One of Ireland’s foremost annual poetry festivals was launched last night in Limerick.
The Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival which runs until Saturday was launched by Limerick born painter and member of Aosdána, John Shinnors.
The event features a host of leading Irish and international poets and events including lunchtime and evening readings, screenings of poetry films, an open mic session, a tribute to departed poets, a varied programme for schools, and the ‘Young Poet of the Year Award’. Poet, novelist, biographer, critic, commentator and arts activist, Anthony Cronin joins other established Irish and international poets at the festival.
Meanwhile, the yearly poetry anthology ‘The Stony Thursday Book’ will be launched this evening. Containing the work of 160 poets in both English and Irish, the 38th issue of the book is edited this year by Kerry-based Aosdána member Paddy Bushe, who has published nine collections of poetry as well as three books of translations.
Commenting on the festival, Paddy Bushe said: “Reading through the submissions for The Stony Thursday Book, with poems of all sorts coming locally and from all over the world, has made me realise how broad and how deep can be the influence of the Cuisle Festival in general, and of Stony Thursday in particular. Poetry may be a minority interest, but it is a vital and enduring one. Cuisle, and Limerick, have something to be proud of.”
Funded by Limerick City Council Arts Office and The Arts Council, Cuisle 2013 will feature lunchtime readings at the Hunt Museum by Ron Carey (Thursday) and Kerrie O'Brien (Friday). The evening performances at 69 O’Connell St (formerly the Belltable) will feature Anthony Cronin, Biddy Jenkinson, Macdara Woods, Hugh Maxton, David Wheatley, Adam Wyeth, and Limerick’s own Jo Slade. The Schools’ Programme will feature readings by Biddy Jenkinson, David Wheatley, John Davies (Brighton), as well as masterclasses by Veronika Dintinjana (Ljubljana) and Tim Cunningham (Limerick).
This year the festival’s network of poetic exchanges, which already includes Slovenia and the UK, has been extended to Italy with the arrival of Marco Viscomi, nominated by Cuisle’s sister-festival in Umbria (Riflessi DiVersi).
“The Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival is dedicated to poetry in all its forms and varieties, featuring the best of local, national, and international poets,” explained Sheila Deegan, City Arts Officer.
Ms. Deegan continued: “For 19 years, Cuisle has helped to establish Limerick a centre for poetry not only in this country, but throughout Europe and beyond. Cuisle is the pulse that brings life to language, and creates friendships through verse between all peoples. All of this is wrapped up in the warm tradition of Cuisle, providing a very special atmosphere that festival guests have come to love. If you’re within a pigeon’s flight of Limerick, or need some poetry in your life, pay a visit to the City for Cuisle over the next couple of days.”
Further information is available from www.cuisle.org or The Arts Service, Limerick City Council: 00 353-61-407421 or ciaran@cuisle.org. For specific information regarding Schools’ Programme or Young Poet of the Year Award contact Bertha McCullagh 085 759 3265 or bertha@cuisle.org
The Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival which runs until Saturday was launched by Limerick born painter and member of Aosdána, John Shinnors.
The event features a host of leading Irish and international poets and events including lunchtime and evening readings, screenings of poetry films, an open mic session, a tribute to departed poets, a varied programme for schools, and the ‘Young Poet of the Year Award’. Poet, novelist, biographer, critic, commentator and arts activist, Anthony Cronin joins other established Irish and international poets at the festival.
Meanwhile, the yearly poetry anthology ‘The Stony Thursday Book’ will be launched this evening. Containing the work of 160 poets in both English and Irish, the 38th issue of the book is edited this year by Kerry-based Aosdána member Paddy Bushe, who has published nine collections of poetry as well as three books of translations.
Commenting on the festival, Paddy Bushe said: “Reading through the submissions for The Stony Thursday Book, with poems of all sorts coming locally and from all over the world, has made me realise how broad and how deep can be the influence of the Cuisle Festival in general, and of Stony Thursday in particular. Poetry may be a minority interest, but it is a vital and enduring one. Cuisle, and Limerick, have something to be proud of.”
Funded by Limerick City Council Arts Office and The Arts Council, Cuisle 2013 will feature lunchtime readings at the Hunt Museum by Ron Carey (Thursday) and Kerrie O'Brien (Friday). The evening performances at 69 O’Connell St (formerly the Belltable) will feature Anthony Cronin, Biddy Jenkinson, Macdara Woods, Hugh Maxton, David Wheatley, Adam Wyeth, and Limerick’s own Jo Slade. The Schools’ Programme will feature readings by Biddy Jenkinson, David Wheatley, John Davies (Brighton), as well as masterclasses by Veronika Dintinjana (Ljubljana) and Tim Cunningham (Limerick).
This year the festival’s network of poetic exchanges, which already includes Slovenia and the UK, has been extended to Italy with the arrival of Marco Viscomi, nominated by Cuisle’s sister-festival in Umbria (Riflessi DiVersi).
“The Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival is dedicated to poetry in all its forms and varieties, featuring the best of local, national, and international poets,” explained Sheila Deegan, City Arts Officer.
Ms. Deegan continued: “For 19 years, Cuisle has helped to establish Limerick a centre for poetry not only in this country, but throughout Europe and beyond. Cuisle is the pulse that brings life to language, and creates friendships through verse between all peoples. All of this is wrapped up in the warm tradition of Cuisle, providing a very special atmosphere that festival guests have come to love. If you’re within a pigeon’s flight of Limerick, or need some poetry in your life, pay a visit to the City for Cuisle over the next couple of days.”
Further information is available from www.cuisle.org or The Arts Service, Limerick City Council: 00 353-61-407421 or ciaran@cuisle.org. For specific information regarding Schools’ Programme or Young Poet of the Year Award contact Bertha McCullagh 085 759 3265 or bertha@cuisle.org
