An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure!

An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure!

On a theme of ~ New Voices ~ the night began with an intro as to your introduction to poetry in school . Which brought in more than a few interesting insights and thoughts. The first poem read was by Radclyffe Hall, Our Dead which was followed by Feelings on Looking At The Moon, by Bai Juyi, a Chinese poet who lived from (772-846). Kate Tempest's, Ballad of a Hero was followed by Hannah Hodgson's, It's Not My Fault, a meditation on illness. A Prayer of Summer by Max Ehrmann, who would be best known for Desiderata was next, followed by To a Grandmother by Ruairi Somers who has just returned from China. A Wise Old Owl, which was first published by Punch in April 1875 and is an old English nursery rhyme was also read, followed by I married a man from the County Roscommon, or the back of beyond by Gillian Clarke followed by Toilet by Hugo Williams. I read the poem from the film Fracture, The Waiting Place which is an edited down version of a poem by Dr. Seuss, "Oh The Places You'll Go" and couldn't resist slipping in Tears in Rain by Rutger Hauer where he goes off script in The Blade Runner (1982). A piece that has been described as perhaps the most moving death soliloquy in cinematic history. Sean Reilly finished off the night with a song, I'll Remember You Love In My Prayers. I'm getting a number of credits on that, so will have to chase it up with Sean? The theme for February is Poems of The Heart. Cinema night in An Tobar is Friday January the 25th at 7.30 pm.

An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure!

An Tobar ~ Poetry for Pleasure

The first meeting of the Poetry for Pleasure group (2019) takes place this Tuesday night coming in An Tobar Ardbraccan, Navan with a guiding theme of "Unknown Poets" though someone is sure to have come across one or two of them in their travels. Should make for an interesting evening. For further details please contact Jim Owens at 087 967 6728 or Jackie Smyth (An Tobar) at 046 789 73. All are welcome and light refreshments will be served.  

Trim Poetry Festival 2018!

Trim Poetry Festival 2018!

To coincide with the launch of the 25th issue of the Boyne Berries literary magazine the Boyne Writers Group are holding a poetry festival on the 15th and the 16th of March with guest readers, Peter Fallon, Ron Carey and Enda Wyley. There is also a poetry competition accepting submissions from the 1st of January to the the 7th of February with an entry cost of €5 for one poem or €10 for three. Must be entered as a single attachment (One document) and sent to trimpoetry@gmail.com with payment through PayPal.

Details in body of the email.

(1) The entrants name 

(2) Address

(3) Phone number

(4) Titles of poems

(5) Paypal transaction number

(6) Times New Roman 12 point, single spacing

(7) Less than 60 lines per poem.

(8) Must not be previously published or broadcast anywhere

(9) Entrants must be 18 years or older.

The judge are Orla Fay and Michael Farry with €500 to the winner. All details can be found on their website for the competition. Trim Poetry Festival . Also info on Orla's website link to the right. The judges will read all entries.

Stephen A. DiBiase Poetry Prize!

Fourth Annual Stephen A. DiBiase Poetry Prize.

Here's one to start the new year and free to enter I believe but check out for further details over on the home page or on the Poetry Ireland website ( Competitions ) link to the right. The closing date is January the 15th so only a week or so to get your entry in. Details as below!

(1) Your name

(2) Your mailing address

(3) Your e-mail address

(4) The title of you poem

(5) A ten word description of yourself

Mail to Bob Sharkey at 19 Hunter Avenue Latham NY 12110 USA.

Or submit to riverrun@nycap.rr.com  (One poem only and no rules or limitations!) 

Prizes: $ 500 for first place

            $ 400 for second place

            $ 300 for third place

            $ 200 for fourth place

Also cash awards for honorable mentions!

Dan Fogelberg ~ Same Old Lang Syne (v1) ~ Dan Fogelberg

A song for the new year, set in Abington Hill, Peoria Illinois in 1975 and tells the story of a chance encounter between Dan Fogelberg and his old girlfriend from schooldays. Home for the holidays he was sent out to get some cream for Irish Coffee and bumped into her at a local convenience store. He released the song as a single in 1980 after he heard she was divorced but wouldn't say whether it was true or not and it was only after he died from prostate cancer in 2007 that the girl (Jill Greulich) admitted it was her. Beautiful song and those with musical connections will know what I mean. With thanks to JMeagle101 who posted and youtube.

"Fire and Snow and Carnevale", read by poet Macdara Woods

Something for Christmas with the Brendan Graham connection and back to An Tobar post. With thanks to youtube and the UCD Library Special Collection, December 5th 2016, for posting.

An Tobar ~ December Meeting 2018!

Poetry for Pleasure/An Tobar Ardbraccan Navan.

The theme for last Tuesday night's meeting was, "A Winter's Fall" which introduced a few old favourites as well as some not heard before. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore led off followed by "Gardening Diary" by Reginald Arknell and something from "A Winter's Tale" by William Shakespeare who also got a look in with "Love Labour's Lost." Eiláin Ni Chuilleanáin's "A Winter Prayer" was read as was her poem "Swineherd"   and "Snow Flakes by Rose Mawdsley, her own composition, was followed by "The Moon". Willie G. Hodgins read "The Donkey "  and "In a Winterland" from his own collection and I myself read "Christmas" which was one of the first poems I wrote. (Back When!) "Winter, Fire and Snow" by Macdara Woods was played and sung via the smartphone by Orla Fallan or was that Anuna?(Will load more info about on next post!)
 "On a Night Of Snow" by Elizabeth Coatsworth got a reading and Carol Owens read a poem about a well known shoe shop in Navan. Thomas Hardy's "Snow in the Suburbs" followed. Also read was "A Lament" by Reginald Arknell. Did someone read " The Ghost of Christmas Past?" Get back to me!