THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 POETRYDAY.IE #POETRYDAYIRL

THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 POETRYDAY.IE #POETRYDAYIRL

POETRY SURPRISES! POETRY DAY IRELAND THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 3 Poetry surprises. It knocks on your door and runs away. It greets you on the street with a face you haven t seen in years. Look in the mirror and poetry shows you the back of your head. It can rearrange the stars and resurrect the past. When your breath snags and your heart thumps; when something strokes your neck and makes you jump: that s poetry. Whether it s a poem hiding in the attic or the electric shock of a particularly powerful jolt of verse, we have asked everyone to spring some poetry surprises on Poetry Day Ireland this year. Meanwhile, we at Poetry Ireland are constantly surprised and delighted by the very many wonderful and inspirational events that are programmed by dedicated poetry lovers across the length and breadth of Ireland each year. So, choose an event, sit back, and enjoy a poetic surprise on Thursday 26 April! connect with us See poetryday.ie for full details of all events on Poetry Day Ireland @poetryireland @poetryireland.eigseeireann @poetryireland #PoetryDayIRL #PoetrySuprises brought to you by thank you! Poetry Day Ireland would not be possible without its supporters and partners principal supporters annual supporters in partnership with

POETRY OUT AND ABOUT Dirty Dancer Rita Ann Higgins In the Tai Chi garden in Hong Kong an old man the only smoker there flicks through a porno magazine. He has a huge wart on his lip. His laidback, scratch my arse, bite me look says to anyone who wants to read it: Better to be in the park with porn than four-walling it on the 80th floor the icicles of lonely jerking at my heels. From Ireland is Changing Mother, by kind permission of Bloodaxe Books 1/9 Read about this poem on poetryday.ie Supported by: RTÉ Supporting the Arts Love Poem with Sandwiches Padraig Regan I had this plan: to come up with titles for poems like Nocturne with a Bottle of Sparkling Wine or Aubade with Figs & Water Glass but instead of writing the poems I d just copy the titles onto slices of white bread using blue ink & a brush & then I d use them to make sandwiches with things like tamarind & Roquefort & whole thickets of herbs to mask the rusty taste of the ink & feed them to this guy I was dating because the first time I saw him naked in daylight the hairs on his belly reminded me of that texture you find at the centre Of a loaf when you grip the Crusts & pull it apart. From Delicious (2016), by kind permission of The Lifeboat Poetry Pamphlet 8/9 Read about this poem on poetryday.ie Supported by: RTÉ Supporting the Arts Ekphrastic Haiku Gabriel Rosenstock crann plumaí faoi bhláth leis i súil an chorcráin choille 梅が枝やうそひめの目に咲きにけり ploom tree flooerin in bullie s ee an aw plum tree flowering too in the eye of the bullfinch Published by kind permission from Gabriel Rosenstock THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 #PoetryDayIRL Read about this poem on poetryday.ie POETRY SURPRISES! Cinderella, Backwards after John Glenday and Angela Carter Claire Dyer Happily Ever After he unbends his knee, plucks a glass slipper from her perfect foot, thinks, Surely, this should be fur? Next, he uncurls his lip at the bloodied stumps of some sisters toes, mounts a vast black stallion and rides away as an invitation is unprinted, a Ball unplanned, exquisite footwear is never left upon a stair. And she goes back to midnight to unchime the clock, dance in reverse with a man who will one day unsearch for her while six footmen return to mice, a golden coach to pumpkin as an orchestra untunes, her dress re-rags, an impossible Fairy Godmother dissolves to dust. And there will be a Prince somewhere who unbelieves in love again as she sweeps Once Upon A Time back in through the door. 4 THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 POETRYDAY.IE #POETRYDAYIRL POETRY SURPRISES! THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 POETRYDAY.IE #POETRYDAYIRL POETRY SURPRISES! THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 POETRYDAY.IE #POETRYDAYIRL POETRY SURPRISES! 4/9 Read about this poem on poetryday.ie Supported by: RTÉ Supporting the Arts From Eleven Rooms (2013), by kind permission of the author and Two Rivers Press Pocket Poems Keep an eye out for our Pocket Poems, gorgeous mini cards featuring Poetry Surprises-themed poems by writers including Tara Bergin, Moya Cannon, Vona Groarke, Francis Harvey, Seamus Heaney, Rita Ann Higgins, Sinéad Morrissey, Padraig Regan and Gabriel Rosenstock. Pick up a Pocket Poem in participating arts venues, libraries and bookshops, then read about your poem in our handy guide by Niall MacMonagle on poetryday.ie. Applegreen Poems From Jack Kerouac s epic adventures to Seamus Heaney s vivid depictions of the world from behind a steering wheel, road trips have been a source of inspiration for many great writers over the years. On Poetry Day Ireland this year, drivers will be able to pick up a free driving-themed poetry card by Ireland s Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney from any of Applegreen s 120 shops across Ireland. Providing fuel for thought on Poetry Day Ireland! DART Poems DART commuters can enjoy great Poetry Surprisesthemed poems on poetry posters across the DART fleet for two weeks from 23 April, thanks to the generous support of Iarnród Éireann. The posters feature poems by Colm Brennan, Claire Dyer, Jackie Kay, Aifric Mac Aodha, Orla Martin, Katherine May, Mary Melvin Geoghegan, and Laura Mucha. The well-known poetry commentator Niall MacMonagle has also created a guide to the DART poems on poetryday.ie.

