Chaired by Tim Magee, the panel consisted of Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant (Melville specialist and author), Tim Severin (Leading adventure author) and John Stack (Youghal man and leading novelist) discussing the Moby Dick novel and why it is still relevant to today’s literary students both in the US where the book is studied in high school and here in Ireland. This discussion was broadcast live to the USA.

The Moby Dick Literary Festival 2012 webcasts are now available to view below:

Webinar in Youghal for Moby Dick Literary Festival 2012, brought to you by MobyDick.ie

Youghal’s inaugural Moby Dick literary festival begins today. One of the highlights of the festival is the panel discussion on the famous novel taking place on Friday 16th March 2012 at 5pm in the Walter Raleigh Hotel. This will be broadcast live on webcam and can be viewed here on this site from 5pm local time ( GMT).

The panel consisting of John Stack, Tim Severin and Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant will be broadcast live today, March 16th 2012 at 5pm local time from The Walter Raleigh Hotel, Youghal, Co Cork, Ireland.

Chaired by Orla Dukes the panel consisting of Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant (Melville specialist and author), Tim Severin (Leading adventure author) and John Stack (Youghal man and leading novelist) will discuss the Moby Dick Novel and why it is still relevant to today’s literary students both in the US where the book is studied in High School and here in Ireland. This discussion will be broadcast live to the USA. If you would like to watch the webinar live the click below and don’t forget you may have to press the refresh button on your computer. Please note that the stream will not being until the panel discussion starts at 5pm.

Moby Dick live conference webcast at 5pm today – Watch Live

This St. Patrick’s weekend (16th-18th March) the seaside town of Youghal will host their first ever Moby Dick Festival. A voluntary group from the town on the South Coast of Ireland have rekindled relations with New Bedford with this fun filled festival. Youghal was chosen by Huston when he filmed Moby Dick the movie as the town in the 1950′s scenically mirrored New Bedford in the late 1880’s. The quays in Youghal still stand nearly identical to the quayside in New Bedford during the height of the whaling trade in the late 1880’s. As a historical town, these quays have been preserved so Youghal is now set to capitalise on the striking similarities. “If the people of New Bedford want to see first-hand what their quays and docks looked like they just need to come to Youghal” says Jimmy Flanagan of the Youghal4All group

Catch the inaugural MOBY DICK FESTIVAL 2012 with 'Youghal4All' members Kevin Linehan, Jimmy Flanagan and Adrian Hyde. Pic: Denise Fitzgerald, East Cork Journal.

The Moby Dick festival will kick off on Friday 16th March with a web broadcast discussion on the merits of Moby Dick by author Herman Melville. This will be available free to all. The event will take place at 5 p.m. Irish time to coincide with the school morning in New Bedford. Many US schools and colleges have registered to ‘attend’ the online event. Anyone interested can log onto www.youghalcc.com view the discussion and contribute via messaging. Dr Laurie Robertson-Lorant from Bridgewater State University and a leading Melville enthusiast, Mr Tim Severn, renowned adventure author and Mr John Stack, seafaring novelist, will be the keynote speakers at the event.

Also during the weekend the extras who took part in the film will share their memories of Gregory Peck and the film’s entourage who came to Youghal, show memorabilia and photographs and read from the novel. Leading Irish actors (such as Pat Shortt) and directors (like Séan O Neil and Tommy Slattery) will animate Melville’s novel. There will be children’s events and lots of maritime activity during the festival from talks on the marine history of Youghal to demonstrations on sea rescues and safety. The legendary Youghal St. Patrick’s Day parade is sure to incorporate the Moby Dick theme in Youghal and promises to be a lively affair. Full details and program on www.youghalcc.com . With such a great program planned Youghal is set to welcome many visitors for the weekend.

Ruth Vance, PRO, Youghal4All

Contact: youghalcc@gmail.com

Phone: 0863252278

Click on image to visit the Youghal Adult Education webpage

Click on image to visit our website

Relate Video:

Youghal4All committee who will spearhead the Moby Dick Festival 2012

Ruth Vance then detailed the events that will comprise the first Moby Dick Literary Festival in Youghal, some 58 years after the opening scenes of the renowned film were so historically shot in the town over the summer of 1954. Its arrival, at last, is “long overdue,” as Mr Flanagan accurately reflected.

Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant

Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant, chairwoman of the New Bedford Historical Society Education Committee and author of Melville -A Biography is travelling to Youghal for the weekend. Other invitees include explorer Tim Severin and author John Stack.

Having been so long in surfacing, the programme compiled by Youghal Four All and Ruth Vance in particular- will create a highly impressive wave of activity and entertainment. Events commence at 4 pm on Friday March 16th with a puppet show by St. Raphael’s Puppet Theatre in the Methodist Hall. This will be followed by a ‘webinar’ in a festival marquee (venue and indeed nature of venue yet to be confirmed) in which a panel discussion on Herman Melville’s famous novel will be broadcast live to American Universities and high schools. Photographic records from the filming, taken by Pat Burke and now edited by Ed Guiry, will follow. At 6.30, Michael Hussey will show a digital version of an old silent Moby Dick film, starring John Barrymore and which preceded John Huston’s classic. There will be a flare display followed by reminiscences from extras or observers of the film recount their experience.

Saturday morning brings children’s readings in the library, Perkies art activities on a boat and a reading from Moby Dick by Tim Severin, Cork poet Thomas McCarthy, Tommy Slattery and Seán O’Neill, prior to the St. Patricks’ Day parade.  A quayside display of seafaring skill by locals including Barry Claughessy, John Innes, local scouts and lifeboat members will ensue after the parade, followed by sea shanties.

Sunday sees a marine antiques fair in St. Mary’s Church followed by a maritime history talk in the marquee. Former councillor Olly Casey will compare Youghal and its new twin New Bedford Pobalscoil. Pobalscoil na Trionóide students will perform more readings and events wil close with a Moby Dick themed video presentation by actor Conor Lovett.  See www.mobydick.ie for further information.

The weekend will also feature short story competitions for children and adults based on the themes Youghal or a weird experience (not that the two never merge!) , children’s storytelling a maritime history talk by local historian Frank Mills, plus angling competitions. Other inputs will include such recollections by locals as to why Moby Dick was so important to recessionary Youghal nine years after the Second World War.