Novelist Roddy Doyle pictured at the Kerry Writers’ Museum in Listowel on Tuesday for the creative writing programme ‘Fighting Words’ Kerry with pupils from Coolard National School. Included are teachers, Norma Leahy and Dora Curley & pupils, Caoimhe Lenihan, Katie O’Connell, Holly Walsh, Emily Kissane, Sinead Lyons, Eliza O’Donnell, Laura Meehan, Grace O’Sullivan Katie Corrigan, David Duggan, Timmy Kennelly, Thomas Scanlan, Jimmy Carmody, Sam Madigan, Sean Leahy, Michael O’Gorman, Billy McDonagh, Ian Lawlor & Margaret O’Connor. Photo: Don MacMonagle
The Booker Prize-winning author of The Commitments and The Van participated in a story-writing session with students from Coolard National School in the morning, and with prospective Fighting Words volunteers in the afternoon. Fighting Words Kerry is a regional branch of the national Fighting Words programme headquartered in Russell Street in Dublin. Founded by Roddy Doyle and Seán Love in 2009, Fighting Words has helped thousands of children and young people discover the power of their imaginations and creative writing skills. Fighting Words stories have been showcased in special supplements to The Irish Times. Branch programmes have sprung up in Donegal, Cork, Belfast, Galway, Wicklow and Cavan and now in Kerry.
According to Fighting Words Kerry Coordinators Cara Trant and Maria Leahy, “We’re delighted with the response and participation in Fighting Words in our first year. We’ve worked with students from Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Ballylongford and Causeway, to name but a few. Our volunteers come from all parts of Kerry, from Kenmare to Dingle and Tralee to Ballybunion. Fighting Words Kerry has become a genuine county wide programme. And the results are great. When the kids get to exercise their imaginations, the sky is the limit.”
Fighting Words Kerry currently runs monthly workshops for primary schools at its base in Kerry Writers’ Museum, Listowel. Plans are currently afoot to establish an outreach centre in Caherciveen with the support of Kerry ETB. As the programme is volunteer led, FWK urgently needs volunteers to enable it to develop to its full potential.
Teachers and principals from Kerry schools who wish sign up their classes for free Fighting Words creative writing sessions and adults who are interested in helping as volunteers can contact the FWK Coordinators at kerry@fightingwords.ie. For information about the national Fighting Words programme see www.fightingwords.ie
For additional information contact:
Cara Trant, Manager Kerry Writers’ Museum – 068 22212
Maria Leahy, Co-ordinator, Fighting Words Kerry – kerry@fightingwords.ie
