Bewleys has long had an association with literary Dublin and with the resumption of their financial support for a first collection of poems, which was awarded on Tuesday morning, the relationship has developed. This year's recipient was Ted McCarthy from Clones, Co. Monaghan, whose book of poetry November Weddings and Other Poems has already been reprinted by Lilliput (a poem also appears in today's Books pages on Weekend 9). As the sun streamed into the Oriental Room Theo Dorgan from Poetry Ireland told guests that the award was intended to mark the presence of a new voice in Irish writing.
Patricia Quinn, director of the Arts Council stood in for this year's adjudicator, poet Michael Cody and presented the lolly to McCarthy - Cody was unfortunately called away to speak at a friend's funeral. McCarthy read two pieces from his collection - Dillon Street and November Wedding, which he dedicated to Brendan Behan and his brother Seamus Behan, who came from London for the event as this year's award was entitled the Brendan Behan Memorial Award to honour the poet's work in Irish. Not a man you'd immediately associate with coffee, Behan actually held his wedding reception in Bewleys on Westmoreland Street. Seamus told the story of how he was in the British Army while Behan was in the IRA - quite a case of sibling irony. Novelist Pat McCabe, an old friend of McCarthy's, was also there to support his pal and after all the coffee, a bit of the black stuff was called for and the crowd headed on to Grogans for a well-deserved pint.