161. Marie McGuckin: Seamus Heaney HomePlace
05/13/25 • 78 min
Episode 161 Fender Jackson travels to Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy, County Derry, to speak with Marie McGuckin, Sales and Marketing Officer. Recorded on Friday 9th May 2025, the conversation explores the cultural significance of Heaney’s legacy, the role HomePlace plays in celebrating his life and work, and how the centre connects with visitors from across the globe.
Conversation includes: introductions; Bellaghy; pride and home; ‘Digging’; The Turf Man sculpture; Paddy Heaney; early life; Broagh; Castledawson; who Seamus Heaney was; ‘Death Of A Naturalist’; the alumni of St Columb's College, Derry; Phil Coulter; Moss Bawn; Hugh and Suzanne Heaney; Heaney Farmhouse Brewery; ‘Mid-Term Break’; visiting schools; being able to hear Seamus reading a couple of hundred of his poems; covid; Seamus reciting ‘Clearances 3’; the replica of his attic study in Dublin; Tommy Gorman; prayers of the dying; hammer and tongs; the word hoard; amn’t I; Ulster Scots; birl; colloquialisms; the Open Ground Trail; Helen Heron; Bellaghy Bawn; Vintner’s Company; 1641 rebellion; Bono; Mary Robinson; Bill Clinton; Stephen Fry; Henry Gribben; Paul Muldoon; the old bus station in Magherafelt; ‘Two Lorries’; ‘Blackberry-Picking’; ‘The Strand at Lough Beg’; travel instructions; numbers and types of visitors; facilities for people with disabilities; opening hours; visitor feedback; ‘Stepping Stones’ by Dennis O’Driscoll; Ciaran Hinds; The Letters of Seamus Heaney; portraits of Seamus by Jeffrey Morgan, Edward McGuire and Colin Davidson; Seamus’s charisma and everyman quality; his interest in people; plans for the future; meeting room facilities; the Helicon theatre space; Moyola river, and other topics.
Relevant Links
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 161 Fender Jackson travels to Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy, County Derry, to speak with Marie McGuckin, Sales and Marketing Officer. Recorded on Friday 9th May 2025, the conversation explores the cultural significance of Heaney’s legacy, the role HomePlace plays in celebrating his life and work, and how the centre connects with visitors from across the globe.
Conversation includes: introductions; Bellaghy; pride and home; ‘Digging’; The Turf Man sculpture; Paddy Heaney; early life; Broagh; Castledawson; who Seamus Heaney was; ‘Death Of A Naturalist’; the alumni of St Columb's College, Derry; Phil Coulter; Moss Bawn; Hugh and Suzanne Heaney; Heaney Farmhouse Brewery; ‘Mid-Term Break’; visiting schools; being able to hear Seamus reading a couple of hundred of his poems; covid; Seamus reciting ‘Clearances 3’; the replica of his attic study in Dublin; Tommy Gorman; prayers of the dying; hammer and tongs; the word hoard; amn’t I; Ulster Scots; birl; colloquialisms; the Open Ground Trail; Helen Heron; Bellaghy Bawn; Vintner’s Company; 1641 rebellion; Bono; Mary Robinson; Bill Clinton; Stephen Fry; Henry Gribben; Paul Muldoon; the old bus station in Magherafelt; ‘Two Lorries’; ‘Blackberry-Picking’; ‘The Strand at Lough Beg’; travel instructions; numbers and types of visitors; facilities for people with disabilities; opening hours; visitor feedback; ‘Stepping Stones’ by Dennis O’Driscoll; Ciaran Hinds; The Letters of Seamus Heaney; portraits of Seamus by Jeffrey Morgan, Edward McGuire and Colin Davidson; Seamus’s charisma and everyman quality; his interest in people; plans for the future; meeting room facilities; the Helicon theatre space; Moyola river, and other topics.
Relevant Links
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
160. Jim FitzPatrick: Artist - Part 2
Episode 160 is the second half of the chat with legendary artist Jim Fitzpatrick at his studio in Howth, County Dublin, recorded at 12 noon on Saturday, 3rd May 2025.
Conversation includes: copyright; Che Guevara poster 'Viva Che!’; Marwan Barghouti; how the Che image came into existence; Gilbert Brosnan; the Franciscans; General Efrain Ríos Montt and Guatemala; Ernesto Cardenal and the Sandinistas; Castro; Santo Trafficante Jr.; Carlos Rafael Rodríguez; meeting Che Guevara in the Marine Hotel, Kilkee, Co. Clare in 1961; Che Guevara looking like Colin Farrell; Che’s Irish roots and knowledge of Irish history; Maureen O’Hara; ‘Viva Che!’ as an Irish Stamp; Montserrat; Admiral William Brown; Bernardo O'Higgins of Chile; Eliza Lynch; the Irish in Argentina; Alexis Mac Allister; Che’s admiration for Tom Barry and Dan Breen; setting up Two Bare Feet - a poster company; referencing an image in ‘Stern’ Magazine; Nixon and Kissinger; getting the complete story of Che’s execution from Mario Terán; Lamentation of Christ (Mantegna); getting the image from the provos and Jean Paul Sartre; Jim’s hidden logo in ‘Viva Che!’; making the image copyright-free for the masses; being outed as the artist; Martin Kemp, the world’s expert on Leonardo da Vinci; Salvator Mundi (Leonardo); the image being chosen for ‘Christ to Coke: How Image Becomes Icon’ book by Martin Kemp; the image being a great source of pride for Jim; Irish Argentinians; Shanty Irish; plans for the future; current work celebrating the people of 1798; the holocaust; the current Gaza conflict; Kneecap; how Jim would like to be remembered and other topics.
Relevant Links
Additional Links
www.instagram.com/jimfitzpatrick
www.facebook.com/jimfitzpatrickgallery
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
162. South Derry Artists: Local Talent Showcase - Part 1
Episode 162. Fender Jackson joins James Devlin (Harbour Annie) and a host of talented local artists from South Derry to showcase their music in a special live session. Recorded at An Scioból (The Barn) at The Market Inn, Draperstown, County Derry, on Saturday 10th May 2025.
Special thanks to Maurice Regan and all at The Market Inn for their generous support in making this recording possible.
Running Order
1. Underfoot (James Devlin aka Harbour Annie)
- James Devlin: vocal & guitar
- Danny Devlin & Donal Convery: guitars
- Helen McGurk and Tracey Fraiser (née Diamond): backing vocals
2. Fabulous (Maurice Devlin)
- Tracey Fraser (née Diamond): vocal
- James Devlin: guitar & vocal
3. In Vain (Danny Devlin)
- Danny Devlin: vocal & guitar
- James Devlin: guitar & vocal
4. A Village In County Tyrone (John Conway & Jack Conway)
- John Conway: vocal & guitar
5. River Of Love (Keith Law)
- Keith Law: vocal & guitar
- James Devlin: guitar & vocal
6. The King Is Dead (Colin Harper)
- Colin Harper: vocal & guitar
- James Devlin: guitar
Relevant Links
James Devlin (aka Harbour Annie)
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TTQbB50Cg6R0Ohho1816t
https://www.youtube.com/@HarbourAnnie
Keith Law
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5aPDLRkXReVlM3tJ7y77mL
https://www.youtube.com/@keithlawcomedy
Colin Harper
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4TrBR8IxRpztzcHqtG17XY
https://www.youtube.com/@colinharper8791
Additional Links
https://www.facebook.com/@marketinn
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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