About the Poem

'On Raglan Road' was written by a 40 year old Patrick Kavanagh for a young 22 year old medical student, Hilda Moriarty. It was first published in the Irish Press newspaper in 1946 under the title ‘Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away’.    

The song we all know as Raglan Road combines the lyrics of Kavanagh poem to the air of the song ‘The Dawning of the Day’.

Kavanagh approached , Luke Kelly, from the Dubliners,  in the Baily Bar in Dublin in 1966 and asked him would he sing something he had written back in the 1940’s 

The rest, as they say , is history

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About the Poet

Patrick Kavanagh was born in Inniskeen, County Monaghan, in 1904 and is generally regarded as one of Ireland most eminent and favorite poets.
 
His first collection of poems was published while he was still working on the farm, and first appeared in 1928 in the Dundalk Democrat and Irish Independent.
 
He died , aged only 63, on 30 November 1967 and is buried in his birthplace  - Inniskeen, in Monaghan

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
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Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   

If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
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Other links

On Raglan Road - Luke Kelly (Song and meeting Kavanagh)
On Raglan Road - Tommy Macken (Poem)

On Raglan Road - Dermot Kennedy
On Raglan Road - Glen Hansard Declan O'Rourke
On Raglan Road - Mark Knopfler
On Raglan Road - Van Morrison & The Chieftains


The Patrick Kavanagh Centre

Patrick Kavanagh - The Pincer Jaws of Heaven (Short Film)

About the Poem

'The Song of the Wandering Aengus' is told from the point of view of an old man who, at some point in his past, had a fantastical experience in which a silver trout fish he had caught and laid on the floor turned into a "glimmering girl" who called him by his name, then vanished; he became infatuated with her, and remains devoted to finding her again. 

 It has been claimed that the poem's story is based on the Irish god Aengus, and specifically the story of the "Dream of Aengus", which had first appeared in the 8th century, in which Aengus falls in love with a woman whom he sees only in his dreams. 

It’s more likely that Yeats got a basic idea from the story of how Aengus fell in love with a girl he saw in a dream and then spent years searching for her – a theme Yeats knew only too well, having loved and unsuccessfully pursued the beautiful Maud Gonne for most of his life.

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About the Poet

William Butler Yeats, more commonly known as, W.B. Yeats, was born in Dublin, in 1865 and is wildly regarded as one of the influential poets on both the national and international stage.   
A pillar of the Irish literary establishment, he was one of co-founders of the Abbey Theatre and  became a Senator in the Irish Free State in 1922 .

He died, aged 73, on January 28 1939 in France and was later buried in Drumcliffe Churchyard, Co Sligo

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
___________________________________

Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   

If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
______________________________________________

Other links

Reading - Michael Gambon
Reading - Sam Neill

Song - Christy Moore
Song - The Waterboys
Song - Donovan
Song - Judy Collins
Song - 10,000 Manics

About the Poem

You Don't Get To Be Racist And Irish" documents Irish people's history of immigration and emigration and May says that it is now time for Irish people to return the favor.

The poem also touches on Ireland's history and heritage, pointing out the hypocrisy of singing songs glorifying Irish freedom, the Famine, and martyrs in the struggle for Irish independence while simultaneously ignoring or looking down on people who are now suffering. 

The poem took centre stage on 200 billboards across the country in 2020 and coincided with the launch of Rethink Ireland, a new Government backed  equality fund set up to help those most affected by inequality.
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About the Poet

Imelda Mary Clabby, professionally known as Imelda May, is an Irish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. 

 Described as "a unique vocal talent," May is known for her musical style of rockabilly revival and has also been compared to female jazz musicians such as Billie Holiday. 

Born and raised in The Liberties area of Dublin in  1974, May began her career in music at 16 by performing with a number of local bands and musicians. She formed her own band in 2002, and released her debut studio album, in 2003 and has released a further 4 albums since then, Her next album, 11past the House is due for release in April 2021

 Although known primarily as a singer, she also plays the bodhrán, guitar, bass guitar and tambourine.

