Category: Uncategorized

New poem in the Irish Times

It was great to see a new poem of mine in the Irish Times on Saturday. I wrote it back in August as the situation in Afghanistan was rapidly changing and the Taliban were approaching Kabul. It’s called ‘Fothragadh’ which could be translated as ‘bathing’ or ‘immersion’, or ‘bustle’ or ‘flurry’. My thanks to Billy Ramsell for his wonderful translation. Here is the link

Reading at the EFACIS Conference 2021

Many thanks to Daniela Theinová, Justin Quinn and the rest of the organising committee of the EFACIS conference in Prague in September. Of course, like much else at the moment, it was all a bit virtual, sadly, but Prague still exists and remains high on my list of places to revisit.

Here is a link to the reading I did with Louis de Paor and Ailbhe Darcy.

Agus seo nasc chuig dreas cainte a dheineas le Dara Ó Cinnéide ar an Saol ó Dheas an lá céanna.

On learning – Kaleidoscope II

I was asked to write a piece about my impression of ‘Europe’ and I wrote about my Erasmus year in Rennes, minority languages, majority languages, and gorgeous French books. You can read it on Kaleidoscope II project page, alongside essays by Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Doireann Ní Ghríofa and more besides.

My thanks to EFACIS (European Federation of Associations and Centres for Irish Studies), in particular, Hedwig Schwall and Anne Fogarty.

Podcasts

Ré an Phodchraolta – ‘Tis the Age of the Podcast, and I’m chuffed to have been involved, even tangentially, in two podcasts recently. As part of the Dingle Literary Festival the BAÉs of Beo ar Éigean asked me to set them a challenge for Seachtain na Gaeilge. The creative results can be heard here. Buíochas ó chroí Tobar Dhuibhne as a dtacaíocht.

I’m grateful, too, to Benjamin Collopy for his insights into my poem ‘Conriocht’ on his Words that Burn podcast. It’s a bit peculiar to have something I wrote analysed so intensely, but thankfully Benjamin is a perceptive and astute reader of poetry.

Crossways 2021 and the Poetry Programme

Crossways 2021, the Irish Scottish Cultural and Literary Festival, is online this year and there has been some stellar reading so far this weekend. A special mention to Winnie Brook Young, who travelled all over Ireland and Scotland during the restrictions to film the poets. Treise leat, a Winnie! Myself and Catrìona Lexy Chaimbeul are due to read tomorow 14th February at 2pm and we will be followed by Phillip Cummings and Pàdraig MacAoidh, Áine Uí Fhoghlú and Iain Mac a’ Phearsain, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Aonghas Dubh Mac Neacail, Biddy Jenkinson and Maoilios Caimbeul, and Alan Titley and David Kinloch.

Also tomorrow evening, the Poetry Programme on RTÉ Radio 1 will feature love poems for Valentine’s Day. Delighted that ‘Grasse Mattinée’ will be included, with its translation by Alan Gillis.

Colm Cille na hÉigse

Ba mhór agam cuireadh a fháil ó Chumann Merriman páirt a ghlacadh i léamh filíochta mar chuid de Scoil Geimhridh Merriman. Léigh Proinsias Mac a’Bhaird sliocht as a úrscéal Tairngreacht agus do reic Liam Ó Dochartaigh roinnt dánta a leagtar ar Cholm Cille. Ba í Caitríona Ó Dochartaigh reachtaire na hócáide agus tá buíochas ar leith ag dul do Fhiachra Ó Corragáin as an bhfíseagrafaíocht agus eagarthóireacht. Is féidir féachaint siar ar ‘Colm Cille na hÉigse’ anseo.

EFACIS Podcast

It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Daniela Theinová for the EFACIS Irish Itinerary Podcast. Daniela is a wonderful poetry critic with a considerable knowledge of the Irish language and its literature. Her book, Limits and Languages in Contemporary Irish Women’s Poetry was recently published by Palgrave. She read her translations of my poems at a reading in Prague some years ago (2012, I think!) You can listen to our conversation here. Buíochas ó chroí leat, a Daniela!

Some recent publications…

Aneas is a beautiful new Irish-language literary journal edited by the poet Simon Ó Faoláin and published by the Munster Literature Centre. I’m happy to have a new poem in Aneas alongside some of my favourite writers of poetry, short fiction and criticism. It’s available for purchase here.

Sincere thanks to David Gardiner of New Hibernia Review for publishing my work in the Spring 2020 issue, which also features essays by Seán Lysaght and Patrick Kehoe as well as academic articles by Kathryn Milligan, Conor Linnie, John T. Crawford, Sarah Harsh and Alexander E. Callaway. Most fascinating of all (with respect to the above contributors!) is the insightful interview with Thomas Kinsella by Adrienne Levy.