RTÉ - Evelyn Grant’s Weekend Drive

It's that time of year! Calling all choirs in Ireland...our annual competition has begun!

Ernest John Moeran's father was Irish and spent as much time in Ireland as in England after he made Kenmare his second home around 1934.

Piano Passions - William Vincent Wallace

Waterford-born William Vincent Wallace who put his life at risk setting out on long and arduous journeys – facing many dangers on the way and sometimes taking months to arrive safely at his destination. But, back then, travel was key to developing the livelihoods of composers as it led to increased opportunities.

Peter Fallon reads his poem 'To One I've Known All Her Life'

On this weeks poetry file Caitriona O'Reilly reads her poem Autonomy.

Colin Dardis reads his poem 'Conditions of language'

Ailbhe Ni Ghearbhuigh reads her poem ''Tom Waits in Tralee'

Sven Kretzschmar reads his poem 'The Merle'.

Moyra Donaldson reads her poem 'My Turn to be the Horse'.

Richard Halperin reads his poem 'Catch me while there is still Light'

Louise Cole reads her poem Watermarked.

Kerry Hardie was born in 1951 and grew up in County Down. She now lives in County Kilkenny with her husband, the writer Seán Hardie.

Ciaran O' Driscoll reads his poem 'The wrong kind of dog'

Poet Peter Fallon reads his poem 'A part of ourselves'

Caitriona O'Reilly reads her poem Fireweed and Mullein.

Colin Dardis reads his poem 'While You're Free'.

Sven Kertzschmar reads his poem Spring Awakening.

In this weeks Poetry file Ailbhe Ni Ghearbhuigh reads her poem 'Fothragadh'/'Cleansing'

Moyra Donaldson reads her poem Myth making.

Louise G Cole reading Walking the backroad after.

Richard Halperin reading Sunday visits.

Kerry Hardie grew up in County Down. She now lives in County Kilkenny with her husband, the writer Seán Hardie. Her poems have won many prizes, including the Michael Hartnett Award for Poetry, the National Poetry Prize (Ireland), the James Joyce Suspended Sentence Award (Australia) and the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry.

Ciaran O'Driscoll lives in Limerick. A member of Aosdána, he has published ten books of poetry, including Gog and Magog (1987), Moving On, Still There (2001), Surreal Man (2006) and, most recently, Angel Hour (2021) 

Paul Maddern reads his poem 'Hop Pickers'.

Audrey reads her poem 'False Memory'.

Noel reads his peom 'Erne'

Moya cannon reads 'Delete contact card'

Today Paul McMahon reads his poem Milltown. From Belfast, Paul McMahon now lives in Cork. His poetry has appeared in The Poetry Review, The Irish Times, Poetry Ireland Review and elsewhere. Also a playwright, Paul is developing his new play with The Abbey Theatre. His poem The Pups in the Boghole won the Westival international Poetry Prize.

Áine Uí Fhoghlú reads Note by Note Áine is the Poet Laureate for Dungarvan, Co Waterford. A writer of poetry and fiction, Áine comes from the Waterford Gaeltacht area, An Rinn.

David Murphy reads his poem The Royal Way. David Murphy lives in Lusk, Co Dublin and has had three novels and three short-story collections published in Ireland and abroad. His first non-fiction book was published by Liffey Press in 2014 and his first poetry collection, ‘Drowning in the Desert', was published by Revival Press in 2020.

Angela Keogh reads The Poet's Retreat. Her first novel 'The Winter Dress' was published in 2020 by the Harvest Press. Her poem 'An Irish Poem' was a prize winner of the Waterford Poetry Prize 2018. Two of her radio plays, 'The Winter Dress' and 'Letters in the post' were broadcast on KCLR radio in 2021.

Paul Maddern reads Pilgrimage. Paul Maddern was born in Bermuda and has lived in Co Down since 2000. He has four publications with Templar Poetry and has won two Bermuda Government Literary Awards. He is the editor of Queering the Green (Lifeboat Press, 2021) and now owns and operates The River Mill Writers Retreat in Co Down.

Audrey Molloy reads Naming the First Born. Audrey Molloy is an Irish poet based in Sydney. In 2019 she received the Hennessy Award for Emerging Poetry, the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award and the An Post Irish Book Award for Irish Poem of the Year. She is pursuing a masters degree in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Noel Monaghan reads Where the Wind Sleeps. Noel Monahan has published eight collections of poetry. A stage adaptation of his long poem “Chalk Dust” was directed by Padraic McIntyre and performed at Ramor Theatre, December 2019. A ninth collection of his work is forthcoming from Salmon Poetry.

Moya Cannon reads At Three Castles Head We Catch our Breath. Moya Cannon was born in Co. Donegal and now lives in Dublin. Her work reflects a wide range of interests including music, history and archaeology. Her sixth collection is Donegal Tarantella, Carcanet Press 2019 and her 'Collected Poems' was published by Carcanet Press in February, 2021.

Paul Mc Mahon reads The Pups in the Boghole. From Belfast, Paul McMahon now lives in Cork. His poetry has appeared in The Poetry Review, The Irish Times, Poetry Ireland Review and elsewhere. Also a playwright, Paul is developing his new play with The Abbey Theatre. His poem The Pups in the Boghole won the Westival international Poetry Prize.

Áine Uí Fhoghlú reads Ag scarúint in Aerfort Perth/ Parting at Perth Airport. Recently named as the Poet Laureate for Dungarvan, Áine's published works include poetry, teen fiction and Scéalta agus Seanchas/Potatoes, Children & Seaweed. Áine has won the Michael Hartnett Poetry Award and her work appears as a Junior Cycle text.

David Murphy reads his poem Willow Pattern. David Murphy lives in Lusk, Co Dublin and has had three novels and three short-story collections published in Ireland and abroad. His first non-fiction book was published by Liffey Press in 2014 and his first poetry collection, ‘Drowning in the Desert', was published by Revival Press in 2020.

Today Angela Keogh reads ‘An Irish Poem',?a winner at the Waterford Poetry Prize in 2018.?Her first novel. 'The Winter Dress' was published in 2020 by the Harvest Press and two of her radio plays, 'The Winter Dress' and 'Letters in the post' were broadcast in 2021.

In a special tribute to mark the 150th birthday of painter Jack B. Years, Dermot Bolger reads 'Fairground Ponies' inspired by Yeats' final sketch.

Julie O'Callaghan reads Early on Indian Hill. Born in Chicago in 1954, Julie O'Callaghan has lived in Ireland since 1974. Her most recent publications include New & Selected Poems (2008) and Magnum Mysterium (2020). She has received the Michael Hartnett Award for poetry and is a member of the Irish academy of arts, Aosdána.