Inaugural Brontë Festival in Offaly town was a great success

BY ALL accounts the inaugural Banagher Brontë Festival held last weekend to celebrate Charlotte Brontë’s birthday, was a huge success.

Proceedings opened on Friday evening with a première of 'An Evening with Charlotte Brontë' devised specifically for the Banagher Brontë Group by Michael O’Dowd and his wife Christine. Michael is the author of Charlotte Brontë An Irish Odyssey, an historical account of Charlotte’s honeymoon in Dublin, Banagher, Kilkee and Killarney with her Banagher-reared husband Arthur Bell Nicholls.

The presentation focussed on the poetry, songs and music beloved of the Brontë family particularly the melodies of Thomas Moore and poems and ballads of Robbie Burns. The narrative and music were exquisitely presented drawing much appreciation and participation from the large attendance. The event was held in Corrigan’s Back Lounge which was beautifully decorated and appointed for the gala occasion.

All events on Saturday were held in Crank House starting with Joanne Wilcock’s talk called 'Falling in Love with Arthur'. Joanne explored the different opinions and feelings people had regarding Arthur Bell Nicholls. Speaking in great detail she explained how the negative opinions relating to Arthur gradually changed particularly in the cases of his father-in-law Patrick Brontë and Martha Brown, the lifelong servant at the Brontë parsonage.

Initially, in 1852, Patrick had violently opposed Arthur’s marriage proposal to Charlotte but he gradually acquiesced and they were married in 1854. Seven years later in his will he bequeathed the vast majority of his estate to ‘My beloved and esteemed son-in-law The Rev. Arthur Bell Nicholls, B.A.’

Martha’s early hostility to Arthur mellowed to respect and affection, accompanying him when he returned to Banagher in 1861 and making numerous long-term return visits before her death in 1880. Surviving correspondence between them show Arthur in an avuncular role advising Martha on her romantic and financial affairs.

Pauline Clooney then presented 'Currer Bell's Silent Years 1852-1855', an examination of Charlotte’s paths to publication and her attitude to a writing life. Making great use of her letters to prospective publishers she illustrated how the Brontë sisters overcame many patriarchal obstacles before eventually achieving the goal of publication.

With the huge success of Jane Eyre and the welcome finances that accrued her writing business affairs become better managed. As to the relative lack of output between 1852 and 1855 Pauline posited that the crippling loneliness she endured after Branwell, Emily and Anne died within nine month between autumn 1848 and summer 1849, stifled her creativity. They had not just been her close siblings but more vitally the lifelong collaborators of her writings.

Finally she disapproved of the notion found in some biographies that Arthur had curbed her writing after their marriage in 1854. Evidence shows that far from being so that he had encouraged her in her last work, Emma, which unfortunately remained unfinished before her death in March 1855.

After lunch, at 2.30 p.m Maebh O’Regan presented 'The Art of Branwell Brontë'. Branwell showed great promise as a portrait artist but he felt his true vocation was in literary composition. Maebh spoke of the artists that had trained the Brontë children and how Branwell had been singled out for special tuition which enabled him to become a portrait artist of note.

This was followed by two short films 'The Early Days of the BBG', a short film by created by Maebh and Seanie O’Regan, (Táin Bó Productions), capturing some historic (and otherwise) moments of the early days of the Banagher Brontë Group and some important footage on the group’s participation in the local Patrick’s day parade and a recent trip to Haworth and other parts of Yorkshire.

The day’s events concluded with a short amble from Crank House up the Main Street to view the various works of art and displays in local shop windows which have been created by local artists Phil Bennet and Lisa Glynn finishing with a close look at Sheila Hough’s marvellous portraits in Johnny Hough’s musical pub.

The festival concluded on Sunday morning with a short walk from Saint Paul’s Church on the Hill to Cuba to look at the remains of the Royal School of Banagher. Members then attended service where they were given a warm welcome by the Saint Paul’s Church community.

Matters drew to a close with coffees and teas in Nicola Daly’s guest house, Charlotte’s Way, where a specially prepared Brontë cake was served in honour of Charlotte’s 208^th birthday. The essential ingredient of Brontë cake is crushed pistachios.