OnTheTown: 'I don't know how many books I read, I can just tell you what height the piles were in my study," laughed author Glenn Patterson, gesturing at an imaginary tower of volumes in front of him.
Patterson was speaking at the inaugural Glen Dimplex New Writers Awards, which took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin on Thursday evening, and was one of three writers charged with choosing the recipient of the fiction award.
Patterson and fellow judge Lavinia Greacen, who judged the biography/non-fiction award, were both pleasantly surprised at the ease with which consensus was reached on their respective category winners.
"The winner definitely stood out," confided Graecen of London-based Alice Hogge, who not only won her category, but also the overall €20,000 award.
One of the three Irish writers who picked up awards was Philip Ó Ceallaigh, a native of Waterford. Now based in Bucharest, he was visiting Cork, as a shortlisted author for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, when he heard his book of short stories, Notes from a Turkish Whorehouse, had also been shortlisted for these awards.
"It's just what comes naturally," said
Ó Ceallaigh, explaining his decision to write short stories. "It involves the best that's involved in both forms, poetry and novels."
Ó Ceallaigh introduced London-born author Naomi Alderman, whose book, Disobedience, he has just been reading. "It caused some controversy, because it involves a lesbian relationship," explained Alderman, whose novel is set in the Orthodox Jewish community of northwest London.
Conor Kostick, Carlo Gébler and Celia de Freine were just three of the judges who attended the awards ceremony. Other guests at the event included Declan Kiberd, Seamus Deane and Anthony Cronin. Myles Dungan, former Rattlebag presenter, was MC for the night.
But will they be doing it all again next year? According to John Mellon, chairman of the Irish Writers Centre, the sponsors, Glen Dimpex, represented on the night by group chairman Martin Naughton, "have committed themselves for the next three years". As to the judges, Patterson says that he hasn't yet been asked to return next year. Would he, if asked, face that towering pile of books again? An affirmative nod and smile are all the reply he gives.
Play it again, Potter
An impressive grand piano provided a fitting backdrop for the launch of Ceol Potter, a CD of Irish airs arranged for orchestra by the late composer, AJ Potter. The event took place on Wednesday night in the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin, where Potter had been professor of composition for 18 years.
Gael Linn first released the recording on LP in 1973 as part of a government drive to bring the music of the people to a wider audience through RTÉ broadcasts.
Antoine Ó Coileáin, CEO of Gael Linn, had received a letter last year, the 25th anniversary of the composer's death, suggesting that it might be an appropriate time to re-release the album. "I went into the archives and, on the first hearing, I just knew it had to be re-released," Ó Coileáin recounted.
Sarah Burn, who had been Potter's fiancée, and who was the author of that persuasive letter, came along to the launch. "I had the LP lying around at home for years," she said, "and then I saw that Gael Linn had re-released a lot of Ó Riada's music."
The CD was launched by John O'Conor, director of RIAM, who has just returned from an American tour with the academy's chamber orchestra and is preparing to travel to Japan for a series of recitals.
"He was a larger-than-life character," noted O'Conor, "and was so influential in Irish music." Composer Seoirse Bodley remembered Potter as someone who "prided himself on being a very professional composer".
Niamh Heery, from the Contemporary Music Centre, and her friend Owen Curran were there, as was Catherine Kirby of the National Concert Hall. Patrick Wall, a lecturer in education at TCD, and his wife, Mairéad Duffy, also came along.
O'Conor reminded those gathered of one of Potter's more unusual compositions requiring four pianists on two pianos. Unfortunately, however, nobody decided to give it a go and the beautiful grand piano remained unplayed.
Seasonal toasting in a city foyer
'We're not actually launching Christmas, just the list of events," joked one of the speakers as this year's Christmas programme for Dublin city centre was unveiled.
Yet, despite the protests to the contrary, stepping into City Hall on Thursday evening there was a distinct feeling that the festive season had slid a step closer.
From the icy blue hue of the lighting to the aroma of spiced apple wafting from a stand in the corner and the Bing Crosby tones of the singers, those in attendance had their senses assaulted with a tinsel-covered baseball bat.
The programme, which was launched by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Vincent Jackson, includes ice-skating in Smithfield, the nativity crib with live animals at the Mansion House, as well as walks in search of Rudolph, led by the Phoenix Park deer-keepers. Temple Bar will host a traditional Christmas market, and for those wrapped up warmly, there will be Christmas movies on Meeting House Square.
Balloon artists, stilt-walkers and Santa's workshop kept the many children at the launch entertained, while a fashion show catered to older tastes.
Eight-year-old Alannah Owens was looking forward to braving it on the ice in Smithfield, "I can't do it very well, I always fall down," she confided.
Her little brother Cian was eager to get to Santa's workshop, and re-emerged sometime later with his face painted like Batman, and a wide smile peeking out underneath.
Also there was Australian Kathryn Feeney, the current Rose of Tralee, who has relocated to Dublin and is now looking forward to spending Christmas in the northern hemisphere.
"I'll miss watching the cricket, but not the weather," said the young Brisbane native, adding that she is enjoying her new role.
But, while many are finding it difficult to deal with this imminent arrival of this festive season, others are already preparing for the next.
"We intend to put up the biggest set of lights in Ireland next year, stretching from Capel Street to Connolly Station," said Tom Coffey, chief executive of the Dublin City Business Association, "and we've started working on that already."
The ghostliest turn-on
Traditionally a night when ghosts and ghouls take over the city and the supernatural reigns supreme, Halloween 2006 will be remembered as the one when a spectre of a different kind returned to prominence, with the much-anticipated launch of Phantom FM.
The radio station that will now be known as Phantom 105.2 started life in 1996 as the brainchild of nine music enthusiasts in a garden shed in Sandyford and was officially launched as a commercial station in The Village on Wexford Street in Dublin on Tuesday night.
"It's fantastic," enthused Phantom's general manager, Simon Maher, who was joined by his girlfriend Aisling Bastable. "It's the culmination of 10 years' work."
Paul McGuinness, manager of U2 and one of Phantom's investors, posed for photographs with what looked like Alice Cooper draping a riding crop round his shoulders. It turned out to be the station's programme director, Peter Vamos. One of Phantom's "original nine", Vamos had dressed up in black leather and was sporting "Cooperesque" stage make-up for the occasion.
"The last year and a half to two years have been absolutely depressing," said Vamos, referring to the delays caused by a legal challenge, "then today I did a three-hour radio show for the first time in three years. I'm a whole person again."
Niall Stokes of Hot Press magazine, who was involved with Zed FM, the rival bidder for the coveted licence, came along to the launch and posed with McGuinness, causing a stir of excitement among the assembled photographers.
However, the night was more about the fans than the suits and there was a genuine feeling of excitement about Phantom's launch among the guests.
"It has been sorely missed," stressed Anthony Wall McManus, lead singer of metal band The Hitchcock Blondes, who came along to show his support with his friend Laura Murphy. "You would never hear the kind of music we play on a regular station," he said. "I was listening to it this afternoon, and I was really impressed," said Sarah Corcoran, one of the many twentysomethings who make up Phantom's core demographic.
Before people moved upstairs to secure prime positions for the Phantom gig, which included bands such as Director and The Blizzards, there was just time for a few quick words from Ger Roe, Phantom's chief executive, and from Maher.
"I hope you go home in a merry enough state that you flick on to Phantom FM," he roared, struggling to make himself heard over the general din, "and then throw the knob down the toilet."