Hello, and welcome to July’s ‘Irish SF News.’
First, an amendment to my last newsletter: I was
incorrect in saying the Maria Doyle Kennedy was in
Star Wars. I was thinking of Bronagh Gallagher, it
seems, who was also in’ The Commitments,’ along with
MDK. MDK is still one of the voice talents on ‘Crazy
Dog Live!’, though. At least that bit was correct…
WANDERLY WAGON:
I heard Graham Norton on the radio saying recently
that ‘Wanderly Wagon’ was his favourite children’s TV
programme, so maybe I’ll send him this bit.
‘Wanderly Wagon’ was at one stage the most popular
children’s show on RTÉ, and ran from 1968 to 1982.
I’m not going to try to explain what it was about,
because if you’ve seen it you know, and if you
haven’t, then it is beyond my meagre skills as a
writer to try to make sense of it. Think Dr Who with
a fat man instead of The Doctor, a grandmother instead
of the companion, a horsedrawn wagon instead of the
TARDIS, and absolutely no budget whatsoever, and
you’re still miles out.
On Saturday the 10th of August, the original wagon
from the TV series is on show from 12 noon for a few
hours at the National Museum of Decorative Arts &
History, which is at Collins’ Barracks, Dublin 7.
Virtually everyone I mention this to goes ‘ooh aah!’,
so if enough of you write back about this, we’ll
organise the first ‘Irish SF News’ away-day excursion.
Let me know.
If you think *that’s* exciting, a few weeks later
they’re showing Michael Collins’ hurley. Heady stuff,
indeed.
ANDREW ROBINSON IN BELFAST:
‘Star Trek’ fans will know Andrew Robinson as Elim
Garak, the Cardassian Tailor/Spy in ‘Star Trek: Deep
Space Nine’. Non ‘Star Trek’ fans may have seen Andrew
as Larry Cotton in Clive Barker’s cult horror
‘Hellraiser,’ or in his most famous movie role as the
Scorpio Killer in Clint Eastwood’s "Dirty Harry."
Andrew will be appearing in Belfast on Saturday
27th July at the Holiday Inn Express. This event will
include an autograph session, a guest talk by Andrew
where you will have the chance to ask him any
questions you might have about his life or his work,
and a big prize raffle draw sponsored by Curry’s.
Tickets are STG£15 on the door, which is about E23.
This is being organised by Uncharted Territories
Events, from whose literature I’ve pirated most of
this text!
More information from http://utevents.co.uk/
CRIMELORDS OF SUNNYDALE:
The people who organised the Andrew Robinson event are
also running the first Northern Ireland ‘Buffy’
Convention on Saturday 28 September, featuring Buffy’s
arch nemesis’, Danny Strong, Adam Busch and Tom Lenk,
better known as Jonathan, Warren and Andrew. The
event will be held at the Park Avenue Hotel, Belfast
from 9AM until midnight. Tickets for this event are
STG£30 for an adult, increasing to STG£35 on the day,
and STG£20 for under 12s, increasing to STG£25.
More information from http://utevents.co.uk/
IRISH GHOST FESTIVAL:
The Irish Ghost Festival Week is running at various
venues in Cork, largely in Cork City, from Tuesday
29th October to Sunday 3rd November 2002, which the
keen-eyed will see spans the festival of Halloween.
This includes plays, exhibitions, and all sorts of
one-off events. Within all this is the core event,
which had the truly wonderful title of ‘The Second
All-Ireland Scientific, Therapeutic and Educational
Ghost Festival,’ which kicks off in Cork City Gaol on
Friday 29th of October. I have no information on
prices at the moment.
For more information, contact Catherine Courtney at
irishghostfestival@yahoo.com.
SCIFICLUB:
The August meeting of SciFiClub, which meets on the
first Tuesday of the month in Bowe’s Pub in Fleet
Street, is on the subject of Witchcraft. The speaker
will be Silja Muller, the High Priestess of the Coven
of the Silver Wheel of the Stars, and arguably the
most public face of Irish paganism. If you want to
know what the truth is behind the image portrayed in
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Harry Potter’, you
should go along. There’s no charge, as they run a
raffle to generate funds. Regulars bring things they
don’t want, and hope to win something they do.
SPACE PRITT:
I bought a tube of Pritt Stick the other day, and
found the following written on the backing card:
“Pritt products conform to ‘International Space
Station Standards,’ and have been awarded the seal of
‘Space Proof Quality’.” So, for those of you planning
on building something spaceworthy in your spare time,
now you know what to use to hold it all together.
