The fifth outing of Fingal Poetry Festival returns to Skerries from September 13th to 15th 2024, as the local festival once again pulls out all the stops for a lively weekend connecting people with poetry, music and each other.
This year’s programme is packed full of new and exciting events for all ages, with the return of some old favourites, including inspiring poetry walks by the sea and through the forest, the festival’s unique ISL (Irish Sign Language) interpreted readings, and their ever-popular Family Fest for younger poetry lovers – all, as ever, in the company of music, poetry’s first cousin.
Inspired by core values of inclusivity and the belief that poetry is for everyone, founders Enda Coyle-Greene and Ernestine Woelger set up Fingal Poetry Festival in 2020 because they wanted to create new spaces for poets to share and perform in their local community. In keeping with this, the festival welcomes professional poets, poetry lovers, and those who haven’t touched a poem since school. Many events are free with reduced rates available to those who need them, while the programme has been timed to allow visitors to reach the festival via an early bus/train, with events concluding in time to get that all important last bus or train back home again.
2024 Programme of Events
The jam packed programme for this year’s Festival kicks off on Friday September 13th, when visitors can join land artist Mayumi Nakabayshi in making a giant mandala with natural materials on Red Island. Friday also sees performances by the finalists of four regional Poetry Slams in Fingal Libraries, hosted by Sheila Ryder, with multi-championship winning guest poet Samuel Yakura and music by Amano.
Later that evening, festival goers are invited to come along to the Little Theatre for the Grand Slam Final to crown the Skerries Slam Champion, who will perform in the Word Tent at next year’s Electric Picnic, with these exciting proceedings followed by some great post-slam craic agus ceol with bilingual poet Ben McCaoilte.
The Big Poetry Day Out gets underway bright and early on Saturday 14 September with an 11am morning Poetry Walk at the Harbour led by Enda Coyle-Greene. Participants are encouraged to bring along a poem to share with their fellow walkers, while the session also features readings by poets Lani O’Hanlon and Gormfhlaith Ní Shíocháin, with performances by Sean Nós dancer Nada Ní Chuirrín, and music by Brenda Castles. Saturday morning also sees service users of Prosper Fingal participating in a closed Poetry and Art Workshop to create artistic magic with poet Tony Curtis and visual artist Nunce McAuley.
Afterwards, head over to the Skerries Sailing Club for Poems Signed, Sealed, Delivered, where award-winning poets Annemarie Ní Chuirrean and Philip Cummings will read their work at a unique event that sees spoken poetry interpreted through Irish Sign Language and signed performances by the Deaf Poets’ Society interpreted into English, accompanied by music by Sinead White.
Meanwhile the afternoon sees Floraville Park transformed for the Family Poetry Fest which takes place from 2-4pm, with fun for all the family in the company of children’s author Lucinda Jacob and young local poets and musicians. In addition to creative art, games, and an open mic for children and young adults, look out for the wonderful raven animations created by 1st Class students in Skerries.
Between events, take part in An Cosán Filíochta, a self-guided trail of the local Poetry in Windows series around Skerries, with sheets available online between September 6th and 15th, or on the day at the Family Fest in Floraville. At 15:30, join visitors at Prosper Fingal for poetry, song and a cuppa, as they celebrate with the winners of the Fingal Poetry Prize and An Fiach Dubh with readings by poets Peter Sirr and Bríd Ní Mhóráin and music by Lola Rose.
The day’s events conclude with Poetry and All That Jazz, Oíche mhór cheiliúrtha d’fhilíocht agus ceol, featuring readings by two of Ireland’s finest poets, Leontia Flynn and Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha and music courtesy of the Nigel Mooney Organ Trio with special guest Honor Heffernan on vocals.
Sunday sees poet Damien B. Donnelly guiding an Ardgillan Poetry Walk in the high woods, finishing in Ardgillan Castle Library with a reading by poet Brian Kirk who’ll be reading from his new work Hare’s Breadth, and music by Mick Morris.
All in all there’s a cracking weekend in store. All venues are accessible to participants with reduced mobility, while the ever-growing, community-run festival is deeply appreciative of its dedicated team of volunteers who keep things going year on year.
Funding for the 2024 festival has been sourced from Fingal County Council, the Arts Council, Fingal Local Community Development Committee, Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, DHL Global Forwarding, and Roadstone. With support from Fingal Libraries and Poetry Ireland.
Fingal Poetry Festival takes place from September 13th to 15th 2024. For full details visit fingalpoetryfestival.com
Poster artwork: Matthew Kelly