POETRY OUT AND ABOUT 5 TRAIN STATION EXIT 17 6 17 5 THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2018 #PoetryDayIRL Read about this poem on poetryday.ie POETRY SURPRISES! Liffey Swim Jessica Traynor In the dream, the Blessington Street Basin fills with the Liffey s stout-bottle waters, but still the swimmers come, in droves, on the stray sovereign of an Irish summer s day. The river courses towards the quays, turning concrete roadways to canal banks that shrug their shoulders into the dark water; a man rises, seal-like in his caul of silt, to wave. 8 9 7 Poetry Trail Map Discover poems about the animals and plants at Fota! 10 11 12 Daily from Apr - Oct: Time Animal 17 10.45 Penguins 12.45 Cheetahs 2.15 Siamang Gibbons 4.00 Cheetahs 4.30 Penguins 5.00 Seals 17 13 3 LION ENCLOSUR ASIAN SANCTUARY NTRANCE 17 Stitches Sinéad Morrissey 15 Cheetah Run 4 2018 TAKIN & MARKHOR 2019 ASIAN BEARS There has been extravagance in speech and every spilled, exploded word has been a stitch in a blanket made for an imaginary baby. The words went south where the sun was, but stayed hungry. A name came in the third month. A face followed. A hair type, a footprint, but the stitiches showed. Imagination s cloth too coarsely woven for life to catch and cover stitching over. And then blood. Inevitable, true. Simple and strong enough to cut all falsehood through. Later the screen said darkness no spine, no heart. And the stitches came apart. From On Balance (2017), by kind permission of Carcanet Press Ltd. 16 7/9 Read about this poem on poetryday.ie Supported by: RTÉ Supporting the Arts 2 1 14 Postscript Seamus Heaney And some time make the time to drive out west Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore, In September or October, when the wind And the light are working off each other So that the ocean on one side is wild MAIN ENTRANCE With foam and glitter, and inland among stones The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit By the earthed lightning of a flock of swans, Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white Their fully grown headstrong-looking heads Tucked ir cresting or busy underwater. Useless to think you ll park and capture it More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there, And there, at the edge of vision, my parents, ready to join the swimmers, gesture their cheerful farewells. #PoetryDayIRL www.poetryday.ie A hurry through which known and strange things pass As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways And catch the heart off guard and blow it open From Spirit Level, by kind permission of Faber and Faber From Liffey Swim (2014) by kind permission of the author and Dedalus Press 5/9 Read about this poem on poetryday.ie Supported by: RTÉ Supporting the Arts Dublin Bus Poems We are delighted to welcome Dublin Bus on board as a new partner for Poetry Day Ireland this year. From the end of April, Dublin Bus passengers can keep an eye out for a great selection of Dublin-themed poems on the bus fleet by poets including Eavan Boland, Elaine Feeney, Rita Ann Higgins, Patrick Kavanagh, Sophie Meehan, and Jessica Traynor. If you like what you read, then why not share a snap of it with the hashtag #DublinBusPoetry. Wildlife Trail Poems From Thursday 26 April until supplies run out, visitors to Fota Wildlife Park in Cork can pick up a Poetry Trail Map and enjoy some great, family-friendly poems about the animals and trees at Fota. The map will include a selection of prize-winning poems from the Poetry Day Ireland and Fota Wildlife Park Children s Poetry Competition. The Poetry Trail Map is free with entry to the park. Pillow Poems Guests of the luxury hotel group, The Doyle Collection, will be in for a treat on Poetry Day Ireland. Pillow Poem cards will be placed in all hotel rooms at turn-down at each of their hotels including The Westbury (Dublin), The River Lee (Cork) and The Croke Park (Dublin), as well as the group s hotels in the UK and the US. The poems featured will be selected from Poetry Ireland s recent anthologies All Through the Night (edited by Marie Heaney) and Everything to Play For: 99 Poems About Sport (edited by John McAuliffe), both of which were generously supported by The Doyle Collection.

CONNACHT 6 Cúirt International Festival of Literature on Poetry Day Ireland cuirt.ie Reading her, one feels that were there to be a World Laureate, Imtiaz Dharker would be the only candidate. carol ann duffy imtiaz dharker Imtiaz Dharker and Pascale Petit Thurday 26 April, 1pm Town Hall Theatre, Galway tickets: 10 / 8 concessions Imtiaz Dharker is a poet, artist and documentary film-maker who was awarded the Queen s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2014. Pascale Petit s seventh collection, Mama Amazonica (Bloodaxe, 2017) was a Poetry Book Society Choice. Her sixth, Fauverie, was her fourth to be shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize, and five poems from it won the Manchester Poetry Prize. Lyrics of our Lives: The Art of Songwriting Thursday 26 April, 8pm Róisín Dubh, Galway tickets: 18/ 16 concessions This unique event explores the art of composing lyrics as a writing practice by uncovering the inspiration, the anecdotes and the craft behind some of our favourite songs. With Julie Feeney, Paul Linehan, Brendan Murphy, Steve Wall and Sharon Vaughan, chaired by Tony Clayton-Lea. Cúirt Cois Fharraige Cúirt International Festival of Literature in association with Ealaín na Gaeltachta and Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools is presenting a number of special Irish-language events that support contemporary writing by local Gaeltacht writers while fostering writing skills in young Irish-language authors of the future. pascale petit Poetry Ireland Access Cúirt Bursary This bursary provides an emerging poet from a background that is currently statistically underrepresented in Irish poetry with an opportunity to visit the festival and become immersed in the poetry programme. Apply by 30 March. See poetryireland.ie for details.

