A family affair for Mary
Retired school teacher Mary Cotter was surrounded by family, former colleagues and friends at the Presentation Arts Centre last Friday evening as she introduced her book of short stories ‘An Eye on Myself’ to all present.
The book was by her husband Richie, another retired teacher and now well-known community activist and volunteer who was lavish in his praise of Mary and her heart-warming stories of Tipperary where she grew up and bygone days and people she knew. Richie said how very proud he was of his wife and what she had achieved and he welcomed members of the Cotter and Cunningham families from both Tipperary and Kilkenny, former colleagues from Greystones and new friends from both Enniscorthy and Ferns, and paid tribute to both for making himself and Mary feel so at home here in Wexford. Before calling on Mary to read from her book he thanked the Wexford Literary Festival for their endorsement of Mary and their sponsorship of the launch.
Mary Cotter began by saying that she wasn’t going to do the usual Oscar speech of thanking everyone including Mr. Eastwood after all she said she had written the book herself and published it herself but then she had to admit that no one ever does anything completely themselves and she thanked husband Richie for his staunch and continued support and her children Rory, John and Richelle, her own family siblings and parents, all her great friends including members of her Bridge Club and members of the Delightful Dollies and all those attending.
The effervescent Mary read several small extracts from her stories with passion and animation leaving us eager to hear the final outcome of each. She writes with warmth, nostalgia and a strong sense of family and place and an innate understanding of her own people. Many of Mary’s stories are about the simple, human quest for acceptance and love and her language has a lovely Irish tonation to it like ‘she was a young woman in her own power and glory’ and beautifully descriptive like ‘ his presence hung like a curry smell in the air’.
Mary Cotter has a gift for story telling and the short story genre is well suited to her but don’t take my word for it go out and buy ‘An Eye on Myself’ for only €8 you wont regret it.