 And Most recently, she has been sharing some of her poems, Her debut spoken word EP of 9 poems set to music  - "Slip of the Tongue" was released in 2020.

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
___________________________________

Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   

If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
______________________________________________


Other links

Reading by Imelda May - RTE for Culture June 2020

About the Poem

The society depicted in the poem , The Planters Daughter,  is one reminiscent of images of Ireland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. 

A planter was usually an English or Scotsman, brought in by the British, who bought  confiscated land in  Ireland  quite cheaply , who then employed local people to work on it

 In effect, he was the local landlord, living in the ‘Big House’ , often seen as people of wealth and be of  higher class – and would certainly not mix with the lower classes.

 However , in this poem, Austin Clarke portrays the planter's daughter, rather than being aloof, as a down to earth and approachable person who certainly doesn't see herself as above anyone else.

 The most interesting feature of ‘The Planter’s Daughter’ is the indirect way in which Clarke presents the subject of the poem and this indirect treatment creates a certain mystique around her.

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About the Poet

Austin Clarke was born in Stoneybatter, Dublin in 1896

He was one of the leading Irish poets of the generation after W. B. Yeats  and  he also wrote novels, plays and memoirs. 

His main contribution to Irish poetry was the rigour with which he used technical means borrowed from classical Irish language poetry when writing in the English language.

In addition to some twenty volumes of poetry and numerous plays, Clarke published three novels  and two volumes of memoirs, and while all of these prose writings are of interest, Clarke's reputation rests firmly on his poetry.

He dies in Dublin in March 1974

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
___________________________________

Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   

If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
______________________________________________


Other links


Bord Na Mona Advertisement

About the Poem

Communicated through the description of a morning walk across the Grand Canal in Dublin, the poem is a philosophical reflection on starting something new again. 

It starts off as a celebration of a new day, full refreshing opportunity, and goes on  to examining the harder things in life. It is filled with the sense of determination to be grateful for everyday experiences. 

Even though the poem is full of hope, it acknowledges that promises and beginnings are “born in light”, only to die “in dark”.

 The themes of loneliness and persevering in the face of adversity are both very much evident in this poem.

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About the Poet

Brendan Kennelly is one of Ireland’s most distinguished and best loved poets, as well as a renowned teacher and cultural commentator.

He was Professor of Modern Literature at Trinity College,  in Dublin until 2005 and since his retirement he has been titled "Professor Emeritus" by the same university. 

A prolific and fluent writer, he has more than fifty books of poetry to his credit, and his poetry, at times, can be quite down-to-earth and colloquial.  He is popular and controversial, and sometimes quite irreverent and avoids intellectual pretension.  His vision defies any attempt to impose strict categories on the world. 

As a native Irish speaker , he has translated and published many Irish poems into English and in 2010 he was awarded the Irish PEN Award for his contribution to Irish Literature. 

 He now lives in Listowel, Co. Kerry.

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
___________________________________

Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   

If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
______________________________________________


Other links

Brendan Kennelly - Begin - Listowel Writers Week 2017

In Conversation with Brendan Kennelly

About the Poem

Lament of Thomas McDonagh is a poem written by Francis Ledwidge for his close friend, Thomas McDonagh, who was executed for his role in the Easter Rising in 1916 in Ireland.

 The Easter Rising was often called a poet’s rebellion because so many of the organizers were writers, such as Thomas McDonagh & Padraic Pearse.  Similarly, Francis Ledwidge’ s poem blends natural imagery with political sentiments. 

 Lament for Thomas McDonagh explores the theme of rebirth throughout, bringing in images of springtime, the Christian resurrection, and political renewal. 

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About the Poet

Francis Edward Ledwidge was an Irish war poet and solider.

He was born in Slane, Co Meath in 1887  and one of a family of 9. He one of the co-founders of the Slane branch of the Meath Labour Union and a found member of Slane Branch of the Irish Volunteers. 

