The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Award 2017!
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| Francis Ledwidge |
The closing date for this one is the 5th of November and the winner will receive both a cash prize and a plaque inscribed with his or her name (A keepsake). There will also be cash prizes and books for the second and third places and merit certificates for the other finalists. The first 3 poems will be entered in the Forward Prize UK. In addition, the winner will invited to read at the annual Francis Ledwidge Commemoration at the National War Memorial Gardens in July 2018.
The poems must be the competitor's own work and not previously published or broadcast and must not exceed 40 lines. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The entry fee is €5 per poem and made payable to the Inchicore Ledwidge Society. Name and address on a separate sheet of paper. Send S.A.E. or e-mail address for winners' list. Poems will not be returned.
Send to: The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Award 2017, C/o 20, Emmet Crescent. Inchicore, Dublin 8. Check out on Facebook page: Inchicore Ledwidge Society
Boyne Berries 22 is a special issue commemorating the centenary of the death of war poet Francis Ledwidge who was killed at Passchendaele in 1917. Born at Janeville near Slane, County Meath and only 29 years of age when he died he was sometimes known as the "poet of the blackbirds". Many of the pieces here reflect in some way on the nature of conflict or its awful aftermath, or by direct connection to the places he knew or knew best and really it's one for your bookshelf or especially for those with an interest in the poets of WW1 or with any connection to County Meath. Edited by Orla Fay, The Ledwidge Issue is priced at €10. Cover image is by Rory O' Sullivan. Boyne Berries link to the right.
The launch of our third annual magazine takes place in Jack Quinn's of Scurlogstown (Téach Scurlog) on Friday the 3rd of November at 7.30 pm and all are invited to attend. The magazine includes both poetry and prose and pieces that are of historical interest and for the first time we've included a section on junior poets that is sure to be of interest. Refreshments will be served on the night and if you are looking for something that would make an ideal gift for the Christmas or perhaps have a friend or relative abroad then the magazine would make a beautiful present. Hope to see you there! 
About eleven people turned out for the October meeting of The Meath Writers' Circle in the Trim Castle Hotel with some discussion on both the Christmas Party and a launch date and place for our annual magazine. Details of these will hopefully be finalized next week. Given a number of difficulties though the party is now set for early February and we should have all info on this in the next few days. Poems and stories were also read and the best poem of the night must go to Willie for his reading of "Autumn" a poem he wrote for the An Tobar group in Ardbraccan where the theme was just that. 
