Tommy Murray, reading in the Highlanes Gallery Drogheda Saturday 26th May 2012

Cathy Martin, of the Meath Arts Office presided over the launching of Tommy Murray's latest book

" SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS " at Navan Library Thursday 24th May "2012.

The book is a collection of Tommy's favourite poems, published by Lapwing of Belfast.

For more details click on Meath Books website on right of page.

Tom French reading at the launch.

Tommy Murray

L/R: Tommy Murray, Cathy Martin and Tom French  

ON THE GREAT WIDE OPEN

Unveiling the memorial L/R Mayor of Navan Anton McCabe, Eileen Mellet whose husband Padraig was killed in the mine. Eileen has fought for a long time to have a memorial erected in memory of those who lost their lives in the mine and for all deceased members of the workforce past and presen.t Pictured on the right is Sculptor Patrick Barry. 

Mayor Anton McCabe presening Eileen Mellett with a bouquet of flowers

at the unveiling of the monument " On the Great Wide Open " at the Kells Road

Roundabout, Navan, Co. Meath 18th May 2012

Eoin Mellett

L/R: Gerry Larkin, Eoin Mellett both their fathers were killed in the mine and right the Sculptor Patrick Barry. 

L/R: Mayor Anton McCabe, Eileen Mellett, presenting Edel Macarry With cheque for €600 on behalf of the Meath Womens Refuge and right Eoin Mellett. 

L/R: Mayor Anton McCabe, Eileen Mellett presenting Ann Marie Russell with cheque for €600 on behalf of the Alzheimer's Day Care Centre, Liscarton, Navan.

Mayor of Navan Anton McCabe

CLIMBING THE BEN

In June 2005 my sons Paul and Austin spent a week in the highlands of Scotland, climbing many of it's highest mountains including Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, which rises to a height of 4409 feet.

  The weather on the summit can be extreme with temperatures well below zero.  There are on average 261 gales per year and on many occasions wind speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour have been recorded there.  Snow can survive on these peaks until late in the summer months.

  The route they chose to climb ' the Ben ' is one of the most challenging, approaching the satellite peak of Cairn  Mor Dearg to the north east.  The two peaks are joined by a narrow rock ridge called the Cairn Mor Dearg Arete.  The ridge is crossed to reach the eastern flanks of Ben Nevis.  To take this route you need a good head for heights and a good mountaineering sense.

  While in this wonderful wild place, in the relative comfort of his tent, Austin was inspired to pen two poems, reproduced here.

A BLAZE in the Northern Sky

Tonight I lie on earthly soil under a northern sky.

Dreams of a forgotten past occupy my mind carried on th wind.

The misty mountains bring knowledge of an ancient race.

A race forgotten by time and dust.

A people who held the torch that lit the way.

Tonight I weep for the great mother.

May her children return to her, before all that is becomes the grave.

Man's destiny is his own.

But his life is given to him by the mother

A gift to repay.

Our souls are engraved in the land

So to destroy her is to enslave ourselves.

Sometimes it seems we know less than when we were born.

As the mist clears in my dream comes hope.

I see many roads before us

All leading to a final end. 

Alone we navigate the path.

Like a circle I hope it ends at the beginning

To start anew.

Austin ( Ozzy ) Sheils

JOURNEY

Let my weary head rest.

Let these tired feet renew.

To end my journey in the morning.

In this land I have travelled and spent some time.

Memories to keep, to carry to the grave.

Only me and my travelling companion

Shall share these stories to tell

Of her mountains, glens, loughs and burns.

Her beauty is vast the surface only scratched.

To come again now is not soon enough.

This land is not our own but her beauty has touched our souls,

Us and our kind, we people of the hills.

To my home I shall go to spread the word

That to journey is to feed the soul,

to experience is to learn and to learn is to grow.

There are many out there who do not know.

Stagnant souls, TV is all they know, their reality is false.

Already I have seen my own country

And in words I cannot express what I feel for her.

What she has given I can never repay.

Her troubled history she has endured.

Her strength I respect for she is of me as I am of her.

Now I know that there is more to see across the sea.

To journey another day.

Austin ( Ozzy ) Sheils

On a later trip April 2008 Paul ( Pipe ) In the company of John Paul Kearney tackled the Ben again and on that occasion he filmed it.  Video below.

.