The triumvirate of Tyrone villages in the fertile Clogher Valley are famed in literature and song, and next week the annual celebration of one of the area's best-known literary sons gets under way. One of the themes of this year's William Carleton Summer School focuses on the rich vein of humour in his books, writes Paul Clements
AUGHER, Clogher, Fivemiletown,
Sixmilecross and seven miles round.
Those who have read his account of rural life, Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, will be familiar with the amusing incidents and buoyant humour in many of the scenes. His books are laced with funny descriptions and anecdotes as well as colourful turns of phrase. Carleton scholars regard some of his work as tragicomedy; much of the humour came from the people he knew in the valley where he studied at hedge schools, attended dances, weddings and wakes, as well as from stories he heard from the older generation.
As part of the fringe programme, a local philomath and play-producer, George Watson, has turned three short stories into humorous character sketches: Denis O'Shaughnessy, Neal Malone, the tailor looking for a wife, and The Knockmany Giant will all bring a sense of fun.
Another leading luminary, the historian and Carleton aficionado Jack Johnston, will deliver a talk entitled "Yallow Sam". This tells the story of an unscrupulous agent and rent collector for some absentee landlords in The Poor Scholar. Based on an Augher character called Sam McDowell, (referred to in the book as Mr Carson) Carleton portrays him as a man who was "born without a heart, an' carries the black wool in his ears to keep out the cries of the widows an' the orphans".
This year Jack will lead a tour of Plantation sites known to Carleton. The tour will visit Lismore bawn, Augher Castle, and Springtown Castle beside the small whitewashed and recently re-thatched cottage where the author was born at Prillisk near Clogher in 1794. Today the cottage is open to the public and a plaque records his birthplace. The tour will also stop at Aughentaine Castle where in Carleton's words:
"...old John Grahame,
Swally'ed the castle of Aughentaine."
This couplet refers to Grahame having "drunk it out", as they say in Tyrone. Apart from his cottage, some other topographical traces of the author still remain. Signposts point the way to the 48km Carleton Trail, a walking route ending at St Patrick's Chair and Well. And his name lives on at Carleton's Leap in the townland of Carryclogher. For those with time on their hands, it's worth exploring the valley's unassuming villages known for their disregard for haste. Although Clogher boasts a cathedral and Augher is proud of its romantic castle, originally built in 1611, they are modest places not given to trumpet-blowing.
There has always been a friendly rivalry between the villages, separated by just two miles. Driving west, as you pass through Clogher, you will notice all the shops are on the right hand side, which has led to the Augher man or woman's quip: "It was all to the one side - just like Clogher". In turn, Clogher people retaliate by saying that the best thing about Augher is the road to Clogher.
If you want to grasp the dimensions of all the points of the Clogher Valley compass, then the ideal place to start is on the striking Hill of Knockmany, two miles north of Augher. Knockmany is an important place in Carleton's writings; one of his stories is called The Legend of Knockmany. It is one of Tyrone's smaller eminences but its significance, like so many Irish hills, is out of all proportion to its height, a mere 779ft. A short walk through a wooded path takes you to the summit where you will find the enclosed chambered cairn of Queen Áine.
The cairn is a decorated passage tomb dating from the Neolithic period. The stones, with circles, lozenges, zigzags and triangles, resemble those found in the Loughcrew hills of Co Meath, and have been closely inspected by archaeologists.
On your tour of the valley you may see some of the red brick station houses still standing on the main streets as reminders of the narrow-gauge Clogher Valley Railway that ran through the villages until 1942. The train's approach to Fivemiletown was often blocked by Maggie Coulter's goat which would only move after the fireman pelted it with burning coals to clear the line - a 20th century story that could be straight from the pages of Carleton's own writings.
Most of Carleton's novels and stories were written in Dublin but he tapped into the well of his Tyrone memory for inspiration. He died in 1869 and is buried in Mount Jerome cemetery. A miniature obelisk, containing a bearded face and his name ringed in limestone with his wreath of honour, was raised over his grave.
His portrait is in the National Gallery in Dublin (viewing by prior arrangement). But it's in the idyllic Clogher Valley that his literary reputation lives on and where devotees come to pay homage. Now in its 17th year, the William Carleton Summer School is firmly established, attracting an international line-up of speakers and fostering critical examination of his work. This year's contributors include Prof John A. Murphy formerly of University College Cork who will deliver the keynote address and who has a reputation for being controversial and challenging. Other big name draws include Edna and Michael Longley who will be turning their attention to Louis MacNeice, the broadcaster and writer Owen Dudley Edwards, and the critic, biographer and anthologist Patricia Craig, who will be taking part in a symposium on literary autobiography.
The school takes place at Corick House Hotel, an elegant 17th century building in scenic parkland - equidistant between Augher and Clogher so neither can quibble over ownership. Corick is mentioned in Carleton's writing and maintains a culinary link through its Carleton Restaurant. The summer school runs from August 4th - 8th. More information from www.williamcarletonsummerschool.org