William Meredith and Richard Harteis

At the age of 87, just months before his death, William Meredith fulfilled the dream of his lifetime by paying his first visit to Ireland with his partner and fellow poet, Richard Harteis. William had been Poet Laureate of the United States, and had won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and just about every other literary accolade that could be heaped on him. He was a close friend of Robert Frost, W H Auden, Robert Lowell, and many others of that generation of great American poets - John Berryman had dedicated one of his 'Dream Songs' to him. Although his favourite poet was William Butler Yeats, William had never visited Ireland until he arrived in the summer of 2006 on the invitation of Jack Harte.

William and Richard stayed for two weeks at the Forge Corner and explored all the places associated with Yeats. They gave readings at the Irish Writers' Centre, Dublin, and at the Yeats Memorial Building in Sligo.

Photo 1 William Meredith and Richard Harteis relaxing outside the Forge Corner

Photo 2 Jack brings William to the grave of WB Yeats.

Georgy Pryakhin

Georgy Pryakhin came to Ireland in 2007 for the launch of his book, Seraglio 55, which was later nominated by the International Press Institute based in Vienna for the International Human Rights Book Award in 2010. This was in recognition of Pryakhin’s contribution to press freedom - as a close advisor to President Gorbachev, and a member of his inner cabinet, he was responsible for dismantling Communist Party control of the media in the USSR. He is a novelist and short story writer, and the recipient of many literary awards including the Pushkin Prize. After the launch of his book in the Irish Writers' Centre in Dublin, he spent some days with his family in the Forge Corner.

Photo 1 The Pryakhin family in the Forge Corner, with Jack Harte and seated, Lollie Harte, Jack's mother.

Photo 2 Georgy Pryakhin and Jack Harte at the Keeve

Toma Markov

Toma Markov stayed in the Forge Corner after the launch of his collection of poems, Black PR and other acts, in the Irish Writers’ Centre in May, 2007. The collection was translated into English by Theodora Nikolaeva who accompanied Toma to Killeenduff. Markov is one of Bulgaria’s leading poets of the younger generation. He won the Bulgarian National Prize for Poetry in 2000 with his collection, Geroin. Born in 1972 in the Southeast of Bulgaria, Markov has had a colourful career and many jobs. He has been a sugar seller, a night watchman, a stage worker and a backstage go-for, a freelance writer and magazine journalist. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the European Academy of Poetry.

Photo 1 A tradition at the Forge Corner is that every resident has to plant something in the garden. Here Toma Markov is planting a tree.

Photo 2 Toma and Jack visit a local hostelry.

Photo 3 Translator Theodora Nikolaeva is planting a rhododendron.

Purushottam Agrawal

When Purushottam Agrawal visited Ireland to give a lecture in Dublin, he spent much of his visit at the Forge Corner. He is an extremely highly regarded scholar and commentator in India on cultural, social, religious, and political topics and through television has become a national figure renowned for his liberal secular stance. His efforts to secure greater access to education has been particularly noteworthy and praiseworthy. He has held some of the highest academic and administrative posts in India, including Member of the Union Public Service Commission, and Professor & Chairperson, Center of Indian Languages, in the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies of Jawharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Photo 1 Purushottam Agrawal at the Forge Corner

Photo 2 Purushottam adding to the garden, planting sprigs of sallies.

Photo 3 Purushottam relaxing in front of the open turf fire.

Julia Pavone and Mark Dixon

In May, 2008, the artist, Julia Pavone, and photographer, Mark Dixon, stayed in the Forge Corner. As well as being an acclaimed American artist, Julia is the co- Founder and, since 1992, the Director of the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery at Avery Point, Connecticut.. She has exhibited internationally and combines her work as an artist with curating and lecturing. Mark is an extremely accomplished photographer whose work has been exhibited widely. He used his visit to capture many images of the local countryside.

Photo 1 Julia adds a shrub to the garden.

Photo 2 Julia sketching.

Photo 3 Mark restoring and painting the gate that Jack's father, the blacksmith, made and installed c 1940. Mark jokes about Jack's 'Tom Sawyer' method of getting work done around the house.

