Yeats' Day 2013

 Poetry, painting, song, craft and ... eh ... wine and sausages? All will be on the menu for Sligo's second annual Yeats Day celebration throughout the town on Thursday June 13, birthday of Nobel Prize Winning poet W.B. Yeats.

This year the day will be a dawn to dusk celebration not just of Sligo's Nobel Laureate and his works, but also of his brother Jack, one of the country's most significant painters of the last century, and his sisters Susan and Elizabeth- who made an enormous contribution to the Gaelic art and crafts revival in the early 20th century.

The highlight will be the birthday celebrations on O’Connell Street, Sligo from 3pm to 6pm with poetry, balloons, birthday cake and music.

A sample below of the many events scheduled for the day. Full list on this page.

8am Lough Gill: Boat Trip, Full Irish breakfast and poetry readings €40. Booking essential. Email: info@roseofinnisfree.com Tel:  087 2598869

11am Hawk's Well Theatre: The Gathering - Flock of 400 Textile Birds created by children and adults from across Co. Sligo sponsored by Borough 400

12.30pm County Library: Choral Yeats - Children in costume recite Yeats poetry

12.30pm Various venues: The Wine and Sausage Lunch - celebrate the Nobel Prize winning poet’s award as he did; a glass of wine and a sausage!

1pm The Model: Jack B. Yeats ‘Enter the Clowns’ - Official Launch and curated tour with the National Art Gallery’s renowned Professor Hilary Pyle

2pm Drumcliffe Churchyard: Feis Shligigh and Feis Ceoil Yeats Cup poetry winners perform The Nobel Prize - an interpretation of W.B.Yeats’ speech on being awarded the Prize; with actor Michael Fish

3pm Yeats Building: Afternoon Tea with Aleck Crichton - His personal memories of W.B. Yeats

4.30pm Departs Parke’s Castle: Hazelwood Heritage Boat Trip Readings of poetry by W.B. Yeats, history of Lough Gill and Hazelwood Tickets €20, available in advance, from Fáilte Ireland Office, O’Connell St, Sligo

6pm Hargadons Pub: Party Piece - Read, sing or perform your own favourite W.B. Yeats poem

6.30pm Yeats Building: Poet’s Parlour - Poetry, drama and family fun

7pm Sligo Abbey: The Icelandic Connection - Writer Brian Leyden reads W.B. Yeats with poet Andres Eiriksson’s ‘Icelandic Translations’