Poet Eavan Boland Reads 'Quarantine'

Something for National Poetry Day and given the times we live in. This poems takes us back to an even darker time during the Irish Famine of the 1840's and is read here by the author Eavan Boland,  who died this week on Monday the 27th. She was born on September the 24th 1944. The video was loaded to youtube by PBS the American Public Broadcasting Service in March 2012.

Poetry in the Time of Coronavirus!

ποίηση

Original submissions are now being accepted for the second volume of POETRY in the TIME of CORONAVIRUS.

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This will be a competition.

The top 100 poems will be published and the top prize award will be roundtrip air travel, hotel accommodations, and a weeklong pass to the West Cork Literary Festival in Ireland (July 2021)!

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Please note the following rules regarding this contest:

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1. The submission deadline is May 15, 2020.

2. All entries must be original and previously unpublished.

3. One submission per poet, please.

4. Each poem is limited to a character count of 2,020. That total includes the title, spaces, and paragraph breaks. No exceptions.

5. There is no mandated theme or subject matter for the contest; the only limitation is your creativity.

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We look forward to receiving your submissions!

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The first volume of POETRY in the TIME of CORONAVIRUS is available on Amazon.

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Proceeds from sales of both poetry anthologies will continue to benefit to Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders.

Info is from the Poetry Ireland Web Page. The Entry Box is located via a link on that page.

Top of Form

The submission deadline for the poetry contest is May 15, 2020.

Please click the  Submit"button once. Not twice, not four times. Once

Will Ye Go, Lassie - Credo Vocal Ensemble

Got this link from Verona Pentony of The Meath Writers' Circle. Credo Vocal Ensemble are an acapella vocal ensemble from Trim in County Meath. Self-isolating during the current covid-19 pandemic. They would be grateful for any donation to their GoFundMe page where they are planning to provide care packages for the elderly of Trim who are cocooning, The video was loaded to youtube by Malcolm White. Nice one.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/trimcovid19

SiarScéal Festival 2020!

SiarScéal is a historical, literary community festival hosted annually in Roscommon Library. SiarScéal is inspired by the culture and heritage of county Roscommon and celebrates all artistic mediums, internationally through the Hanna Greally Literary Awards

SIARSCÉAL FESTIVAL 2020
The festival will take place over two dates: Friday 2nd October in Roscommon Library commencing at 11.00 until 12.30pm and Saturday 3rd October at the same venue starting at 10am. Featuring the Hanna Greally Literary Awards with an overall prize of €400 and two Highly Commended prizes of €100 each, commended will receive trophies, categories to include all writing disciplines. This year’s theme is ‘Western Reflections’. Closing date for entries will be Tuesday September 1th.
Beneath Western Skies Anthology, a compilation of the winning and trophy entrants which will be compiled and edited by Author/Poet Anni Wilton- Jones, writers included in the Anthology will be contacted in due course.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
FRIDAY 2nd OCTOBER, ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL, LIBRARY SERVICES, ABBEY STREET, ROSCOMMON TOWN
11.00 – 1.00PM (12.30pm McDonalds Refreshments)
Regional counties are represented by children from Leitrim’s Aughavas NS and Dromahair Library, Book Club. Bunnanaddan NS, Co. Sligo and locally Roscommon’s Castleplunkett NS. Beneath Western Skies Anthology will be Launched followed by the Hanna Greally Literary Awards on their Climate Change & Me themed for the junior workshops only. Roscommon County Council chairperson, will present the Literary Awards - trophies and certificates to the school children, and Readings. The Ger Hanily Memorial Cup presentation will follow.

SATURDAY 3rd OCTOBER, ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL, LIBRARY SERVICES
10.00AM 12.30PM BENEATH WESTERN SKIES ANTHOLOGY & THE HANNA GREALLY LITERARY AWARD CEREMONY LAUNCH

Officiated by the chairperson of Roscommon County Council, overall prize of €400 and two Highly Commended entries will receive €100 each, followed by trophies and Readings from the winning entries. Award Winning Poet Jessamine O’Connor is the adjudicator for this year’s competition and Guest poet. https://www.jessamineoconnor.com/


OPEN MIKE
2.00 – 4.30pm
With Jessamine O’Connor
Please text SiarScéal at 0861649756 for inclusion in the Reading List.

WESTERN REFLECTIONS – HANNA GREALLY LITERARY AWARDS
COMPETITION RULES OF ENTRY
All submitted entries must be your own unpublished work
Entries are limited to three poems/prose/stories per person,
Entries submitted must be typed and titled
Entrant’s name/address/contact number/details and entry title must be written on a separate page
Not to appear on the same page of the poem
Entries will not be returned and the Judges’ decision is final
Festival organisers are not eligible for entry.
Entry into the competition implies acceptance of the competition rules and guidelines.

Competition entry fee €5 per entry and €10 for up to three entries. Please make cheques and postal orders payable to SiarScéal Festival Group, c/o Mary Butler, Executive Librarian, Roscommon County Council Library Services, Abbey Street, Roscommon, Ireland. You can also enter online. Please see our website for more information. www.siarsceal.com/competitions closing date: All entries (postal or online) must be received on and before the 1st September 2020. www.siarsceal.com All are welcome to attend the SiarScéal Library events. Further details can be obtained by contacting Gwen at gwenbond1@gmail.com CHY:20201056 from SiarScéal and Team.


Is supported by the Creative Ireland Programme, an all-of-Government five-year initiative, from
2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy. Further information from
creative.ireland.ie and ireland.ie

John Prine - "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" (Live)

One of the great American singer songwriters, John Prine passed away on April the seventh from the Corona virus. (October 10th 1946 - April 7th 2020) R.I.P. Check out his site and lyrics: Some great ones. With thanks to youtube and the share button. Irish connections to Galway and Donegal.

Ken Saro ~ External!

This might be of interest to you or your group

Below is a link to the Maynooth University Ken Saro-Wiwa Poetry Competition.  Irish poet Jessica Traynor will run a workshop for Maynooth University Library on Saturday 18th April from 11 to 1.  The purpose of the workshop is to help participants  prepare a poem/poems for the poetry competition (closing date May 29th).  Please use the web address below to register. The workshop is free but booking is essential. You need access to the internet to participate (via Zoom) and will be sent a link nearer the time.

bit.ly/MUpoetry2020

Any queries please let me know,

Helen Fallon

Helen Fallon

Deputy University Librarian

Library