A call has been put out to the Bards of Ireland to take part in the third Bard of Connacht competition, which has a prize fund of €1,000 and is run in conjunction with Creggs Harvest Festival and Kilbegnet Ballinakill Historical Society.
The theme for this year’s Bard Competition is ‘Loneliness’. Recent surveys have pointed to the increasing prevalence of loneliness in an Ireland that is more connected than ever and organisers have chosen this as the subject theme for this year’s poems. There is also another connection as this year is the 170th anniversary of the birth of Percy French and the line which inspired the theme came from the Frenchpark author’s poem ‘An Irish Mother’ – ‘But ‘tis lonely – lonely livin’ when the childher is away’.
Now in its third year, the competition is organised by Kilbegnet Ballinakill Historical Society, Creggs, Co. Galway and draws entries from all across Ireland and also has an international following. As well as the adult competition, there is also a Junior Bard competition involving local Transition Year students and this has prompted many teenagers to take up the art of poetry.
The winner of this year’s Bard of Connacht will receive the Vincent Keaveny Memorial Trophy and a cheque for €500, while second, third and fourth placed poets will receive €250, €150 and €100.
Poets are invited to submit one entry of less than 400 words to bardofconnacht@gmail.com and all entries must be received by Monday, September 30th at 5 pm. A judging panel will then select the ten best entries, four of which will be winners. All entries must be original and there is no entry fee.
Composers of the ten best entries will be invited to attend an event in Creggs during the Harvest Festival and recite their poem and the five prize winners will be announced at that event and the prizes presented.
So it’s time to put pen to paper on the subject of ‘Loneliness’ and perhaps you will be selected as the Bard of Connacht 2024.
For further information please contact Larry Kilcommins, Secretary, Kilbegnet Ballinakill Historical Society on (086) 3468761 or email bardofconnacht@gmail.com
