The recently appointed writer-in-residence for Co. Kerry has found the Local Link bus service to be just the ticket for her ‘Writers on the Bus’ project.
Emer Fallon from Ballyferriter is a poet and fiction writer who grows a lot of her own food and keeps hens. She studied organic market gardening with Jim Cronin and ran a cafe at Louis Mulcahy Pottery on Slea Head for 10 years.
Since 2021, she has been delivering creative environmental workshops in schools as part of environmental collective ‘Cúinne and Ghiorria.’
“A lot of our workshops look at how we use our land and resources, incorporating creative activities, e.g., in one school session, we used wool from a local sheep farmer which we washed with chestnuts and dyed with natural dyes to make Easter egg decorations,” said Emer, who is from a Gaeltacht area.
Local Link
The ‘Writers on the Bus’ project will highlight the service provided by Local Link Kerry, while aiding writers living along the routes in reducing their carbon footprint, connecting them with each other and providing them with a platform to share and showcase their work.
The writer-in-residence will be hopping onto the buses, meeting fellow writers and chatting to them about their work.
She will provide a series of workshops, exploring themes such as ‘a sense of place’, ‘grounding your words’ and ‘a deep dive into the weather.’
A selection of the work will be displayed on the eight buses.
“I think the Local Link is a brilliant service. Parts of Kerry are very isolated and people depend a lot on cars. The bus goes to a wide area including Tarbert; Abbeyfeale; Kenmare; Cahirciveen, bringing people towards Tralee and connecting bigger and smaller towns.”
Emer’s book of poetry ‘Thin Lines’ was launched at Dingle Lit in November, and she is also writing and illustrating a children’s book.
She said she is looking forward to connecting with individuals and groups of all levels and experience throughout her residency.
`”I have benefited so much from the advice and input of other writers, including many past writers-in-residence, so I would love to offer that support to anyone who may be seeking writing advice or feedback,” she said.