PoetryNZ -that's New Zealand!

Just got a thumping delivery of 2 copies of PoetryNZ on the doormat, my poem about Gaza "Ten So Far This Morning" is on page 132. Really looking forward to reading it all, as I have lovely NZ cousins and I reckon poetry is the best way to get a feel for a place.

Agenda

I love Agenda. It's a great journal, and they have just accepted a third poem from me! coming out in print in Spring. But a second one of mine "Great" is out now in their online supplement. It's an double issue about WW1, with extensive extra web content, scroll down to page 32 to see my contribution!
Agenda - Requiem issue

Karen Sheils

Sadly missed... See some of Karens beautiful batik art..

Next Hermit Collective event...

Saturday 13th December, in King House, Boyle, madly early at 11.30! but it'll be good as the organic market is on outside so can BYOC (bring yer own cake) and I hope to bring a load of coffee. Line up is already excellent with new faces coming down from the caves, so don't miss it! The last show of 2014! Free admission, as always. Art, and poetry booklets (including my new one!) for sale!

Skylight47 launching - relaunching- in Dublin this Saturday!

A great poetry paper, and more, from Galway. I love it, coz it's cheap, available to people in shops, and full of excellent writing. Including mine! They are launching it, again, in Dublin this weekend. Saturday in Pearse Street Library, at midday. Looking forward to it, good excuse for another visit..

North West Words and Triadae, online

Well I love North West Words anyway, but here is their latest issue, which includes 2 of my poems at the very very end! so scroll down and down if you want, on issue 2 NWW
I also have 2 other poems in English and Spanish in a new journal Triadae which is a bit exciting! Mine are on pages 18 and 19..

Poetry Kit

The great resource for writers -not only poets- The Poetry Kit have just listed me as one of their "Individual Poets Online" which is great, check out their site!

Douglas Hyde centre, and North West Words

I am reading next Saturday, the 11th October, 8pm in the Douglas Hyde interpretative centre, Frenchpark, Co Roscommon.. in the illustrious company of Gerry Boland and Jane Clarke..
***great gig, lovely strangely festive decor, really good audience, and excellent poems from Gerry and Jane***
Also loving Donegal again as the good people of North West Words are publishing 2 of my poems, "Watch" and "Bird" in their next online issue!

In translation... And in New Zealand..

Two poems, 'Crows Feet' and 'Christmas List For My Newborn Girl' are being translated into Spanish, for a new poetry journal Tridae...
And 'Ten So Far This Morning' appearing in New Zealand's poetry journal, Poetry NZ...
Chuffed.

Poetry For Spaces.. Hermits.. Douglas Hyde Centre

Really happy to be featured in public spaces, again, with a second poem "Scan".. look out for it on walls throughout Donegal for the next 2 months..

We are being very outgoing hermits again this month, on Culture Night, the 19th September 7pm in Ballaghaderreen Library, Co Roscommon. As always it's a free event and will be something to remember, check our website for a flavour  www.hermitcollective.weebly.com ..

I've also been booked to do a poetry reading in the Douglas Hyde Centre, Frenchpark, Co Roscommon, on the 11th October.. more on that later..

Gaza night.. Hermit Collective.. Dermot Healy readings..

A great benefit night in Barry's of Grange on Wednesday, fantastic talent, and me. Really good night, and loads of money raised, well done all.
This Saturday at 1pm we Hermits are in the Bia Slainte cafe on Main Street, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, so don't miss it. Afterwards I am reading my longlisted poem "Three Monkeys on the Road to Rossport" in the Glens Centre, as part of the Dermot Healy poetry awards.. Looking forward to it.

Hermit Collective this Sunday...

.. invited to be part of the Bundoran Fringe Festival, so we bring our mix of poetry, paintings, music and more to the retail park (near Lidl) at 7pm on Sunday 20th.. free admission, as always.
***also a Palestine demo this Saturday in Sligo town***

Shortlisted for Free Wee Library competition!

Lovely bookmark competition. Sadly my poem didn't make the top of the pile but it's a great thing they do, must send them books for the library.

Women's Networks being shut down...

Our overlords -in their duty to their bank buddies- have announced they are pulling the funding from all the Women's Networks in the country. The amount they will be "saving" is a pittance. A total of 1.3 million. Nationally. In Roscommon, the RWN in Castlerea runs a busy office and centre, a training/education centre, a thriving charity shop, and loads of courses, MABS, services, etc etc, on an annual budget of 67,000 euro.
That's being taken away. The numbers don't add up.
Please come and show your support, at the RWN in Castlerea, next Monday 23rd June 2pm.
Or find out more about your local Women's Network.

New booklet coming soon!