He remained a member of the Irish volunteers but with the outbreak of WW1 in 1914, Ledwidge nonetheless, enlisted in the British Army joining Lord Dunsany’s regiment – the 5th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers- 

Sometimes known as the Poet of the Blackbirds,  he died in July 1917 – just aged 29, during the Third Battle of Ypres in Belgium during WW1

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
___________________________________

Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   

If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
______________________________________________


Other links

Grace - Jim McCann
Grace - The Coronas
Grace - Rod Stewart

The Francis Ledwidge Museum

RTE Nationwide Documentary

About the Poem

The Cure at Troy  was  written in 1990 for the Field Day Theatre Company,  and  is an adapted version of the ancient tragic Greek play, Philoctetes, written by Sophocles – which takes place in the closing days of the Trojan War.

The resonance of this ancient tale with that of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and perhaps the struggle of the Apartheid movement in South Africa, was a major attraction to Seamus Heaney,

The poem, at its heart, addresses questions of personal morality, deceit and political expediency, suffering and healing.
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About the Poet

Seamus Justin Heaney was an Irish poet, playwright and Nobel Laureate.

He was and is still recognised as one of the principal contributors to poetry in Ireland during his lifetime and often described as  "the most important Irish poet since Yeats" 

HE won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995 – with what the Nobel committee described as "works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past’’.

His epitaph is taken from one of his poems ‘The Gravel Walks’ and reads  
"Walk on air against your better judgement”.

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
___________________________________

Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   

If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
______________________________________________

Favorite Reading Versions  (YouTube Links)

Seamus Heaney - The Cure at Troy  (V1)
Seamus Heaney - The Cure at Troy (V2)

President Joe Biden - The Cure at Troy
President Joe Biden/Lin Manuel Miranda

President Bill Clinton - Derry 1995


Other links

Seamus Heaney - Website

Seamus Heaney HomePlace Website

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About the Poem

This short poem,  'Mirror In February', which was included for study on the former Leaving Certificate English syllabus, is familiar to generations of Irish schoolgoers. 

 It first appeared in the 1963 collection Downstream, is in many ways typical of Kinsella’s poetry in general.

The poem, set in February as the natural world begins to slowly wake and renew itself, presents the speaker as a humble and solitary figure suddenly overwhelmed and reflecting on the significance of the passing of his own advancing years.

Near the end of 'Mirror In February', Kinsella does ask and enquire of us an interpretation, that of course, I will always leave open to yourself.
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About the Poet

Thomas Kinsella is an Irish poet and was born in Inchicore in Dublin in 1928.

He belongs to a generation of writers whose main concern as a poet was not to limit themselves  to Irish topics but to explore a wider range of ideas and themes. 

In 1965, he become writer in residence at Southern Illinois University, in 1970 he became a professor of English at Temple University in Philadelphia and was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts on two occasions in 1968 & 1971

In 1972, he started Peppercanister Press to publish his own work. 

 He received the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin in May 2007 and most recently, in December 2018, received and honory Doctorate of Letters from Trinity College of Dublin, having also taught the Irish Tradition Programme at the same university.

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How to Listen and follow

You can listen to the podcast , My Poetry Readings, on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts by clicking on any of the links above or on the podcast website

You can also subscribe and follow the podcast on social media by clicking on the links either on the top banner or the links below:-

Facebook -   @mypoetryreadings
Instagram -  @mypoetryreadings
Twitter:-       @mypoetryreadin1
Youtube:-      My Poetry Readings with Declan Walsh
___________________________________

Now for the promotion bit!

I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing any comments or suggestions that you may have .
If you have enjoyed , please spread the word , like , share  (etc!)  -by  clicking the 'Share  Episode' link above.   
If you can, please leave a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts. This will help others to also enjoy the podcast.

Thanks for listening  - Till next time..

Slán go fóill

Declan
______________________________________________

Favorite Musical Versions  (YouTube Links)

Thomas Kinsella - Gate Theatre 

Thomas Kinsella - Lifetime Achievement Award
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Tags

#february #spring #mirrorinfebruary #poetry #Dublin&