All Ireland Poetry Day celebration at County Library Tallaght

October 2, 2009

Award winning poet Paula Meehan enthralled local students from St Aidan’s Community School Brookfield and Old Bawn Community School with her lively and engaging readings and comments, followed by an informal interview with Dr Mary Shine Thompson of St Patrick’s College Drumcondra.

This is the first time such an event has been streamed live from the County Library Tallaght, making it possible for literature lovers of all ages and from all around the country to enjoy the work of an outstanding Irish poet.

Paula Meehan, whose work appears on the Leaving Cert curriculum, was born and raised in Dublin. Despite having been expelled from Holy Faith Convent Finglas, Paula studied successfully on her own for Intermediate Certificate and went on to become involved in street theatre in Dublin after her Leaving Certificate. Having obtained her BA, TCD and then Masters of Fine Arts from Eastern Washington University her collections of poetry and plays have won critical acclaim. Her awards include the Marten Toonder Prize by the Arts Council and the Butler Award for Poetry by the Irish American Cultural Institute.

Dr Mary Shine Thompson lectures in the English department, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra and is College research officer.  Her major research specialism is in the field of twentieth-century Anglo-Irish literature. An acknowledged expert on the dramatist, poet and critic, Austin Clark, she is currently completing the preparation of the National Library of Ireland catalogue of its Austin Clark holdings and her volume Irish drama selection series.

If you missed the live broadcast, log on to www.southdublininnovates.ie and select Videos to watch a recording.

This event at the County Library was a collaboration between Poetry Ireland and South Dublin County Libraries.