of course, said God. They’re over behind that bush. Our cat was very pleased. Thank you, he said to God."
When it was my turn I wanted to give a feeling of Arizona, so I told “The Horny Toad’s Grandparents.” Karen then wrapped up the evening with a piece that she wrote as the result of playing around on a chat site. She read the female parts, and Karl Glass read the male parts. Very humorous and enjoyed by all – especially the accompanying screen shots that Karen and Karl held up. While the men sent hunky shots, Karen sent various pictures of Susan Boyle to represent herself.
We all sat around and visited for another hour or so while the musicians set up for the open-mike night. In addition to the ten students from my class who attended, Jackie Gorman and Danielle Allison were there. Danielle is a local storyteller and teacher who was my first friend in Athlone, courtesy of an introduction by Liz Weir. I’ve also known Jackie almost from the beginning through our association with the Atlantic Corridor, a development group in Tullamore that she now heads. Jackie’s good friend and Danielle’s neighbor Brenda Burke was also there. Liz Weir and I had run into her in Ballynahown earlier in the week when we stopped in for tea and little craft shopping. (The picture shows Danielle, Jackie, and Brenda.)
And, Fionnuala O’Connell was also there. She used to work at the Athlone Community Radio station and I met her there when she interviewed me for the Three Rivers Storytelling Festival. She is now pursuing a degree in elementary education and we had a good talk about the utility of storytelling in education in general and literacy in particular.
It was the kind of night I love best: friends, stories, history, warmth, overlapping connections, atmospheric spot. Welcome home, indeed!
The picture above is me and Jackie Gorman, followed by me in mid-flow as Julianna Martinez listens. 
Leave a Reply