Over the 30 days of April, with 20 events and over 35 performers, Limerick’s biggest and brightest poetry festival will fill the streets and intimate venues of this historic city of Limerick. Long associated with poetry and literature the Limerick Writers’ Centre inaugurated the festival in 2013. For the month of April Limerick will showcase the best from the world of poetry, including local, national and international guest readers!
Following on from last year’s extended festival, April is Poetry Month in Limerick returns a little smaller for 2020 due to a cut in funding. The Mayor, Cllr Michael Sheahan on Thursday 12th March, officially proclaimed April as Poetry Month in Limerick by signing the Proclamation.
Limerick’s thriving poetry and spoken word scene will be celebrated at this year’s festival with readings and pairings of poets including Scottish poet Hugh McMillan and Kerry poet Eileen Sheahan on the 2nd April. A showcase reading honouring the late Limerick poet Desmond O’Grady will take place on Thurs 16th April with poets John Liddy and Canadian poet Tammy Armstrong, Tammy was the winner of the Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition last year. This year’s winner will be announced during the reading.
Award-winning playwright, lyricist, composer, and actor Roger Gregg comes to Limerick for the first time with his show Soundscapes, he will be joined by local poets Eoin Deveraux and Mel White. Musical accompaniment is by Angel Hannigan, a singer and actor from Donegal. She has been the frontwoman of Dublin band MERO for three years.
Exciting performance quartet from Dublin Quarterman, comprising of poets Daragh Bradish, Seamus Cashman, Paul Bregazzi and Tom Conaty, will play in the People’s Museum of Limerick on Thurs 9th April accompanied by musicians Finnjamin Browner and FInn Conaty.
Again this year all events (except workshops) are free and open to the public.
In other events poetry lovers can wallow in the serene atmosphere of the Belltable Café on the 17th April at 7.30pm for a relaxing night of poetry and song called Ripples of Sound with poets Jessica Brown, Michael Durack and Fiona Clark Echlin and music from Killaloe based The Last Fridays.
Our much loved Poetry Trail is back again this year with thirty poems on display in various premises around the city.
We’re also taking a look back at one of Limerick’s most famous poet sons Michael Hogan, the Bard of Thomond. Local legend Mae Leonard will join Patrick Power and others for a celebration of his work in Bake House 22, Nicholas St from 7.30pm Fri 24th April.
Also over the course of the month their visiting writer poet John Liddy will be visiting a number of school in the city, giving them the experience of seeing poetry as a living art form that anyone, no matter what age, can take part in.
There’s lots more including workshops, book launches and lectures, so join us for a fun celebration of poetry this April.
The 6th annual festival, will take place in various venues around Limerick, see inside the festival brochure for further details or check out their Facebook page
www.facebook.com/aprilispoetrymonthinlimerick
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