Sir, - I was interested to read (The Irish Times, October 9th), of the laudable presentation on CD of contemporary poets, entitled Dublin Fifteen. Readers might be interested to learn of a CD produced in 1995 by Clo IarChonnachta, entitled Blaiseadh. It was part of a series of recordings comprising book format and cassette presentations of Irish writers, An Beal Beo/The Spoken Word, which has published work by poets and writers as diverse as Padraic Colum, Gabriel Rosenstock, Seamus Heaney (translated into Irish by Rosenstock), Alan Titley, Seosamh O Guairim and Nuala Ni Dhomnaill.
The Blaiseadh CD carries work by, among others, Cathal O Searcaigh, Sorcha Ni Ghuairim, Louis de Paor, Rita Ann Higgins, Michael Davitt, Alan Titley, Maire Mhac an tSaoi, Nuala Ni Dhomnaill; even a couple of poems from myself, if I may declare an interest.
One may on occasion be forgiven for forgetting that some very good literary work is being undertaken outside the Pale. - Yours, etc.,
From Fred Johnston
Rahoon Park, Galway.