Three Irish-language Poets Named For Western Writers' Centre Project

national | arts and media | press release Wednesday November 26, 2008 13:50 by Fred Johnston - Western Writers' Centre - Ionad Scríbhneoiri Chaitlin Maude, westernwriters at eircom dot net 27 Nuns Island, Galway 091.533594 & 087.2178138

The Western Writers' Centre - Ionad Scríbhneoirí Chaitlín Maude - has announced the names of the three poets who will undertake the creation of three separate new poems to commemorate a history, perso

The project was a major winner in the recent Bus Éireann and Foras na Gaeilge-sponsored Irish language project awards. The poets are Seosaimh Ó Guairim, Collette Nic Aodha and Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh.

Ailbhe Ni Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh

Seosaimh Ó Guairim is a Carna-based poet who has published a collection of work with Coscéim and gave a reading during the Cúirt festival earlier this year at the Pádraig Pearse House, which was organised by the Western Writers' Centre.
Ailbhe is a native of Kerry and has spent time living in France and New York. She is now back living in Galway. Her work has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, An Guth, Feasta and Crannóg. Péacadh, her first collection, will be published in the autumn also by Coiscéim.
Colette Nic Aodha was born in Shrule, Co. Mayo in 1967. A writer in both Irish and English, her poetry collections are Baill Seirce (Baile Átha Cliath, Coiscéim, 1998); Faoi Chrann Cnó Capaill (Coiscéim, 2000); Gallúnach-Ar-Rópa (Coiscéim, 2003); Sundial (Galway, Arlen House, 2005/New York, Syracuse University Press, 2006); Between Curses/Baine Géar (Arlen House, 2007); and Ainteafan (Coiscéim, 2008).Her short stories are collected as Ádh Mór (Coiscéim, 2004). She was a participant with the Western Writers' Centre on their Arts Council-sponsored Touring Experiment earlier this year.
"Receiving this award was a major achievement for the Western Writers' Centre," said Fred Johnston, the Centre's Director. "We have worked long and hard at what we do and have shown a commitment from the outset to literature in the Irish language. It would be desirable, of course, that we acquire a premises suitable to further commemorating and celebrating the literary heritage of the West of Ireland and we are looking to Galway City Council to assist us in our search."
The Centre is sponsored by Foras na Gaeilge, The Arts Council, Galway County Council and Galway City Council and Poetry Ireland.

Seosaim Ó Guairim