Poetry Ireland announces Poet Laureates for Poetry Town initiative
Poetry Ireland has announced the names of the Poet Laureates selected as part of the Poetry Town initiative, which will see more than a hundred poetry-related activities take place in 20 towns across the island of Ireland between 10-18 September 2021.
Appointed by Poetry Ireland in conjunction with its local authority partners, the Poet Laureates, who are either from the respective local area or have strong connections with it, have been commissioned to write a poem honouring and reflecting their Poetry Town and its people.
As part of the week-long Poetry Town celebrations next month, each Poet Laureate will reveal and present their poem to the people of their Poetry Town at a series of flagship online events, one of which will be hosted in each town. Each event will also feature contributions from other local poets, artists and musicians (further details about these events is available on the Poetry Town website).
Further activities will include a series of poetry events involving local poets; poetry workshops; public poetry displays, including ‘Poetry Underfoot’; and a range of physical activities called ‘Poems that Move You’, which will vary from town to town. Local businesses, including cafés and chemists, will also be participating in the activities to celebrate their towns by distributing ‘Pocket Poems’ to customers. The full programme of activities for each town will be made available on the Poetry Town website during the last week of August.
The Poet Laureates appointed for each of the participating towns are:
- Adare, Co Limerick: Edward O’Dwyer;
- Athenry, Co Galway: Elaine Feeney;
- Bailieborough, Co Cavan: Mairéad Donnellan;
- Ballycastle, Co Antrim: Kate Newmann;
- Bandon, Co Cork: Matthew Geden;
- Belmullet, Co Mayo: Anne Walsh Donnelly;
- Bray, Co Wicklow: Kayssie K.;
- Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim: Vincent Woods;
- Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary: Billy Fenton;
- Cootehill, Co Cavan: Noel Monahan;
- Dublin 1, Co Dublin: Rachael Hegarty;
- Dungarvan, Co Waterford: Áine Uí Fhoghlú;
- Dunshaughlin, Co Meath: Orla Fay;
- Ennistymon, Co Clare: Grace Wells;
- Listowel, Co Kerry: Dairena Ní Chinnéide;
- Mountmellick, Co Laois: Arthur Broomfield;
- Naas, Co Kildare: Mary O’Donnell;
- Strokestown, Co Roscommon: Noelle Lynskey;
- Tullamore, Co Offaly: Cormac Lally;
- Wexford Town, Co Wexford: Sasha Terfous.
Commenting, Director of Poetry Ireland, Niamh O’Donnell said: “We are delighted we could secure such a strong cohort of Poet Laureates for this exciting new poetry initiative, which has collaboration and communal experiences at its heart.
“The aim of Poetry Town is to celebrate the vitality and strength of our towns and communities, and to shine a light on the wealth of creativity and talent that can be found in them. The diversity of this talent is reflected in the selection of Laureates, which includes both well-known visionary poets and new powerful voices.
“When selecting the Laureates, together with our partners in local authorities’ Arts Offices, we were guided by our ultimate ambition of assembling a cohort of Laureates which is reflective of those currently writing poetry in Ireland. We hope Poetry Town will be an inclusive celebration of people and communities across the country. We also hope it will help to amplify diverse voices and broaden the understanding of what a Poet Laureate looks like today.”
Poetry Town is an initiative of Poetry Ireland in partnership with Local Authority Arts Offices. It is made possible with funding from the Arts Council of Ireland’s Open Call funding, and is also supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
The selection of each town’s Poet Laureate has been made by Poetry Ireland in conjunction with Local Authority Arts Offices, and with contributions from county and local libraries. Considerations for selection were: a connection with the town and vicinity; a thematic resonance in the poet's work; a track record of publishing or performance; and – the final and key factor – ensuring a balance of diversity across the towns and country in relation to gender, age, ethnic background, and language.
It is Poetry Ireland’s ambition to run Poetry Town on an annual basis in different towns with new Laureates each year, in partnership with Local Authority Arts Offices, as a celebration of ideas, communities, and artists who are making art in and for their own localities.
For further information, visit the Poetry Town website: poetrytown.ie.
Fógraíonn Éigse Éireann/Poetry Ireland Ríon-Éigeas agus Rí-Éigeas do thionscnamh Bhaile na hÉigse
D’fhógair Éigse Éireann/Poetry Ireland ainmneacha na Ríon-agus na Rí-Éigse inniu (17.08.21) mar chuid de thionscsnamh Bhailte na hÉigse nuair a reáchtálfar breis is céad imeacht filíochta i bhfiche baile ar fud oileán na hÉireann idir an 10ú agus and 18ú Meán Fómhair 2021.
Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann i gcomhar leis na húdaráis áitiúla a cheap na Ríon-Rí-Éigse, ar filí áitiúla iad nó ceangal láidir acu leis an gceantar. Coimisiúnaíodh iad chun dán a chumadh in ómós don Bhaile Éigse ag us dá mhuintir.
Mar chuid de cheiliúradh Bhaile na hÉigse a mhairfidh ar feadh seachtaine an mhí seo chugainn, nochtfaidh gach Ríon-Rí-Éigeas dán leo do phobal Bhaile na hÉigse mar chuid de mhórimeachtaí na feile, agus imeacht díobh sin i ngach baile. Glacfaidh filí áitiúla eile páirt sa cheiliúradh, chomh maith le healaíontóirí agus ceoltóirí (tuilleadh sonraí ar fáil ón suíomh gréasáin).
