The setting of the Aula Maxima on the campus of Maynooth University last night provided an intimate venue for a night of music and song, celebrating the influence of one of the 20th century’s best loved poets and singer/songwriters, Leonard Cohen.
Charley and Hattie Webb, two artists who played distinctive parts in Leonard Cohen’s return to live performances, performed and remembered his life and work in conversation with playwright, novelist and poet, John MacKenna.
They were joined by novelist and poet Dermot Bolger, the renowned songwriter and musician Kevin Doherty, and academic, writer and activist Dr Bríd Connolly.
Prof Philip Nolan, President of Maynooth University presented the Webb Sisters with the 2019 Maynooth University Award for Arts and Culture, which honours individuals who have made distinctive contributions to the arts, culture or heritage in Ireland or the world that reflect the ethos and mission of Maynooth University.
The sold-out event marked the culmination of the Department of Adult & Community Education 2019 Summer School on the theme of ‘Popular Culture and the Making of Meaning - social issues in the works of Leonard Cohen, Dory Previn and Paul Simon,’ and the Maynooth Summer Soirée, the annual arts and culture event for alumni and friends of the University.
The programme is part of the BA in Community Studies and was conceived of and delivered John MacKenna, an occasional lecturer in creative writing at the Department of Adult and Community Education. The event was hosted in collaboration with Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO).