Writers’ Group Launch Book Marking Ballyfermot’s 70th Anniversary
By Aideen O’Flaherty
A WRITERS’ group has put pen to paper to mark 70 years since the first housing estate was built in Ballyfermot, with their celebratory book ‘Ballyer is 70!’ pulling in submissions from Joe Duffy, Finbar Furey and Declan O’Rourke, to be featured among a collection of prose from the writers’ group.
The book will be launched in Ballyfermot Library on May 23 at 6pm, as part of this year’s International Literature Festival Dublin, and all profits from the book will be donated to The Simon Community.
The Ballyfermot Writers’ Group, who publish their work under the guise of The Flying Superhero Clothes Horse, were established in 2016 and this year decided to mark the important anniversary in Ballyfermot’s history with ‘Ballyer is 70!’ in order to inspire people and showcase the area.
Camillus John from the Ballyfermot Writers’ Group told The Echo: “When we initially announced that Ballyfermot Writers’ Group intended to celebrate Ballyfermot being 70-years-of-age with a book of creative writing, some people raised their eyebrows and kept on raising their eyebrows until their eyebrows were stuck to the ceiling.
“If you’re from Ballyer, you’ll know exactly what was going through their minds!
“The book was written to counter that attitude in some way.
“It was important for us to showcase as many of the Ballyer legends in one book as possible with mention of their achievements, in order, hopefully, to inspire and remind people that it’s all been done before and can be done again.
Sky is the limit
“Anything is possible, the sky is the limit, even if you’re from Ballyer, or more appropriately, especially if you’re from Ballyer!”
The book also features two pieces written by nine-year-old Erin Percival, who is a pupil in St Michael’s National School on the Kylemore Road, while the book’s cover and illustrations were designed by Ballyfermot artist Anne Marie McGrane.
Explaining why the writers’ group decided to produce the book in aid of The Simon Community, Camillus said: “Ballyfermot was built to house the working-classes, a thing that governments around the world don’t do anymore, particularly the present Irish one.
“Ironically, the solution to the housing crisis is Ballyfermot – the government just building houses themselves like they did 70 years ago. The Simon Community are at the forefront of the battle to house the homeless.”
All are welcome to attend the launch night in Ballyfermot Library on Wednesday, May 23, at 6pm, and you can contact Ballyfermot Library for further information about the writers’ group.