Beidh imeachtaí breise ann le filí áitiúla; ceardlanna filíochta; taispeántais phoiblí filíochta agus réimse d’imeachtaí fisiceacha ar a dtugtar 'Dánta a Chorraíonn Sinn' agus a stampa féin ag gach baile orthu. Beidh gnólachtaí áitiúla, mar shampla cógaslanna, páirteach sna himeachtaí chun 'dánta póca' a dháileadh ar chustaméirí. Léireofar clár iomlán na n-imeachtaí ar shuíomh gréasáin Bhaile na hÉigse an tseachtain dheireanach de mhí Lúnasa.
Is iad na Ríon-Rí-Éigse atá ceaptha sna bailte atá páirteach sa scéim ná:
- An Nás, Co Chill Dara: Mary O’Donnell;
- Áth Dara, Co Luimnigh: Edward O’Dwyer;
- Baile Átha an Rí, Co na Gaillimhe: Elaine Feeney;
- Baile Átha Cliath 1, Co Átha Cliath: Rachael Hegarty;
- Baile an Chaistil, Co Aontroma: Kate Newmann;
- Béal Átha na mBuillí, Co Ros Comáin: Noelle Lynskey;
- Béal an Mhuirthead, Co Mhaigh Eo: Anne Walsh Donnelly;
- Bré, Co. Chill Mhantáin: Kayssie K.;
- Carraig na Siúire: Billy Fenton;
- Coill an Chollaigh, Co an Chabháin: Mairead Donnellan;
- Cora Droma Rúisc, Co Liatroma: Vincent Woods;
- Droichead na Bandan, Co. Chorcaí: Matthew Geden;
- Dún Garbhán, Co Phort Láirge: Áine Uí Fhoghlú;
- Dún Seachlainn, Co na Mí: Orla Fay;
- Inis Díomáin, Co an Chláir: Grace Wells;
- Lios Tuathail, Co Chiarraí: Dairena Ní Chinnéide;
- Loch Garman, Co Loch Garman: Sasha Terfous.
- Móinteach Mílic, Co Laoise: Arthur Broomfield;
- Muinchille, Co an Chabháin: Noel Monahan;
- Tulach Mhór, Co Uíbh Fhailí: Cormac Lally.
Arsa Stiúrthóir Éigse Éireann/ Poetry Ireland, Niamh O’Donnell:
“Tá aoibhneas orainn gur éirigh linn grúpa tréitheach de Ríon-is Rí-Éigse a fháil don tionscnamh breá filíochta seo agus rannpháirtíocht an phobail ina lár.
“Aidhm na mBailte Éigse ná beocht ár mbailte is ár mbailte fearainn a chomóradh, agus díriú ar an gcruthaitheacht agus ar an tallann ina measc. Feicfear éagsúlacht a gcuid buanna go léir sna filí atá ceaptha don ghradam seo, filí seanbhunaithe a bhfuil eolas ag ainn cheana ar a bhfís chomh maith le guthanna tréana úrnua.
“Agus na Ríon-is na Rí-Éigse á roghnú againn i gcomhar lenár bpáirtithe sna húdaráis áitiúla, sna hOifigí Ealaíon, is é a chuireamar romhainn ná cohórt a thabhairt le chéile ar scáthán iad den fhilíocht atá á cumadh in Éirinn ár linne. Is mian linn go mbeach gach éinne in ann páirt a ghlachadh sa cheiliúradh seo agus go gcuirfidh Baile na hÉigse le héagsúlú agus le leathn ú na nguthanna filíochta sa tír seo chun go dtuigfí cad is Ríon-nó Rí-Éigeas sa lá inniu."
Tionscnamh de chuid Éigse Éireann i gcomhar le hOifigí Ealaíon na nÚdarás Áitiúil é Baile na hÉigse. Maoiniú ó Ghairm Oscailte na Comhairle Ealaíon a chuir ar ár gcumas é a chur ar bun, agus tá tacaíocht faighte againn chomh maith ó Chomhairle Ealaíon Thuaisceart Éireann.
Is iad Éigse Éireann/ Poetry Ireland i gcomhar le hOifigí Ealaíon na nÚdarás Áitiúil a roghnaigh gach Ríon- Rí-Éigeas ar leith, agus ionchur ó na leabharlanna contae agus áitiúla. An tslat tomhais a bhí i bhfeidhm ná: ceangal leis an mbaile nó leis an gceantar; saothar an fhile a bheith ag teacht le macalla ón gceantar; saothar i gcló nó cur i láthair déanta; agus, an fachtóir is tábhachtaí, éagsulacht a chinntiú i measc ma mbailte is na mbailte fearainn maidir le inscne, aois, cúlra eitneach agus teanga.
Teastaíonn ó Éigse Éireann/Poetry Ireland an tionscnamh seo a reáchtáil ar bhonn bliantúil i mbailte éagsúla agus Ríon-Rí-Éigeas nua a cheapadh gach bliain, i gcomhair le hÓifigí Ealaíon na nÚdarás Áitiúil mar cheiliúradh ar smaointe, ar phobail, agus ar ealaíontóirí a bhfuil ealaín á acu ina gceantar féin don phobal áitiúil.
Le haghaidh tuilleadh faisnéise, tabhair cuairt ar shuíomh Gréasáin an Bhaile Filíochta: poetrytown.ie