Desmond 0' Grady International Poetry Competition 2026!

Desmond O' Grady International Poetry Competition 2026!

The closing date for this one is midnight the 7th of March coming and it is really worth entering  given the times we live in. Full information and details are available from the website below or from the Poetry Ireland website link to the right (Competitions). Fees are very reasonable and the Limerick Writers' Website is worth a visit anyway. All sorts of info there. 

https://limerickwriterscentre.com

Cathalbui Poetry Competition 2026 - Free entry!

 

Cathalbui Poetry Competition 2026 - Free entry!

Deadline: 17 Mar 2026
One poem,  maximum: around 20 lines in Irish or English

2 Please paste your unpublished poem into your email

3 Send to: Belcoopoet@gmail.com

4 Closing date: 17 March 2026

Results announced at Macnean Hedge School 11 July 2026

Patrick Harte poetry prize and plaque; 1st £100: 2nd £60 3rd £40.

The Meath Writers' Circle ~ February 2026!

 The Meath Writers' Circle ~ February 2026!

The next meeting of our group takes place this Thursday night coming on the 5th of February in Trim Library at 6.15 pm and all are welcome to attend. So whether it's poetry or short stories, singer - songwriters or anything else in the literary sphere or maybe you'd just like to sit in and listen, well we'd love to see you there and membership is free! All the best.

* Meeting is cancelled due to weather conditions.

The next meeting is on the first Thursday in March.

Brigid by Winifred Letts.

Brigid by Winifred Letts.

With thanks to Michael and Matt for this one and something to celebrate St. Brigid's day on the first of February. This is one of a series of videos and presentations (152) that were produced by Michael Farry and Matt Gilsenan during the Covid period and afterwards. Winifred Letts was born in Salford, England to an English vicar father and an Irish mother and moved to Ireland when she was sixteen. Considered by many today as a poet of the first world war she was accomplished in many other interests as well, including Irish folklore. No shortage of information out there and a visit to Wikipedia is a good place to begin. Matt and Michael's videos are a fair source of information on many different items of interest especially from the musical or literary field and from a time when most others just locked down.  

Winifred Letts: 10th February 1882 - 7th June 1972

Dido - Grafton Street!

Dido ~ Grafton Street!

Going back to the last video and their version of Raglan Road, something I was only reminded of recently listening to the song/poem was the connection between the international star Dido and Hilda Moriarty. Dido's father was a nephew of Hilda. She married the late Donogh O' Malley who as Minister for Education introduced free secondary education to Ireland. Also reminds me of a story about the late Charlie Haughey who as Taoiseach of Ireland on hearing of her death addressed the Parliamentary Party and recited the poem from memory. He said it went over the heads of three quarters of them! Believe it.

Dido is said to have written the song Grafton Street from her album Safe Trip Home in memory of her father and with reference to Hilda and to have sang Raglan Road to him as he was dying. Chase the back stories up. The video above was loaded by Rene Alejo and with thanks. To Youtube for the comments.  

#5 Brush Shiels - Quest for Knowledge & Spiritual Enlightenment #5 w/ ve...

The Meath Manager and The Dublin Outlaw!

This one was loaded by none other that Brush Sheils himself and with thanks.There at the very beginning and with artists such as Gary Moore and Phil Lynnot, he was the front man with the band Skid Row in the late sixties and the early seventies and continues on to this day. His friend Sean Boylan was one of the great managers of Gaelic Football and the winner of four All Ireland titles and that's just a fraction of what he has won. Here they take you through artists such as Brendan Behan, Ewan MacColl, Pete St. John, a Dreaming my Dreams tribute to Noel Keating and Patrick Kavanagh meets Hilda Moriarty, Hey Jude from The Beatles and so much more. Stories about the Meath team and Manchester United, Liverpool and Celtic and holidays abroad and legends of the game. Stories about Sean's herbal business in Dunboyne and days that are now on the long goodbye. Sit in for half an hour and enjoy.

The Blower's Daughter Lyrics Damien Rice!

The Blower's Daughter Lyrics ~ Damien Rice!

A special thank you to jasminealloy who posted this presentation of the Damien Rice classic; as I chase down pieces of poetry I like. Loads of information about both of the artists that are performing here both over on Youtube and Wikipedia and many other sources that are worth a visit; on what is a beautiful composition. Take a visit over to the comment section for other people's reaction to this. Hope you enjoy.  A very close connection to County Meath here.