CONNACHT 7 Kilkenny Education Centre Awards Ceremony Thursday 26 April Watershed Leisure Centre, Kilkenny An awards ceremony to celebrate the winning poems from Kilkenny Education Centre s Poetry Day competition. Includes music from Seo Linn. The winning poems will also be posted online. eckilkenny.ie Surprised by Poetry in Portumna Thursday 26 April, all day Portumna, Co. Galway free event From dawn to dusk, Portumna will be pouring down poetry on Poetry Day Ireland. Watch out for pop up poems all over the town. shorelinesartsfestival.com Ger Reidy & Finn Costelloe/UPPBEAT Thursday 26 April, 9.30am Mid West Radio ( 96.1fm ) tune in Mayo poets Ger Reidy and Finn Costelloe/ UPPBEAT, will read some of their poetry on Tommy Marren s show on Midwest Radio (96.1fm). The recording will later be circulated by Mayo Arts Service via social media. Poems, Coffee and a Surprise Thursday 26 April, 11am Clifden Library, Co. Galway free event Invitation to enjoy a morning of poetry, coffee, chat and a surprise. Bring and share a poem, or just listen and relax. Rapping Poetry with Glen Thursday 26 April, 11am Ballymote Community Library CLOSED EVENT Artist Glen Boyne conducts a Rap Session called Poetry Surprises with the Transition Year students from CMBM Ballymote. rita ann higgins Celebrating the Nobels with Rita Ann Higgins Thursday 26 April, 12pm & 7.30pm Yeats Building, Hyde Bridge, Sligo TICKETS: FREE (12pm) / 10 (7.30pm) At 12 noon, the Yeats Society will launch its first Poet in Residence, and will present a discussion with the director of Seamus Heaney s HomePlace. At 7.30pm the Society s new Poet in Residence will give a short reading and will be joined by Rita Ann Higgins, who will read her favourite Yeats and Heaney poems along with her own work. yeatssociety.com Poetry en plein air Thursday 26 April, 3pm Letterfrack Poetry Trail, Connemara National Park, Co. Galway free event Join the director of Connemara Environmental Education & Cultural Centre, Leo Hallissey and guests, on a walking tour of the Letterfrack Poetry Trail. ceecc.org

CONNACHT 8 20/20 Vision! Thursday 26 April, 5pm Leaves from the Community Development Offices, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon free event Follow a poetry trail around town and help Strokestown Poetry Festival celebrate its 20th birthday with 20 poems, each no longer than 20 lines. strokestownpoetry.org Roscommon County Library Competition Award Ceremony Thursday 26 April, 5.30pm Roscommon County Library, Co. Roscommon free event An awards presentation and reading from the winners of the Roscommon County Library Poetry Day Competition. Presented by the competition s adjudicator Jessamine O Connor. National School Poetry Competition Presentation Thursday 26 April, 6.15pm Castlerea Branch Library, Co. Roscommon free event A presentation of certificates for the winners and runners up in the Annual National School Poetry Competition for 2018, which is open to children up to 13 years of age. Labyrinth Lyricals Thursday 26 April, 6.30pm Carrowcrory Cottage, Ballinafad, Co. Sligo FREE FOOD OR FUEL DONATION Share poetry in any style from the centre of Carrowcrory Cottage s Labyrinth Gardens, weather willing, or in a little theatre if wet. Come earlier for a buffet supper before, so nobody goes hungry. john@celticways.com elaine feeney Elaine Feeney, Art Ó Briain & Debbie Ruddy Thursday 26 April, 7pm Artisan House, Ellis Workshops, Letterfrack, Co. Galway tickets 8 Celebrate Poetry Day Ireland in Artisan House with poet Elaine Feeney, musician Art Ó Briain, and blogger Debbie Ruddy. artisanhouse.ie Terry McDonagh and Ger Reidy Thursday 26 April, 8pm Ballina Arts Centre, Co. Mayo tickets: 5 In a lively, relaxed evening of words and music, Terry McDonagh and Ger Reidy will read from older and more recent work accompanied by singer/songwriter Tony Reidy and musical friends. ballinaartscentre.com Maple Poetry Group, Portumna Pen Pushers and Baffle Thursday 26 April, 9pm Horan s Bar, Portumna, Co. Galway free event Join in and read a poem with writers groups from the Portumna area. Surprise us with a poem you like or with a poem you penned.

CULTUREFOX.IE 9 NEVER MISS OUT The Arts Council s new, upgraded CULTUREFOX events guide is now live. Free, faster, easy to use and personalised for you. Never miss out again.

LEINSTER 10 Poetry Day Ireland at Poetry Ireland Thursday 26 April ALL DAY 11 Parnell Square East, Dublin 1 poetryday.ie john mcauliffe kate kellaway 10am (2nd 4th class) & 11.30am (5th 6th class) Schools workshops with Lucinda Jacob free event Lucinda Jacob leads poetry workshops with a seasonal theme. Lucinda will read from her book Hopscotch in the Sky, before guiding the children through the process of writing their own poem. 1pm-7pm Screening of Night Mail free event Settle in to watch Night Mail, the 1936 classic documentary movie that features music by Benjamin Britten and verse commentary by the poet W. H. Auden. Screenings start every 30 minutes. 2pm 4pm Reviewing Poetry with Kate Kellaway and John McAuliffe free event Kate Kellaway is a journalist and literary critic who writes for The Observer. John McAuliffe is a poet, an editor, chief poetry critic at The Irish Times and co-director of the University of Manchester s Centre for New Writing. This workshop will take you under the bonnet of the reviewing process and is open to poets with all levels of experience, inside and outside of academia. 5.30pm, 6.30pm & 7.30pm Building Tours with Maud Gonne free event Our building at 11 Parnell Square East is steeped in fascinating history. Join Maud Gonne (actor Caitríona Ní Mhurchú) for a tour of its hidden nooks and crannies. 6pm The Moth International Poetry Prize free event Raise a glass to the winners of this year s 10,000 The Moth International Poetry Prize, judged by Daljit Nagra. The four shortlisted poets are Natalya Anderson, Audrey Molloy, Cheryl Moskowitz and Teresa Ott. 8pm John McAuliffe & Kevin Doherty tickets 10/ 8 conc. Keven Doherty s observant and soulful lyrics draw on many literary influences, including the work of John McAuliffe, whose poems tell stories and find images for soul-making in the everyday world of sheds, swimming pools, concert halls, parks, ferry ports, galleries, protest marches, cinemas and street corners. Presented in partnership with the ITMA as part of Soul Clap its Hands and Sing.

