The Tide is Coming
Coney Island in Sligo Bay derives its name from the copious colonies of rabbits that inhabit its dunes; the Gaelic word coinín metamorphosing into ‘Coney’. Its ancient name, Inismulclohy, can be found in maps, records and annals. It is said to have given its name to Coney Island in New York – another story!
As the title of this book suggests, the rhythm of the tides has, for centuries, dictated the rhythm of life on Coney Island. During his lifetime, Islander John McGowan called out the warning ‘The tide is coming!’ hundreds of times, ensuring that visitors could cross safely before the guts at either side closed the Strand passage and made an island of his shores.
Of all those who once lived there, the McGowan family became synonymous with Coney Island. In the transcribed interviews that form part of this book, the voice of John McGowan, Island elder, illuminates eight decades of Island life in the place his ancestors have inhabited since 1789, and possibly even earlier than that.
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“In essence, this book is a series of conversations in words and images brought to life through John McGowan’s original interviews; my own poems and prose pieces; the black & white photographs of James Fraher; and the original artwork of Catherine Fanning.”
— Maura Gilligan
“I can see now that the fact that I stayed on lets me give the stories first hand…. the rest of the younger ones all left.”
— John McGowan
Contributors
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Catherine Fanning, Artist
Born in Wicklow, Catherine is a Sligo-based artist and freelance arts participation programme co-ordinator and administrator. Her art practice is in the areas of painting, mixed media and arts participation.
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James Fraher, Photographer
Born in Chicago, James uses photography to document unique cultural aspects of people and places. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries in the United States, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and France.
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