The Gift of ‘Gabby Aggie’

By Tom Deignan

STORYTELLER and poet Dwina Murphy-Gibb is coming to New York City later this month to perform selections of her hit radio comedy series The Gabby Aggies. She will also read sections from her other works, as part of a free, one night only reading at the Irish Arts Center in Manhattan on Tuesday, September 30 at 7 p.m. 

Murphy-Gibb – the second half of whose hyphenated name comes from her famous husband, Robin Gibb of the world famous Bee Gees – has performed dialogues based on The Gabby Aggies at Irish festivals all over the states, as well as in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia.

The Gabby Aggies are a series of comic monologues and sketches which revolve around “Mrs. P.,” a gossipy old women who loves to tackle all of the world’s problems. Mrs. P, it turns out, lives at place called The Fingerpost, where five roads meet. So, for better or worse, Mrs. P. believes that all roads lead to her door, and thus must know everybody’s business. She has a best friend named Mabel, but also a nemesis named Dymphna Brennan.

Murphy-Gibb was born in Tyrone, Northern Ireland. At nine years old she began writing stories and performing poetry. Even in school, Dwina was writing and directing stage-plays. Meanwhile, her artwork has been exhibited at the Jonathan Poole Gallery in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. She has also illustrated many books. 

Murphy-Gibb has a lifelong interest in history and mythology, and was co-founder of The Yeats Club, which organized poetry competitions and published Celtic Dawn, the international literary magazine. She holds the title of Patroness of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.

Murphy-Gibb has also published two volumes of poetry: Ergot On The Rye (in 1988) and Butterflies and Drums (in 1989). At the time she was using the pen name of Bridie Morrigan. Murphy-Gibb’s third collection, Love Unbound, is now available on CD and will soon be released in book form. Murphy-Gibb is also the author of the novels Cormac, The Seers, and Cormac, The KingMaking, books one and two of a trilogy about Cormac mac Airt, a second century High King in Ireland. 

Her short stories have been included in a collection of Irish folk stories by contemporary writers. Murphy-Gibb is co-founder and director of Gabby Productions and has been an executive producer on a number of independent films.

When not touring, Murphy-Gibb lives in Florida and Oxfordshire with her husband and her son Robin-John Gibb, as well as a Great Dane, Rocky, and two Irish Wolfhounds, Paddy and Kerry. 

The Irish Arts Center is located at 553 West 51st Street. For reservations or details call 212-581-4125. Tickets are free on a first come, first serve basis. Seating is limited and reservations are required.