Poet in Residence

Our Poet in Residence, Catherine Ann Cullen, had a busy second year, despite the challenges of Covid restrictions. In a term extended by three months, she engaged, inspired and supported many communities to interact with poetry. Here are a few highlights:

Poetry Prompts

This online project, which began with a daily duo of prompts on the first day of lockdown in March 2020, continued with weekly prompts for adults and children in Irish and English throughout 2021. It has been a huge source of inspiration and encouragement for participants. A new challenge, #LimericksUnlimited, was launched this year.

Pathways Centre

Catherine Ann ran weekly workshops for clients of the centre, which facilitates the re-integration of prisoners in the community.

Fatima Poetry Ireland Poetry Vigilantes Group

Weekly online workshops (in-person when restrictions were lifted) were led by Catherine Ann. A website of their fantastic work was launched in October.

Catherine Ann during a recent Writers in Schools visit with Transition Year students at St Joseph of Cluny, Killiney, Co Dublin

Poetry and Song Connections

Catherine Ann’s work has proven that illuminating the connections between poetry and song helps to break down barriers and resistance to poetry in some people. She continued to strengthen links between Poetry Ireland and An Góilín Traditional Song Club and organised poetry and song events for the Frank Harte Festival (‘Weaving Words’) and the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival (‘Voices of Witness’). Other projects included working with the SAOL group, Mud Island Community Garden, writing poems on objects in the North Inner City Folklore Collection, Harold’s Cross Stay @ Home Community Festival, an International Women’s Day reading, a Poetry Town Dublin 1 event and videos for Cruinnniú na nÓg and St Brigid’s Day. Catherine Ann wrote a guest blog for the ITMA and an article on poetry

Catherine Ann performing a song for children about the legend of St Brigid’s cloak for The Written Word supplement. She was an adjudicator for Poetry Aloud and the Trócaire Poetry Ireland Poetry

Competition.

Catherine Ann posted an ‘elevenses’ blog on the 11th of each month on the

Poetry Ireland website, showcasing ongoing work. A series of 11 poems on the history of the Poetry Ireland building (11 x 11 for Number 11) is due to published as a broadsheet.

She hosted two engaging Instagram takeovers on the Poetry Ireland account aand we will soon share a legacy video, reflecting on the achievements and impacts of the two-year residency. We thank Catherine Ann for all her energy, passion and thoughtfulness in her time as Poet in Residence.

Thanks to the funders of the project: Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Fund of the Sidney E Frank Foundation, and Rethink Ireland.

The Fatima Poetry Ireland Poetry Vigilantes Group