Pierce Turner tells his story in ‘Living by the River’

By Dan Walsh at Wexford Library

Retiring Wexford politician of 40 years Brendan Howlin was at Wexford Library today where he proudly lauded Wexford’s award-winning musician Pierce Turner and officially launched his debut book of autobiographical short stories bearing the title Living by the River.

Mr Howlin likened Pierce Turner to the great Patrick Kavanagh describing him as “Wexford’s Patrick Kavanagh.”

He said; “This book Living by the River captures a period in Wexford town’s history. Not the violent and glorious history of 1798 or Cromwell or Norman knights. Pierce’s history, like Kavanagh’s is of the ordinary, understanding in the words of Seamus Heaney “that nothing is trivial”. The greatest events in history are no more important than the ordinary and the common place.

“It is the ordinary space that most lives are lived, and their dramas, successes, failures and triumphs are the “true building blocks of human history.

Howlin continues; “So we are brought to a place by the river. The river is a living thing -it – the Slaney lives across the road. We are brought back to the quay I remember as a boy – so different from today.

“To a home that is a business. A private laid-back father and an entrepreneur mother. So often in our lives the mother, the woman who wants advancement and progress, and determinately works with whatever resources that are available to make that happen.

“Pierce presents a collage of memories – of music and Sputnik (the dog) or the normal ebb and flow of existence – death and marriage, vulnerabilities and happiness.

“Of course, there is a glimpse of life outside of Wexford! Only a glimpse of New York’s brighter lights. Shared living in the global melting pot, of the Big Apple and name dropping of musical collaboration with Cynde Lauper!

Mr Howlin concluded by recalling how Wexford is blessed in this corner of Ireland to have produced such creative giants as Eoin Colfer, Billy Roche, John Banville, Colm Tóibín and many more…

He performed the official launch with the immortal words; “Jem and Molly would be proud, indeed, of Pierce; as are we Wexford people are proud to have our stories told by one of our own.”

Living by the River by Pierce Turner, 104 pages, is available at The Book Centre, Main Street, Wexford, and Red Books, St. Peter’s Square, Wexford. Pierce will be signing at The Book Centre, Wexford, from 3pm next Saturday, December 14^th. This is the ultimate Christmas read!