Mooching around the internet, I was delighted to find this link. I enjoyed the launch of Cyphers 88 (wherein the poem features) in Dublin, long-ago in a pre-pandemic life, but I didn’t realise the poem was on the website till I spied it this morning. Many thanks to Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin  and her assistant editors.

My Country Diary piece in today’s Guardian.

The story of my erstwhile lockdown companion. Today’s Country Diary.

Well, we pulled it off!

The first online Living Room Folk session went out yesterday. If you didn’t get to chance to watch us live, you can catch up here.

Thanks to Mairéad O’Donnell for her able hosting of the event, as well as her wonderful musicianship and singing. And to Maeve McCann for her gorgeous compositions and playing. It was brilliant working with these two artists.

We are grateful for the support of Culture Ireland, Poetry Ireland, First Music Contact, and Facebook for their support of Ireland Performs. Ireland Performs is providing vital opportunities for artists to perform and showcase their work in the current times. The initiative runs for another few weeks so check out the other gigs and if you could like or share so that the performers can reach the widest possible audience, that would be great. Thanks!

An update on the next Living Room Folk Session, which is part of Culture Ireland’s celebration of Poetry Day on Thursday, 30 April. Mairéad O’Donnell, Maeve McCann and myself are going out live online at 5pm tomorrow. Please join us for wonderful music and song, as well as poems.

I am completely shocked and devastated to learn of the sudden death of Eavan Boland. Her loss to poetry is indescribable. She made writing about female experience, both contemporary and historical, possible. She led and she challenged. As well as the riches of her poetry, her ‘Object Lessons’ was breathtaking. She is a staggering loss. Deepest condolences to her family and friends, and all the wider poetry community.

From: Domestic Interior (For Kevin) [From Night Feed, Arlen House 1982]

…

But there’s a way of life

that is its own witness:

Put the kettle on, shut the blind.

Home is a sleeping child,

an open mind

and our effects, 

shrugged and settled 

in the sort of light 

jugs and kettles 

grow important by. 

I am delighted and honoured that Mairéad O’Donnell has invited me to be part of the next Living Room Session, with fellow Fermanagh woman Maeve McCann. This Session, From Home to Home, is supported by Culture Ireland and  Poetry Ireland/ Éigse Éireann, and goes out live online at 5pm on Thursday 30 April for National Poetry Day.

Another Country Diary piece. From the city. For a strange Easter. (And yet we call this Friday good.)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/10/country-diary-lessons-from-the-birds-on-self-isolating

My remaining contracted workshops/events offered through Queen’s Open Learning that were upcoming in May are now cancelled.

I got an email from HMRC informing me of the grant available to self-employed people. But the scheme won’t be open till June.

I’m missing going for my regular swim. But I’m  walking for exercise in the early morning. The birds are in fine fettle. A redshank has taken up residence along the embankment close to King’s Bridge. The sentinel of the marshes is moving into town! Having previously swept skittishly away, piping his alarm, at my approach, this morning he walked right by me. Granted there was a railing between us and  he was at the river’s edge,  while I was above on the footpath; and I’d been standing stock still for almost 10 mins. But there you go. Closest to a redshank I’ve ever been. No binoculars, and I still clearly saw the dark tip and red base of his bill. With my eyesight, that’s something.