Cónal Creedon is celebrating the news that his books are now available in Barnes & Noble – America’s largest books distributor operating over 600 retail stores across 50 U.S. states.
There has been a steady increase in his American audience over the past fifteen years.
“My first foray into the States was back in 2008, when The Irish American Cultural Institute invited me to present a seven-city, coast-to-coast reading tour." Cónal explains, "It was mighty fun, I made great friends on that tour and they invited me back.”
The following year saw the premier production of Cónal’s stage plays in America. His work was championed by the theatre critics at the New York Times, New York Post and New Yorker Magazine, and in the intervening years various productions of his plays have picked up awards at the 1st Irish New York Theatre Awards including Best Director, Best Actor and nominations for Best Playwright and Best Production.
Cónal regularly returns to America to attend productions of his stage plays, introduce screenings of his film documentaries and present readings from his work.
“Irish America has always been so supportive, and I am also very grateful to a number of non-Irish American poet friends who have been so welcoming and encouraging. They have introduced me to a wider world of New York music and art beyond the safety net and my natural comfort zone of Irish America.”
In March of this year Cónal was invited to present his lecture, Art Imitating Life Imitating Death at the prestigious Glucksman Ireland House New York University when the book was awarded the IP Gold Award USA.
"It was a massive success and fun was had."
It came as a great surprise when the Bard of Fairhill, Denis Towhig contacted Cónal with the news that Scott Lee of the Fairhill Pigeon Club wished to mark Cónal’s recent success by naming his favourite pigeon DOWCHA BOY - in honour of the fictional super pigeon in Cónal’s novel - Begotten Not Made. A Highly acclaimed novel set on Fairhill which has won numerous awards including, The Eric Hoffer Award USA, The Bronze Award New Generation Book Award USA, and was nominated for The Dublin International Book Award and Montaigne Award USA [Most Thought Provoking Book].
The heroic exploits of pigeons and their fanciers has featured in Cónal’s fiction for well over thirty years. But his most recent creation – Dowcha Boy seems to have captured the hearts and imagination of readers on both sides of the Atlantic. During the creative process, Cónal was inspired to take paint-brush in hand to record the exploits of Dowcha Boy in a collection of eight Silhouette images that feature in the pages of the book.
“All of my work is inspired by the streets on which I live here in downtown Cork City. I guess the local versus global paradox seems to be that: the more detailed and honest the depiction of local fiction, the more accessible it becomes to a global audience”
During the pigeon naming ceremony in the Fairhill loft – there was an added surprise when it was decided to also name the most recently hatched chick – ASHA – after Cónal’s niece, who is well known as his Marketing Manager around the bookshops of Cork city.
"I used to collect Asha from school since she was a baby and our epic ambles around the town, through bookshops, chocolatiers and galleries have become legendary. Asha has become my side-kick, she has a natural affinity with all animals - so it was very sweet when Scott Lee called the baby chick after ASHA"
Cónal is no stranger to the world of homing pigeons. Anecdotal fictional accounts of the exploits of pigeons have featured in Cónal’s work for over thirty years.
"Here's something about me you probably don't know – when I stand on Patrick's Bridge and look to the Red City of Gurranabraher - I can identify who owns the different flocks of pigeons flying over the city. That’s some Superpower."
Back in 2008, when Cónal was researching his film documentary – The Boys of Fairhill, he spent what he describes as ‘a glorious summer’ in the company of pigeon fancier Michael Crane in his loft on the Northside of the city.
“It is a highly refined collaboration between humans and animals. It is a profound culture going back to ancient Rome and beyond, with a language and tradition all of its own. To witness the flash of shimmering neck plumage in a flock of pigeons as they bank into the sun is mesmerising.”
When asked about the naming of the Fairhill pigeon after his fictional creation, Cónal said he was genuinely humbled by the honour,
“The Greatest recognition of all - is when it comes from your own."
Cónal says he has long had a fascination with pigeons and even once toyed with the idea of building an elaborate Taj Mahal style pigeon loft at the back of his house, I have the plans drawn – it might happen yet.
Then out of the blue - Cónal poses the question: “Do you know why the pigeon return home – even from as far away as Penzance across the Irish Sea in Cornwall UK? I’ll tell you why … They’re just like us. They just want to get home – that’s why. And when home is Fairhill in Cork? It’s a no brainer!”
