Little Fires of Brigid Poetry Competition 2026

 

To honour St. Brigid’s Day and the Bank Holiday in Ireland celebrating Lá Fhéile Bríde, Drawn to the Light Press is pleased to announce the third Little Fires of Brigid Poetry Competition. The competition is now open and closes on Sunday, 11th January 2026 at midnight.

1) Send poems to orla.a.fay@gmail.com using the subject line Little Fires of Brigid Poetry Competition 2026. Poems should be 40 lines or less and previously unpublished.

2) Poems should be on the theme of Brigid, Spirituality, Nature, Spring, Fire and Renewal. 

3) Poems are judged anonymously and the poet’s name must not appear on the poems themselves. Details should be included on a separate page or in the body of the email.

4) There is an entry fee of €10 for a single poem entry. Poets may submit as many poems as they wish. Please include your PayPal reference number in your entry email. Those who wish to enter by post may do so by contacting the email address above. 

The overall judge is poet and editor Orla Fay. Orla’s first full collection, ‘Word Skin’, was published by Salmon poetry in December 2023. She is the author of the chapbooks, ‘Drawn to the Light’, ‘What Became of the Horses’ and ‘Olde Songs for Sarah’. She is a former editor of ‘Boyne Berries’ and the founding editor of ‘Drawn to the Light Press’. Orla is a Poetry Town laureate for Dunshaughlin in Co. Meath. She holds a MA in Digital Arts and Humanities. Her poetry has been widely published and has won, or been placed in several competitions.

The winning poet will receive a cash prize and their poem will be published in Issue 17 of Drawn to the Light Press. A runner-up will also receive a cash prize and have their poem published in this February Issue. 

Winners will be announced on Monday, 2nd February 2026. 

Enter here https://drawntothelightpress.com/little-fires-of-brigid-poetry-competition/

Drawn to the Light Press Issue 17 Now Open to Submissions

 

The submission period for issue 17, February 2026 is now open. The window will close on Friday, 9th January at midnight.

The theme for this issue is ‘Spring’. As we approach the darkest days of the year the glimmer of new life and the turning of the light offer us hope and courage. Have you words to offer on resilience, rebirth, renewal, or growth? Do you like beginnings? What pleases you about spring? What are your memories of February and March? Do you console yourself in nature? If you do, send up to 3 poems of 40 lines or less. Submissions of art and photography are also sought.

Send all submissions to orla.a.fay@gmail.com

Please do send work in Times New Roman, font 12. Include your work in the body of the email and as a Word document attachment.

Send a short bio of 50 words or less, written in the third person.

Those submitting work should be over 18.

https://drawntothelightpress.com/submissions/

Begin

Begin again to the summoning birds

to the sight of the light at the window,

begin to the roar of morning traffic

all along Pembroke Road.

Every beginning is a promise

born in light and dying in dark

determination and exaltation of springtime

flowering the way to work.

Begin to the pageant of queuing girls

the arrogant loneliness of swans in the canal

bridges linking the past and future

old friends passing though with us still.

Begin to the loneliness that cannot end

since it perhaps is what makes us begin,

begin to wonder at unknown faces

at crying birds in the sudden rain

at branches stark in the willing sunlight

at seagulls foraging for bread

at couples sharing a sunny secret

alone together while making good.

Though we live in a world that dreams of ending

that always seems about to give in

something that will not acknowledge conclusion

insists that we forever begin.

Brendan Kennelly