It's in the air, my new chapbook - A Skyful Of Kites- will be ready for lift off in time for the next Hermit Collective outing, July 4th, Charlestown Arts Centre... meanwhile last years book -Hellsteeth- has almost sold out! only 6 copies left, which I suppose are available for reviewers etc, or the very quick.

Poem boiling inside me...

ORIGINAL SIN

Medical experiments on children

were a societal problem.

The number of babies actually found in a mass grave

has been exaggerated.

Rape of children and other vulnerables

                -  in our care -

was only the work of a few bad apples.

God knows how fanatically we love children

before they’re born.

Then when all the unplanned impossible births

come to us for sanctuary

We make something out of them.

We make money or make them work.

Some of those babies made a good price abroad

and the country was never short of clean sheets.

Look on it as a national cash crop

that we let the women water with tears.

It’s abortionists that are the real criminals

for taking the food out of our mouths.

The Hermit Collective...are at large again!

The next Hermit exposure is coming soon, to the Charlestown Arts Centre, on 6pm Friday the 4th July.
It's a great space, and there's already a really exciting line-up of visual artists, musicians, and writers. More detail to follow closer to the time, but put it on the calendar now!

Skylight47 and Crannog magazines

A couple of poems coming out in these fine journals over the summer...

Mayday - what a night!

Thanks again to Boyle library, and especially Patricia, for having us Hermits in. Brilliant night. Thanks also to the musicians; Jimmy Noctor, Gregory Daly, Monica McCarrick, Roger Stevens and Helen Grehan.
Artists; Jenny Cooper, David Gearty, Gavin Porter, Chris Warburton and Tom Meskell.
Writers; Andrew Goodison, Helen Grehan, Margaret Browning, Catherine Ryan, Rosaleen Glennon, Pete Worth, Rose Byrne, Paul and Alison McDermott, and myself.
Pictures to follow..

Jenny Cooper

David Gearty

The Hermit House Band

Me and Ivy, setting it up

Catherine Ryan

Helen Grehan

Andrew Goodison

rapt audience!

Pete Worth

Monica McCarrick and Jimmy Noctor

Margaret Browning

Monika

Julie and co

Paul and Alison McDermott

Judy

Chris Warburton - sculptor

Tom Meskell with one of Gavin Porters pictures

Julie and Margaret of the Millwheel writers

Mayday Hotting Up! and good news from Donegal..

Well the Mayday event in Boyle is hotting up, it will in fact be jammers, so get there in good time for a seat!
We are eight writers, four painters, and a top notch band! Liftoff at 5.30pm, Boyle library...
Other good news; I got my copy of the great journal Ropes, which is as always an excellent read. My poem Octopus Still Expanding, Fleeing Villagers Warn is in it too..
And the great news that from today - for 2 months only!- my poem Hellsteeth will be on display in towns throughout Donegal, as part of the Poetry For Spaces run by North West Words. Brilliant!

Mayday Mayday!

The Hermit Collective (myself and about a dozen other rural dwelling oddballs) are coming together for a Mayday poetry, art and music event.

It's in that hotbed of radicalism Boyle Library, Co Roscommon, from 5.30 til 8pm on Thursday 1 st May.

Basically a pop-up show of art - from David Gearty, Gavin Porter, Jenny Cooper ;  

words - from myself, Helen Grehan, Pete Worth, and several members of The Wrong Side of the Tracks Writers and Millwheel Writers; 

and in between music from cool trad heads Jimmy Noctor, Gregory Daly, and more. 

Free admission

Roscommon Womens Network, and Yeats

Just finished teaching a short creative writing course in the RWN, which was a great experience, thanks to Maria for setting it all up, well done all.
I'm pleased to hear from Declan Foley that my poem Hellsteeth will be part of his forthcoming book about W.B Yeats. Look forward to reading it..

Turlough House exhibition - "Time Machine"

I was recently at the opening of my friend Tom Meskell's latest art exhibition, in the café of Turlough House (the museum of country life, Castlebar), and was really taken by his vivid paintings of ancient hurling balls -which they are exhibiting in the main museum. I wrote a poem based on his art, and now I'm told the poem is on display alongside the paintings! Chuffed!! Check it all out for yourselves: country life

Warport - new poem in The Galway Review

My new poem Warport is online now on the Galway Review..

Shannon Warport

Margeretta D'Arcy, poet, artist and activist, is currently in Limerick prison for 3 months for protesting against war(s). Check her out: http://www.margarettadarcy.com/
and http://www.shannonwatch.org/

She is not seeking her own release, but the release of Shannon airport from the use of the US military.
There is however an email campaign for her   http://www.contact.ie/email-campaigns/email-campaign-free-margaretta-darcy-political-campaigning-not-crime