LEINSTER 11 Recovery in Rhyme Thursday 26 April, 11am 58 Amiens Street, Dublin 1 SAOL aims to create a body of nourishing poems that will help the women they work with to engage better with their recovery journey and to find their voice more clearly. They hope for a chorus of voices making poetry and through it, breathing life into hope. saolproject.ie dairena ní chinnéide DCU Bilingual poetry event with an open mic Thursday 26 April, 10.30am Cregan Library, DCU St. Patrick s Campus, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Free event Impromptu readings of Irish and English language poems. All are welcome to come read a poem or listen. Facilitated by Scríbhneoir Cónaithe Gaeilge 2017/18, Dairena Ní Chinnéide. Olga Novo & Moya Cannon Monday 23 April, 12pm Instituto Cervantes, Dublin 2 Free event To celebrate World Book Day, Spanish Language Day and Poetry Day Ireland, the Instituto Cervantes Dublin presents poetry in Galician, Spanish and English, with poets Olga Novo (Spain) and Moya Cannon (Ireland). dublin.cervantes.es Take A Poem, Leave A Poem Thursday 26 April, 11am-6pm Lyón Loring, Dublin 7 This gorgeous vintage store in Stonybatter is inviting customers to leave a short poem in a box and take one at random in return. Runs throughout April. An Ciorcal Caidrimh Thursday 26 April, 11am An Culturlann, Monkstown, Co. Dublin An Ciorcal Caidrimh, bi-lingual special poetry morning event. Poetry Surprises with Creative Ardagh Thursday 26 April, 12-4pm Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre, Co. Longford TICKETS: 5 Enjoy reading and listening to poems, create some art based on what you hear or just enjoy a chat over tea and coffee (included in price). Plus a surprise or two! creativeardagh.blogspot.ie Write your own Poem: Bilingual Chain of Elevenies Kettenelfchen Thursday 26 April, 12-7pm Goethe-Institut Irland, Dublin 2 Surprise / Überraschung will be the first word in an Elfchen, a poem containing just eleven words. The second poem will pick up the last word of the first one, and so on, creating a chain of poems. Everyone is invited to contribute. goethe.de

LEINSTER 12 Bealtaine Writers Thursday 26 April, 1pm Poetry Ireland, Dublin 1 Bealtaine Writers present a reading of their poems from the recent F. W. Burton Exhibition in the National Gallery of Ireland. poetryireland.ie conor kostick Poet s Rising Promenade Thursday 26 April, 1pm Irish Writers Centre, Dublin 1 Join writer and historian Conor Kostick for a tour of the significant locations of the 1916 Rising as featured on the Irish Writers Centre s A Poet s Rising app. Following the final poem, all are invited to the Irish Writers Centre for tea and coffee where the A Poet s Rising film will be shown in full. Please bring a smartphone/tablet and headphones. Tour starts from James Connolly Statue, Beresford Place, opposite Liberty Hall. irishwriterscentre.ie Poetry by the Pond Thursday 26 April, 1pm dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Read your own poetry or someone else s, or come along just to listen if you prefer. Be inspired by the eclectic mix of poems. libraries.dlrcoco.ie Fired! A Celebration of Irish Women Poets Thursday 26 April, 2.30pm Dublin Writers Museum, Dublin 1 Fired! s Poetry Day Ireland event celebrates the abundance of women s poetry in the Irish tradition. Introduced by Prof. Lucy Collins, contemporary poets read from their own work, and from the work of some of the finest historically important Irish women writers. eventbrite.ie Workshop with John Noonan Tuesday 24 April, 3pm Dundalk Library, Dundalk To celebrate Poetry Day Ireland, Dundalk Library is hosting a Poetry Writing Workshop facilitated by John Noonan. Francis Ledwidge Museum Tour Thursday 26 April, 3pm Francis Ledwidge Museum, Slane, Co. Meath A free guided tour of the museum followed by poetry readings. Everyone is invited to share their favourite poem, by and about Francis Ledwidge. francisledwidge.com

LEINSTER 13 Poetry Reading with Afternoon Tea Thursday 26 April, 3.30pm Castlecomer Library, Co. Kilkenny FREE ENTRY Inspired by America s Favourite Poem Project, where ordinary people read aloud their favourite poem, come and share a poem you love over afternoon tea. castlecomer@kilkennylibrary.ie Surprised By Place Thursday 26 April, 5pm & 7pm Blessington Library, Co. Wicklow mbirchal@wicklowcoco.ie In association with PoulaPoetry, Blessington Library will be hosting an evening of poetry readings on the theme of place. Poet Peggie Gallagher will lead a workshop at 5pm, followed by a public reading at 7pm with Peggie Gallagher and local poets. Members of the audience will be invited to join in. Poetry Surprises: New and Selected Poems Thursday 26 April, 6.30pm Rathmines Public Library, Dublin A reading of new poetry collections by award winning poets Neville Keery and Pauline Hall. Introduced by broadcaster Eamonn Lawlor. dublincitypubliclibraries.ie Maeve O Sullivan and Anne Tannam with Surprises From The Floor! Thursday 26 April, 6.30pm Cabra Library, Dublin 7 A poetry reading with Maeve O Sullivan of The Poetry Divas and spoken word artist Anne Tannam. The audience is invited to share a poem too. dublincitypubliclibraries.ie Poetry Day Ireland 5km Run Thursday 26 April, 6.30pm Meeting point at Run Logic, Smock Alley Court, Dublin 2 TICKETS: FREE (BOOKING ESSENTIAL) Poet and running enthusiast John O Donnell leads a 5km Poetry Run with poetic pitstops through central Dublin. Presented in partnership with Run Logic. Please note that there will be no road closures for this event, and runners participate at their own risk. Poetry Workshop with Nell Regan Monday 23 April, 6.30pm The Coach House, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 Nell Regan takes absolute beginners, dabblers and creative writing group members through the art of creating poetry. Poetry Surprises for Everyone Wednesday 25 April, 6.30pm Edenderry Library, Co. Offaly Everyone enjoys a good poem. Read your favourite, share your own.