IRISH SF NEWS MONTHLY QUIZ:
Last month I asked, “What, precisely, do John F
Kennedy, Aldous Huxley, and C S Lewis have in common?”
I got four correct answers back (from about eighty
mails I sent out), and the winner is…Ian Sheppard, who
sent in the following answer: “they all died on the
same day as part of a conspiracy involving the Mafia,
aliens, right wing Cubans, shadowy elements supported
by the military-industrial complex, Oliver Stone,
Oliver Hardy, two members of the Corrs and you.” This
is effectively correct, as they all died on the 22nd
of November 1963.
For this month’s quiz, what show were the following
lyrics written for?
“Beyond the rim of the star light, my love is
wandering star flight, I know he'll find in star
clustered reaches, love strange, love a star captain
teaches…” ???
Answers before Sunday 11th August, please.
BRIEFLY…
Several times over the summer, the railings of St
Stephens’ Green in Dublin are given over to the
People’s Art exhibition. This is open to all,
apparently, so there’s no quality control of any
description. Despite this, there’s a lot of good
stuff on display, and considering that it’s a mile
around the outside of the Green, the exercise is good
for you, too. Two more shows this year, which are
15-18 August, and 20-22 September.
I got a postcard from Dave Lally, who was recently in
Prague for Eurocon 2002, where there were about a
thousand Czech and Slovak fans, and about twenty
westerners. Dave is an indefatigable fan, and, as a
native Dubliner, does his best to represent Octocon
wherever he goes. He has also run the video room at
Octocon since its inception. To know him is to love
him.
I hear it rumoured that Ruairi Robinson, who made the
recently Oscar nominated 50% Grey, has been
commissioned by the people at 2000AD to do an animated
version of Rogue Trooper.
I made some inquiries about the various rumours I’d
heard about cons in Cork and elsewhere, but so far
I’ve received no replies. This would not be the first
time, or last, that something like this has come to
naught, but I’ll see if I can pin anyone down on it.
I see that the Octocon website is running a poll on
where people get their SF news. Perhaps you would all
like to go vote for this one?? If so, you can find it
at http://www.octocon.com/2002/ It’s not that I’m
trying to rig the vote, like…
AND FINALLY…
I wish to send my congratulations to Anne Marie Nugent
and her husband Nigel Quinlan on the birth of their
son Edward on Thursday the 11th of July. I’m hoping
to get a chance to see all of them at Collins’
Barracks, if they can make it.
Next month, I’ll finally get to writing something
about Horrorthon, and Witchfest UK, and may even get
to say something about the Transylvanian Tavern, where
I had lunch recently. I’m also looking for any
information on events anywhere around Ireland, and
particularly on what’s happening in Northern Ireland.
If you know, let me know, and I’ll let them know.
Regards,
Pádraig Ó Méalóid
Irish SF News
FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
July 27: Andrew Robinson, Holiday Inn Express, Belfast
August 11: Wanderly Wagon, Collins’ Barracks Museum,
Dublin
August 15-18: People’s Art, St Stephens’ Green, Dublin
September 10: Toy Fair, Royal Marine Hotel, Dublin
September 14: Crazy Dog Live! RTÉ, Donnybrook, Dublin
September 20-22: People’s Art, St Stephens’ Green,
Dublin
September 21: Crazy Dog Live! RTÉ, Donnybrook. Dublin
September 28: Crazy Dog Live! RTÉ, Donnybrook. Dublin
September 28: Crimelords of Sunnydale, Park Avenue
Hotel, Belfast
October 5: Crazy Dog Live! RTÉ, Donnybrook. Dublin
October 12: Crazy Dog Live! RTÉ, Donnybrook. Dublin
October 19: Crazy Dog Live! RTÉ, Donnybrook. Dublin
October 19-20: Octocon, Royal Marine Hotel, Dublin
October 26-28: Gaelcon, Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin
October 29 - November 3: Irish Ghost Festival, Cork
City
November 16: SubCon 4, Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street,
Dublin
November 24: Toy Fair, Royal Marine Hotel, Dublin
December 17: SciFiClub Christmas Party, Bowe’s pub,
Fleet Street, Dublin
2003
7-9 March: MeCon, Queens University, Belfast
REGULAR MEETINGS:
SciFiClub Monthly Meetings:
1st Tuesday of the month in Bowe’s Pub, Fleet Street,
Dublin, at 8PM.