Athlone’s award-winning poetry group, Poetry in the Park, will feature in TG4’s arts programme, Imeall tonight at 10.30pm.
Poet and Imeall reporter Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin takes a trip to Burgess Park in Athlone to take part in the community event Poetry in the Park. The group who meet on a monthly basis will discusses some of their favourite poems and recite some original material. They also get a look at their new book, which is a collection of original poetry from the group.
TG4 filmed the group as they went on their Christmas walkabout handing out free copies of the poetry collection to members of the public. Poetry in the Park members met in Athlone Castle where poetry was recited accompanied by the uilleann pipes. The members walked across the bridge from Connaught into Leinster and down to Burgess Park where poetry was recited by their members aged from six years to 75years old, with a harp and song interlude.
Caroline Coyle from Poetry in the Park said, “What a wonderful day we had, the sun shone, the poetry flowed over the river Shannon, the music was magical and the recitals and singing continued in the coffee shop.”
Poetry in the Park’s second collection of poetry was distributed free to shops, pubs, bookies, hairdressers, hotels, doctors’ waiting room, garages and restaurants. There are a few copies left for sale at €3 each or €5 for two which can be picked up from Flannery’s Pub.
The 19 poets who contributed to Poetry in the Park Collection No 2 Chapbook include: Tommy Berry, Brenda Burke, Paul, John Saunders, Jackie Gorman, Caroline Coyle, Rosemarie Langtry, Joan Elizabeth Phillips, Paul Cullen, Eugene McGivern, Ava O’Connor (age six ), Dean Carroll, Shane McCormack, Amy Barry, Rose Finerty, Margaret Egan, Ross Carey, Erica Follows-Smith, and Karen Goode.
Poetry in the Park members would like to thank musicians Kilian Kennedy on the uilleann pipes and Justyna Kosmulska on the harp for helping out on the day of filming.
Thanks also to Nino and the wonderful staff of Coffee Haven and Ann Flannery for her great support.
Poetry in the Park is a community poetry event which takes place on the first Sunday of every month at 2pm in Burgess Park, giving poets and poetry fans an opportunity to read their poems, or poems they like or just to listen to poetry. The first meeting of the new year 2015 is on Sunday January 4, all are welcome.