LEINSTER 14 Building Bridges 1 30 April, library opening hours Edenderry Library, Co. Offaly Edenderry Library is presenting an art exhibition by artist Willie Redmond matching each of his paintings to a poem, mainly the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh. A Sense of Place Thursday 26 April, 6.30pm Irish Writers Centre, Dublin 1 Swan Press and Rathmines Writers Workshop invite you to celebrate the launch of A Sense of Place, the new collection by Mary Shine, one of the workshop s earliest members. irishwriterscentre.ie Listen and Surprise! / Éist agus Beir Iontas! Thursday 26 April, 7pm Online at Tumblr & Reception at Fingal County Hall, Swords, Co. Dublin Fingal Libraries presents a bilingual digital celebration and competition for all ages. Winners will receive their prizes at a public reception that will include a performance on the theme of poetry appreciation by poet Máighréad Medbh. fingal.ie Michael J Whelan Thursday 26 April, 7pm Ballyroan Library, Dublin 14 An award winning poet, writer and historian from Dublin, Michael J Whelan s collection of poems, Peacekeeper (Doire Press, 2016), was influenced by his overseas service with the Irish Defence Forces. eventbrite.ie niall macmonagle The Blank Page: Poets in Conversation Thursday 26 April, 7pm National Library of Ireland, Dublin 2 FREE ENTRY Poets Clodagh Beresford Dunne and Martin Dyar in discussion with editor and broadcaster Niall MacMonagle. Each poet will choose one poem, and Niall will lead a discussion on the story of the poem and how it came to be written. nli.ie Enniscorthy Library Event Thursday 26 April, 7pm Enniscorthy Library, Co. Wexford Poetry readings with a selection of poets from County Wexford. Everyone is welcome. wexford.ie Be Surprised by Poetry! Thursday 26 April, 7pm Blessington Library, Co. Wicklow Blessington Library will be hosting an evening of poetry readings and songs on the theme of surprises, in association with West Wicklow poetry group, Poula Poetry.

LEINSTER 15 Joan Roth and William M. Roth Lecture 2018: Too Raucous for a Chorus by Erica Van Horn Thursday 26 April, 7pm Neill Theatre, Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin The School of English and the Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin present a lecture by the American poet, artist, editor, writer, and printmaker Erica Van Horn. RSVP by Friday 6th April 2018 to philip.coleman@tcd.ie. SURPRISE! Thursday 26 April, 7pm Oldcastle Library, Co. Meath Readings of original poems by local community members. Open mic slots will be available and refreshments will be served. Friends of Gorey Writers Tuesday 24 April, 7.15pm Gorey Library, Co. Wexford Readings from Bernie Walsh, Colm Brennan and Carol Boland. John Wyse Jackson will read two poems by the late Philip Casey, and also one of his own poems. Colm Brennan and Carol Boland will read their poems. goreywriters@gmail.com Yarn A Conversation and Reading with Maitreyabandhu Thursday 26 April, 7.30pm Dublin Buddhist Centre, Dublin, 1 Maitreyabandhu s most recent collection Yarn is a vivid and at times disturbing account of the world we live in and the history that shapes us. dublinbuddhistcentre.org nell regan Poetry Day Ireland at Mermaid Thursday 26 April, 7.30pm Mermaid Arts Centre Café, Bray, Co. Wicklow TICKETS: 8 Celebrate Poetry Day Ireland in salon-style with a reading by poet Nell Regan followed by an open mic. Nell was a 2016 Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellow and poems in her latest collection One Still Thing draw on the local area. mermaidartscentre.ie Circle Sessions Thursday 26 April, 8pm The Cellar, Hely s Bar, Dublin 2 Circle Sessions are inviting poets to present one poem of their choosing which they feel captures an intimate and honest part of themselves. The performances will be professionally judged with cash prizes. facebook.com/thecirclesessions Malahide Singers Circle Thursday 26 April, 8.30pm Oscar Taylor s, Malahide, Co Dublin TICKETS: 3 Malahide Singers Circle is delighted to welcome award-winning poet Rachael Hegarty as their special guest on the evening of Poetry Day Ireland. facebook.com/malahide.singingcircle

MUNSTER 16 April is Poetry Month in Limerick 2018 The Limerick Writers Centre has organised a month-long festival celebrating the city s vibrant poetic scene. Selected events are below, for full details see limerickwriterscentre.com or download a brochure at https://tinyurl.com/yclrp2dj. The Poetry Wall 1 30 April Merchants Quay, Limerick City As part of this year s April is Poetry Month in Limerick, a wall of poems will be displayed in a prominent city location for the month of April. Helen Mort reads with Edward O Dwyer Monday 23 April, 7.30pm Narrative 4, Limerick In the run up to Poetry Day Ireland, the Limerick Writers Centre presents UK poet Helen Mort alongside Limerick local Edward O Dwyer. An Act of Deep Insurrection Thursday 26 April, 1pm The Hunt Museum, Limerick I expect from a poem that it slits my throat and resuscitates me, the French writer, Christian Bobin, tells us. This event celebrates the unchanging task of the lyric poet and poem to change us. helen mort On the Nail at the Library Thursday 26 April, 6.30pm Limerick City Library, Limerick A special On the Nail literary gathering features guest readers Jacqueline Saphra and Ron Carey, followed by an open mic.

