Shenanigan's Ball

SHENANIGANS INDEED at the tumultuous New York launch for the new Sceptre book of the same title, just out in Ireland, and currently undergoing a "bidding battle" for US publishing rights. Last Monday night, Solas on Manhattan's Ninth Street (the bar formerly known as Café Tabac where Madonna once tended bar, Bowie played pool, and Johnny and Kate met), was inundated with an eclectic miscellany of punters who packed the house to hear readings from almost all the US-based writers featured: Colum McCann, Emer Martin, Helena Mulkerns, Imelda O'Reilly, Texas-based Robert Cremins and DEX.357 (a US-based newcomer who makes his debut in the anthology). Not to mention Hot Press's own Olaf Tyaransen, who came direct from Dublin.

Special guests included American writer Tom Kelly; Ali McMordie of Moby (who fixed the feedback); filmmakers Marjorie Sweeney, Patrick Clarke and Patrick Newall; actors Aedin Moloney, Beverly Elder and top Irish chef Cormac Healy, honeymooning in New York with lovely bride Olga. Music promoter Robert Young chatted with dancer Darragh Carr, Aidan Lambert hovered with a number of other music industry types down the back, and the usual suspects from New York's bohemian Irish Community—over 200 people in all—partied late and loud. And so to the awards . . .

Guests most unlikely to have turned up: legendary rock wheeler-dealer Charles Comer (who has worked with everybody from Mick Jagger to Bob Marley and Courtney Love—not to mention the Chieftains, whom he currently represents).
Man with the most recent tattoo: Olaf Tyaransen (whose gungey bandage was peeled off his back by a fascinated Emer Martin at the bar).
Most admired female presence: Ms. Pauline Turley of the Irish Arts Centre (whose anatomical joys were praised by several of the book's contributors).
Reader who got the most laughs: DEX.357 for his irreverent piece, "How I Became A Priest".
MC wearing the most purple velvet: Helena Mulkerns.
DJ with the most incomprehensible accent: Colin from Glasgow, who provided a worthy inter-Celt contribution with his drum 'n' bass spinning after the readers had finished.
Men of the evening: Solas owners Sammy O'Connor and Ronan Downes.
Most popular export company of the day: Guinness, who donated a generous contribution of the dark stuff towards the evening.

A NYC press contingent was in strong evidence, with reps from The Irish Echo, The Irish Voice, Elle magazine, the New York Post, Rolling Stone and Granta. Talent scouts from several publishing houses were also spotted.

Shenanigans, edited by Sarah Champion and Donal Scannell, is an anthology of "fresh Irish fiction", which focuses on new and alternative Irish writing. Of its 19 contributors, no less than six are currently living in the US, with the result that the New York launch constituted the largest gathering of this generation of Irish ex-pat writers ever in the United States.