Valentin Krustev

Valentin Krustev was the guest international writer at the Killeenduff Arts Symposium in 2013 and resident in the Forge Corner. He was born in Bulgaria in 1949. Law graduate from the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridki”. His poetry collection, "Between Heaven and Earth" was published by Orpheus Press in 2005. He has translated extensively from and into English and from Russian, including works by Jack Harte, Joseph Brodsky, Irwin Show, William Meredith, Ekaterina Yossifova, Georgui Konstantinov, Lyubomir Levchev, Tanya Kolyovska and many more. His translations from and into English have appeared in numerous anthologies and literary magazines. Some of his poems have been published in literary magazines in Hungary, Russia and the USA.

Photo Doing his duty. Valentin Krustev planting an oak sapling in the garden.

Colin Carberry

In April, 2014, the Canadian/Irish/Mexican poet, Colin Carberry visited the Forge Corner while on a literary visit to Ireland, during which he gave readings at Mullingar and Dublin.

Colin was born in Toronto and spent some of his childhood in Lanesboro, Co. Longford, before returning to Canada. He now lives in Mexico with his wife and daughter. Colin is the author of the poetry collections The Crossing (Bearing Press, 1998), The Green Table (Exile, 2003) and Ceasefire in Purgatory (Luna, 2007). He is also the translator of two collections by one of Mexico's greatest poets, Jaime Sabines, including Love Poems (Biblioasis, 2011). Colin's poems have been translated into many languages. He has read from his work on radio and television, and at book fairs, embassies, literary festivals and universities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Serbia, Slovenia, and the United States. In 2010, he founded the Linares International Literary Festival, of which he is artistic director. Colin’s latest book, a co-translation into Spanish of Jack Harte’s Arcana was published in 2013.

Photo 1 Colin does his planting in the garden.

Photo 2 Colin visits nearby Altarnan or the Keeve in the footsteps of Mad Sweeney.

Mark McKee

In June, 2014, the American artist, Mark Gerard McKee, spent 3 weeks at the Forge Corner, painting and absorbing the inspirational landscape.

Mark earned his MFA from the Art Institute of Boston/Lesley University and attended the Lyme Academy – College of Fine Arts, earning a BFA and receiving that institution’s highest award. McKee has also studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and has participated in that institution’s prestigious International Master’s Artist Residency. McKee has taught Art History and Contemporary Art History and studio art courses and seminars in Connecticut at Eastern Connecticut State University, the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, Mitchell College and in Dublin, Ireland at the National College of Art and Design. McKee’s current body of work and scholarship addresses the phenomenology of seeing, perception and memory. He has exhibited in the United States and internationally and his work is included in corporate, private and university collections. He lives and works in Southeastern Connecticut.

Photos 1 and 2 Mark is currently pursuing a project of painting on doors, drawing on the symbolism but also setting up fascinating visual oppositions. He painted this door while in the Forge Corner with an image on either side.

Photo 3 Mark explores the Ox Mountains.

Ruzana Pskhu

In August, 2014, Ruzana Pskhu, a Russian scholar and translator, visited the cottage. She is translating Jack Harte's 'Reflections in a Tar-Barrel' and came to study the countryside that inspired the novel.

Ruzana was born in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. She studied Philosophy at the Peoples' Friendship University in Moscow and was awarded a PhD in 2004. She now works at this University in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, where she is the Assistant Professor in the Department of History of Philosophy. She is also the Coordinator of Scientific Programmes. A member of the Russian Philosophical Society, Ruzana's chief areas of interest are Indian Philosophy (Vedanta), Arab Philosophy (Sufism), and the Philosophy of Religion (Christianity).

Photo 1 Ruzana enjoys the tranquillity of the Easkey River.

Photo 2 Ruzana plants (what else!) roses in the garden.

Daniela Pagani

In July 2015 Daniela Pagani visited the Forge Corner. She is an MA student at the University of Ferrara in Italy. Born in the Northeast of Italy, not far from the Adriatic Sea, Daniela has been studying Foreign Languages and Literatures, and has worked as a private English tutor. She is currently finishing her Master's Degree. Her final thesis is on the translation and analysis of certain chapters of Jack Harte's novel, In the wake of the Bagger. Daniela came to Ireland and to the Forge Corner, to do some research on the subject matter, to meet Jack Harte, author of the book, and to see and explore the different places described in the novel. She is particularly interested in Irish traditions, culture, and folk tales.

Photos:

1 Daniela plants a hydrangea in the garden

2 Is it a mermaid? No, Daniela at Pollarone.

3 She checks out the Holy Well in Dromard.