MUNSTER 17 PANOPTIC Friday 13 April, 8pm St. Catherine s Hall, Waterford City Winner of the 2017 Irish Book Awards Listowel Writers Week Poem of the Year competition, poet Clodagh Beresford Dunne gives the debut public reading (with livestream from Colorado) of the collaborative transplant-centred poem PANOPTIC written by Beresford Dunne and USA poet, Kierstin Bridger. contact@higginseyesurgeon.com Poets Asleep Thursday 26 April, 3am Nel future The poets sleep. Join them. Presented by Los Futoristos del Ballyhooley. Cork County Library Poetry Surprises Thursday 26 April, all day Cork County Libraries S Public poetry readings will spring up at library branches all across Cork County. Come along to one of our participating libraries at the designated time, read or recite a favourite poem, or a poem you wrote yourself, or just sit back and listen to the literary equivalent of a massage! corkcoco.ie/library The Poet-Tree Thursday 26 April, all day Nenagh Arts Centre and local primary schools, Co. Tipperary Dromineer Literary Festival in association with Nenagh Arts Centre invite primary school children from 2nd to 6th class to create their very own Poet Tree! All participating schools will be included in a draw for a Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools workshop with Geraldine Mitchell. Poetry in Motion: Spoken Word Poetry and What It Means Today Thursday 26 April, 9.30am Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick Run by doctoral student and performance poet Paul McNamara with the support of Mary Immaculate College, this conference will bring together artists and academics, practice and research, as it investigates how poetry and performance are combined. eventbrite.ie Beyond Borders Poetry Thursday 26 April, 11am De Valera Public Library, Ennis, Co. Clare Celebrate Poetry Day Ireland in Ennis with readings of poetry from around the world. Poetry Surprises Thursday 26 April, 11.30am 12.30pm & 3.30 4.30pm Cork City Library, Cork A unique spoken word and visual performance by Maria Wojdylo Kelly including poetry by Paul Casey, Rosaline Blue, Stan Notte, Niall Hearne, Cara Kursh, Ciaran Mac Artain and Alexander Philip Spillane. Poetry at Presentation Ballingarry Thursday 26 April, 12pm Presentation Secondary School, Ballingarry, Thurles, Co. Tipperary School gathering including parents, local writers and parishoners to celebrate poetry and hear students, guests and staff present their own work.

18

MUNSTER 19 A Poem For You South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary Thursday 26 April, 1pm A Poem For You is a poetry reading where interested members of the public can hear poetry read aloud in a convivial setting. Guests from diverse backgrounds and different artforms will be invited to read their favourite poem, explaining what it is that draws them to the poem. This event is part of a year-long initiative by South Tipperary Arts Centre to encourage people to read poetry. southtippartscentre.ie cathy belton April is the cruellest month... A rehearsed reading of T.S. Eliot s The Waste Land with actor Cathy Belton Thursday 26 April, 1pm Lewis Glucksman Gallery, University College Cork A state-of-the-nation epic written in the years following the carnage of the First World War, The Waste Land encapsulates the breakdown of relationships, language, and even the very idea of civilisation itself. Cathy Belton is best known for her screen roles in Red Rock, Philomena, and Intermission, and is acclaimed for her many stage roles. poetryireland.ie Poetry Swap Thursday 26 April, 1pm Mouse Internet Cafe, Cork Celebrate Poetry Day Ireland with readings all day and an invitation to drop in and take a poem or leave a poem. Waterford City Slam Thursday 26 April, 1pm The Parlour Vintage Tea Rooms, Waterford TICKETS 10 (includes sandwich, soup and tea/coffee) A lunchtime poetry slam in the heart of Waterford City. Poets will recite their own work from memory with a three minute time frame per person. First placed poet will receive a prize. Lani O Hanlon & Mark Roper Thursday 26 April, 1.30pm The Molly Keane House, Co. Waterford Featuring Lani O Hanlon (The Molly Keane House Writer in Residence) and Mark Roper, who will read from his new collection Bindweed, with soup and soda bread for poetry lovers. mollykeanewritersretreats.com

MUNSTER 20 Spring is Here at Last Thursday 26 April, 2.30pm Dromig Farmhouse, Skibbereen, Co. Cork limited space for first 20 to apply Sonia Bidwell is a textile artist/storyteller who is offering an informal afternoon of poetry in her own home. Reserve a place by emailing: johnbidwell48@btinternet. An Afternoon of Coffee, Cake and Poetry Thursday 26 April, 2.30pm Tramore Library, Co. Waterford Tramore Library will host an afternoon of coffee, cake and poetry with the library s Classic Book Group members. Pop-up Poetry Reading Open Mic Thursday 26 April, 3pm The Tudor Artisan Hub, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary This pop-up Open Mic is open to anyone who wants to take part and is hosted by Margaret O Brien and Linda Fahy. One poem per person, just turn up. Poetry Day Surprises in Fethard Thursday 26 April, 4pm Fethard Horse Country Experience, Co.Tipperary DONATIONS WELCOME Join Fethard Horse Country Experience to share your favourite poem or listen to some you may never have heard before. There ll be a surprise or two in store too! fhcexperience.ie Thomas McCarthy & Lani O Hanlon Thursday 26 April, 7pm Cappoquin Library, Co. Waterford Cappoquin Heritage Group and Cappoquin Library Service host a reading with Cappoquin native Thomas McCarthy and Co. Waterford based Lani O Hanlon. Poems by local children celebrating a woman important to them will also be on display. Funded by Waterford County Council Arts Service. Surprised by Joy Thursday 26 April, 7.30pm MacCarthy s Bar, Castletownbere, Co. Cork A celebration of how poetry can reflect, or even create, the intensity experience those rare moments of being or epiphanies that afford us a fleeting appreciation of the foundations of life. Join in the readings and discussions, or just come to listen. HARK! Open Poetry Reading Thursday 26 April, 8pm The Old Thatch, Killeagh, Co. Cork Greywood Arts has partnered with the neighbouring Old Thatch Pub, one of the oldest pubs in Ireland, to host an open-mic in celebration of Poetry Day. We invite local scribes pros and dabblers to stand up and share an original or favourite verse. Contact Greywood Arts to sign up, or simply come along to listen. greywoodarts.org

