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The Poetry Programme

OliviaO'Leary Image Name: OliviaO'Leary

On Saturday 18th November (at the later time of 8 pm) Olivia O’Leary speaks with Aifric Mac Aodha and Declan Collinge about writing poetry in Irish.

Is it a political decision to decide to write in Irish? Both poets give their views and speak about their love of the Irish language. Each reads a selection of poems in Irish – ranging across a wide range of topics, from seduction stories to the refugee crisis – and we also hear English translations of all the poems read.

Declan Collinge is a bilingual poet with collections published in both Irish and English. He is also the author of over 20 Irish language textbooks. Declan’s new collection of poetry Athchuairt ar an Éigse (The Muse Revisited) is published by Coiscéim.

Aifric Mac Aodha’s new collection, Foreign News, is her first collection with Gallery Press, although some of the poems previously appeared in Gabháil Syrinx (An Sagart, 2010). This new bilingual collection has Aifric’s poems in the original Irish and translations in English by David Wheatley.

Aifric Mac Aodha’s translator, David Wheatley, is also a fine poet in his own right and he reads two of his own poems from his new collection The President of Planet Earth (Carcanet).

LISTEN FOR: The programme ends with news of the recording of the 2017 Christmas Poetry Programme.

The Poetry Programme is a Rockfinch production for RTÉ. Series Producer: Claire Cunningham. Executive Producer for RTÉ: Clíodhna Ní Anluain.