All Ireland Poetry Day: Trim and Cavan

The Poetry in the Cathedral event in Trim went off well. A small but enthusiastic group read and listened appreciatively to a varied selection of poems. The Dean himself, Robert Jones, read the very appropriate Diary of a Church Mouse by John Betjeman. Michael Regan read Percy French's Inspector of Drains and Paddy Smith read The Shooting of Dan McGrew by Robert Service. Jimmy Peppard read his poem on the first day of the battle of the Somme in which both his grandfathers took part. Poet Frank Murphy, pictured above, read his poem A House of Cards.

Then Cavan Crystal Hotel in the evening for the Windows Publications Authors and Artists Introduction Series No 9 launch. A large crowd attended. There was an art exhibition by the featured artists, Elena Duff, Virginia and Berlin, Anne Harkin Petersen, Galway and Raymond Watson, Co Antrim. Editor Heather Brett welcomed everyone and there were congratulatory addresses by the Cavan County Manager and by two writers who had been reading in the county earlier, Rita Kelly and Philip Casey.

This was followed by reading by four of the featured writers, Irene O Dea, Aisling Murtagh, Brendan McCann and Marian O'Rourke with music by a duo Emily’s Eldest with Ben Tiernan and Eileen Tackney. A most enjoyable evening.

Above a picture of the Cavan Crystal event: Included in the centre are Catriona O'Reilly, Arts Officer Cavan County Council talking to artist Elena Duff in front of her painting Honey Trap.