MUNSTER ULSTER 21 leanne o sullivan The Amergin Prelude Thursday 26 April, 8pm The Haven, over The Anchor Bar, Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry Introducing The Amergin Solstice Poetry Gathering a reading with Cork poet Leanne O Sullivan. Includes an open mic. amerginpoetry.com Your Favourite Poem Thursday 26 April, 8pm Mountshannon, Co. Clare Everyone is invited to bring along their own favourite poem to this informal and entertaining evening hosted by local poet Nicki Griffin. Verses from The Vaults Thursday 26 April, 8.30pm Bank House, Main St, Ballydehob, Co. Cork Commemorating the centenary of the end of World War I with poems from soldiers and their families living at that time in and around Ballydehob, as well as Poetry Surprises from national and local poets. Reading Rooms on Poetry Day Ireland Thursday 26 April Verbal Arts Centre Derry and venues all across Northern Ireland S Reading Rooms is a mobile shared reading programme that gives participants a voice and promotes wellbeing, resilience and empathy. Throughout Poetry Day Ireland the transformational power of Irish and international poetry will be celebrated in various Reading Rooms across Northern Ireland. theverbal.co Strata Thursday 26 April, All day from 10:30am Waterside Theatre, Derry/Londonderry Daytime events - FREE Evening event (in theatre) 5 Women Aloud NI present Strata a unique day-long event combining practical workshops, discussions, masterclasses and public readings, all of which explore women s writing across varied strata of age and literary experience. watersidetheatre.com Poetry Reading Thursday 26 April, 12.30pm St Louis Grammar School, Old Cullybackey Road, Ballymena St Louis Grammar School is celebrating Poetry Day Ireland will a poetry reading during school hours.

ULSTER 22 River Mill Surprises Thursday 26 April, 1pm The River Mill, Downpatrick, Co. Down TICKETS 10 Join Paul Maddern at his new venture The River Mill, a writers retreat in rural South Down, for a surprise poetry workshop. the-river-mill.co.uk Seamus Heaney Tour of The Shepherds Rest Thursday 26 April, 2pm The Shepherds Rest Pub, Draperstown Co. Derry/Londonderry DONATION ON THE DAY A short tour of The Shepherds Rest with a reading on the day of at least eight of Seamus Heaney s Poems and stories of his time there. There ll also be an opportunity to taste some Sloe gin. shepherdsrestpub.com Crafting a Line Thursday 26 April, 2.30pm Camphill Community Glencraig, Holywood, Co. Down Glencraig is a community supporting people with complex needs. Residents, staff and volunteers will select a quote from their favourite poem which will be turned into a piece of art work for display. Poetry Beneath the Sperrins Thursday 26 April, 7pm Burnavon, Cookstown Burnavon Writers Group presents an informal reading of their work, which spans a wide range of styles. Derry Poems Thursday 26 April, 7pm Central Library, Foyle Street, Derry City Derry poets Julieann Campbell and Lynne Edgar will read from their published anthologies and share new work in honour of Poetry Day, followed by a short Q & A. Poetry for All with Seán Maguire Thursday 26 April, 7-9pm Ballybot House, Cornmarket, Newry, Co. Down Come along, read some of your poetry, or read your favourite poem. Tea and coffee provided. smaguire25@yahoo.com Poetry Day Readings Thursday 26 April, 7.30pm Thyme & Co, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim Join Ballycastle Writers as they read from their work, followed by open mic.

ULSTER INTERNATIONAL 23 Poetry Ireland at O Miami Friday 27 April Betsy Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida, United States Every April, with principal funding provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, O, Miami produces the O, Miami Poetry Festival, a month-long initiative with the mission of every single person in Miami-Dade County encountering a poem. susie dickey Taking Off From Here: Young Northern Irish Poets Saturday 21 April, 7.30pm Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy, Co. Derry/Londonderry TICKETS 6 Seamus Heaney was always a keen supporter and champion of new and emerging poets, and this special event welcomes four of the brightest new poetic voices currently working in Northern Ireland to HomePlace. Stephen Connolly, Manuela Moser, Susie Dickey and Stephen Sexton are all at the forefront of a thriving and dynamic poetic community. It is an exciting and energising time for poets from Northern Ireland who are looking to the future and taking off from here. seamusheaneyhome.com This year Poetry Ireland and Culture Ireland are delighted to partner with the Festival to present three leading Irish poets in Miami on the day after Poetry Day Ireland; Tara Bergin, Julie Morrissy and Paul Perry. If you live in Miami and you do not read, recite or listen to a poem in April, something has gone seriously wrong. the new york times omiami.org

