Students in Tipperary are being encouraged to participate in the annual Poetry Aloud competition. This event is open to all post-primary students across the island of Ireland. It is organized by the National Library of Ireland and Poetry Ireland, with support from University College Cork.
To boost participation, the organizers have extended the submission deadline to Monday, October 21.
Sinéad McCoole, Head of Exhibitions, Learning, and Programming at the National Library of Ireland, highlighted the importance of the event. “Poetry Aloud is one of the highlights of our year. Young people recite poetry, continuing Ireland’s great tradition of the bard,” she said. She noted that since its inception in 2006, the competition has nurtured a remarkable group of talented participants, thanks to the partnership with Poetry Ireland and support from University College Cork.
Liz Kelly, Director of Poetry Ireland, expressed excitement about the collaboration. “We are thrilled to work with the National Library of Ireland, UCC, and schools across the country on Poetry Aloud. I look forward to hearing from young people across Ireland by the end of this month,” she stated. Kelly emphasized Poetry Ireland’s commitment to making poetry accessible to everyone, adding that this initiative is an important part of their yearly calendar.
Poetry Aloud encourages students to engage with spoken poetry, helping them build confidence and pride in Ireland’s literary heritage. Participants compete in three categories—Junior, Intermediate, and Senior. They are required to learn one prescribed poem and one poem of their choice from selected anthologies, competing in regional heats, semi-finals, and the national final held at the National Library of Ireland.
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