Trim Poetry Festival 2020

Boyne Berries 27

Cover design by Rory O'Sullivan

Boyne Berries 27 will be launched on Friday, 13th March at 7.30 pm by Pat Dunne as part of Trim Poetry Festival. Pat Dunne was born in Trim, Co. Meath and is an internationally successful crime writer. Dunne studied English and Philosophy at UCD and worked as Press Officer for Bord na gCapall before joining RTÉ Radio where he produced the station’s flagship Gerry Ryan Show. He retired in 2004 to become a full-time writer. Meath’s history and heritage feature prominently in his archaeological thrillers. Dunne is also a regular contributor to Sunday Miscellany on RTÉ Radio 1 and lives in Celbridge, Co. Kildare, with his wife Theckla. 

This issue contains the work of the ten poets shortlisted for Trim Poetry Competition 2020 and 42 other pieces of work. Those included are:

Kate Ennals Liam McNevin Arthur Broomfield Eamon Cooke Dan A. Cardoza Seán Kennedy Peter Goulding Felicia McCarthy Polly Richardson Mark Ward Stephen de Búrca Kevin Graham Peter Adair Lorraine Carey Angela Kirwan Michael Farry Justin Aylward Anne Crinion Glenn Hubbard Richard W. Halperin Sinéad MacDevitt Carolyne Van Der Meer Honor Duff Diarmuid Fitzgerald Marc Gijsemans K.S. Moore L.R. Harvey Eugene Platt Elizabeth McGeown Róisín Bugler Niamh Twomey Maria Isakova Bennett Gerard Smyth Rory Duffy Linda Ibbotson Conor Kelly Orla Fay Frances Browne Matt Hohner Catherine Conlon John D. Kelly David Butler Martin Sykes Marian Brannigan Patrick Lodge Karen O’Connor Maeve McKenna Steve Wade Claire Hennessy John Conroy Jenny Andersson Anne Callan

Brigid's Beauty

Magdalene with the Smoking Flame

La Madeleine a la flamme filante

Georges de La Tour

Brigid’s Beauty

What must it have been like for her,

sweet sixteen, betrothed by her father

to the King of Ulster?

Wanting a different life, a rebel,

she prayed that her beauty

be taken away.

When ordained God gave

Brigid back the eye he had taken

in her veiling.

Her path was of milk and flowers

and the purity of her soul

was a great gift the Christians said,

but pagans recognised her witchery,

the magic of the miracles

and the splendid power of tales.

Her light lit the chambers of Tara.

Divinity was Imbolg, in the belly,

Spring’s flint, Candlemas,

Lá Fhéile Muire na gCoinneal,

a Mary of candles, goddess,

cloaked keeper of the grail.

Orla Fay