ONLINE AND PODCASTS 24 See poetryday.ie for more details Poetry Day Ireland Freebies! Poetry fans can look forward to plenty of free treats to download from poetryday.ie in the run up to 26 April. These include a free ebook of work by 2017 s Poetry Ireland Introductions participants, brand new Surprise Poems commissioned especially from our Poetry Day Ambassador poets, digital poetry postcards to share on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, posters to help promote your event, downloadable Pocket Poems, commentaries on our Pocket Poems and DART poems by Niall MacMonagle, and plenty more surprises! RTÉ Culture Online Thursday 26 April www.rte.ie/culture Poetry Ireland will take over www.rte.ie/ culture on Poetry Day Ireland. Expect poetry, interviews, features, reviews and a few surprises! RTÉ Radio and TV We are delighted to receive advertising support through RTÉ Supporting the Arts for Poetry Day Ireland 2018. Tune in to hear more about Poetry Day Ireland in April. Favourite Poems Podcast Thursday 26 April, 10am www.wit.ie A podcast of their favourite poems read by WIT Year 1 students who are studying the module Poetic Forms of Language, part of the BA (Hons) English programme with Margaret O Brien and Fiona Ennis. tara bergin Poetry on Miami Beach facebook.com/poetryireland.eigseeireann Join poets from the O, Miami Festival as they read live from Miami beach. Keep an eye on Poetry Ireland s Facebook page for more details. Survivors With Biros 2018 Thursday 26 April www.survivorswithbiros.com What is it like to survive childhood sexual abuse and rape? A group of survivors will use expressive writing to produce poetry and prose, a selection of which will be shared online. On Board the Poetry Surprise Tour Thursday 26 April, 8pm (repeated on Saturday 28 April, 7pm) 94.6 FM / ccr946.ie Claremorris Community Radio presents a programme of poetry surprises, with readings and discussion from the station s board members: seven people with very varied experiences of poetry!

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION COMPETITIONS 25 Poetry-related activities will take place in schools and learning centres across the country on 26 April. All schools can access an online guide to celebrating Poetry Day Ireland, including lesson plans and classroom poetry games. Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools will run workshops in direct provision centres around the country on Poetry Day Ireland, and Lucinda Jacob will deliver workshops for primary schools in Poetry Ireland. There are also numerous competitions for schools being organised in the run up to Poetry Day Ireland. See poetryday.ie for more details. Poetry Day competitions are a great incentive to pick up your pen and start writing. There are competitions for all ages listed on the Poetry Day website including the Books Upstairs Poetry Day Ireland Competition (deadline 23 April); the Fota Wildlife Park Competition for children (deadline 30 March); the Irish Men s Sheds Association Competition (open to Shed members only); the Fingal Libraries Poetry Day Competition for all ages (deadline 31 March); the Roscommon County Library Poetry Day Competition (deadline 10 April); the Kilkenny Education Centre Poetry Day Competition for schools (deadline 14 March) and the HeadStuff.org Poetry Day Ireland competition, which is inviting all poets from around the country and beyond to submit poems on the theme of Surprise Encounters. See poetryday.ie for full details. LABELLIT 2018 Take Me Home... A Thousand Times labellit.wordpress.com For Poetry Day Ireland 2018, Belfast-based poet and Poetry Day Ambassador Maria McManus has invited 50 poets to join her in sharing luggage labels (20 each) with a micro-poem of their own. The poets will leave the literary labels in unexpected places for the unsuspecting on 26 April, to delight, surprise, engage and gladden a few hearts so anyone can take a poem home. If you re lucky enough to find one, then share your find with the hashtags #LabeLLit #PoetryDayIRL

POETRY DAY AMBASSADORS 26 elaine feeney maria mcmanus doireann ní ghríofa stephen james smith tebi rex Each of our Poetry Day Ireland Ambassadors is already trailblazing the way when it comes to bringing poetry to new audiences year-round. Keep an eye out on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts for great Poetry Day related content. A new surprise-themed poem by each Ambassador will be revealed on poetryday.ie on 26 April. Elaine Feeney Galway poet Elaine Feeney teaches at the National University of Ireland, Galway and St. Jarlath s College, Tuam. Her three collections of poetry are Where s Katie?, The Radio was Gospel, and Rise, all published by Salmon. She has just finished her first novel, SIC[K] and a pilot comedy TV series. Maria McManus Maria McManus has collaborated extensively with others to put poetry into public space in projects such as Quotidian Word on the Street, Cirque des Oiseaux, DUST, and LabeLLit. She is curator of Ireland s first Poetry Jukebox. She is author of Available Light, We are Bone, The Cello Suites, and Reading the Dog. Doireann Ní Ghríofa Doireann Ní Ghríofa is a bilingual writer. Her fourth book is Oighear (Coiscéim, 2017), and a collaborative book with artist Alice Maher is forthcoming from The Salvage Press. Doireann is Commissioned Writer for Temple Bar Gallery + Studios 2018, Artist-in-Residence for Cork Midsummer Festival 2018 2019, and an Associate of Trinity College Centre for Literary Translation, Dublin. Stephen James Smith Stephen James Smith is a Dublin poet and playwright central to the rise of the Irish spoken word scene. His poetry videos have amassed over 1 million views online, including My Ireland, a short poetry film commissioned by St. Patrick s Festival. Stephen has performed extensively at venues and events such as Electric Picnic, Other Voices, the London Palladium and Glastonbury Festival. His debut collection, Fear Not, will be published by Arlen House in Summer 2018. Tebi Rex Tebi Rex are an alternative hip-hop duo whose style can fluctuate from catchy, upbeat pop to strikingly dark and complex lyricism. Their first single of 2017, Everything You Say Is A Poem, picked up major radio support, as did the (sort of) summer anthem Icarus. 2018 began with the release of Men Are Trash, making both the UK and Irish Viral Top 50 charts and the EP Welcome To The Darkest Year Of Our Adventures telling the story of the band so far.

design: gareth jones (gazjonesdesign)

28