Category Archives: Uncategorized

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/ … Continue reading →

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. … Continue reading →

The usual frantic run-up to Christmas was leavened by two events which fortuitously found themselves referred to on the same page on the Poetry Ireland website. So before that page vanishes into the ether, here is a preserving screenshot, dear … Continue reading →

I was in Dublin yesterday for the launch of Cyphers 88 in Books Upstairs (one of my favourite bookshops in all the world. I always go home laden. Whoever stocks their poetry section is a marvel). My own poem, Wicker … Continue reading →

Yesterday came the devastating, sadly anticipated, death of Ciaran Carson just 3 days short of his 71st birthday. Not quite three years ago he was one of the coffin bearers at the interment of my late uncle, John Montague. There … Continue reading →

I joined today’s global Climate Strike in Belfast. Both to support the young people and to acknowledge the young person that I once was who longed for a social climate that would take ecological collapse and biodiversity loss seriously. I … Continue reading →

Delighted that my poem “Soothed” is included this special issue of Skylight 47. I was sorry to miss launch in Galway earlier this month. But many thanks to the editors, and hopefully I’ll make it to the city during its … Continue reading →

    Well, I have recovered a little. I was delighted at my award of the Poetry Ireland Tyrone Guthrie Centre Mid Career Bursary. It is a great honour and I am especially pleased that it comes at this time … Continue reading →

My Country Diary piece on the Gobbins cliff path is out in today’s Guardian. Thanks to Nichola Monk for organising the trip, with Ann Lightbody and the Queen’s Uni Bangor birders.