The great Tyrone novelist and short story writer, Benedict Kiely , was throughout his life a collector of songs and ballads and his repertoire was well-nigh inexhaustible. He picked up ballads here and there on his many rambles across Ireland and further afield and referred to them often in his long-time contributions to ‘Sunday Miscellany’ on RTE radio.

Kiely’s 1996 publication, ‘And As I Rode By Granard Moat’ is a wonderful journey around Ireland through its ballads and verse and he often said that for a ballad or poem to live and breathe it had to be sung or recited.

In this presentation fellow Omagh man, ballad singer and folk historian, Tom Sweeney, will sing and recite selections from Benedict’s book. Sweeney knew Benedict Kiely and visited him occasionally at his home in Donnybrook.

Kiely’s informative and entertaining comments about each selection from the book will be read by Benburb’s own literary scholar and historian, James O’ Kane.

For a fascinating evening of ballads and the spoken word as chosen by Ireland’s master raconteur and literary giant, Benedict Kiely, this is a presentation not to be missed.

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