Best wishes for 2021

Painting by John Philip Murray and my response in poetic form.

Live Encounters Volume 1 Dec 2020

I am so delighted that Mark Ulyseas has asked me to participate in his journal Live Encounters December 2020.  A selection of my poems appeared in this journal in 2017 and 2018 and it is always a privilege to be published in the midst of so many other contemporary poetic voices and to have our poems matched with beautiful and appropriate photographs by Mark Ulyseas.

Volume 1 with editorial by Terry McDonagh

and Volume 2 with editorial by Mary O'Donnell 

'Listen' on The Poetry Archive

 

The Poetry Archive Now! WordView 2020 - on YouTube

'Let us go then, you and I' published on HeadStuff

I am delighted to have my poem 'Let us go then,you and I' published on HeadStuff.  Current Poetry Editor at HeadStuff is Laura Caffrey.

It is five years since HeadStuff accepted the first poem of mine for publication and for that I am extremely grateful.  The Poetry Editor at that time was Alvy Carragher.

'The Last Walk' is published by Abegail Morley in 'The Poetry Shed'

One comes to realise that nothing really matters, and yet what joy to see the Common Blue butterfly, to taste our first blackberry of the season, and experience all the seemingly simple moments of life.  Another joy for those of us who work alone or live alone is knowing there is someone out there listening and connecting with us or our work.

Thanks to Abegail Morley for publishing my poem 'The Last Walk' in The Poetry Shed.

This poem was first published as an audio recording on the Poetry Jukebox, Curation 4: FIRED; Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast and University College Dublin - 2018 – 2019; Editor: Maria McManus. 

An audio recording is available on tadhgmcsweeney.ie/media/

29th August 2020 is the 2nd anniversary of Tadhg's death. 

Letters with Wings Poetry Reading 26th June 2020

Friday 26th June 2020, Letters with Wings Poetry Reading marked United Nations International Day in support of Victims of Torture. I was privileged to read for those silenced in their quest for human rights.

This #poetry reading was a follow-on to the #PoetryDayIrl call by Letters with wings for poetic letters/poems to be written to artists and others who are in prison for their art or for asking for what we take for granted e.g. freedom to drive. They have received over 100 letters/poems that they wish to send to those in prison or, in the case of those deceased, to their families.

Other poets reading on Friday 26th June included: Celia de Fréine, Catherine Dunne, Lia Mills, Moyra Donaldson, Deirdre Cartmill, Denis Stokes. The reading started at 5pm on the Letters with Wings Facebook page and was followed by an OpenMic.


Thanks to all the members of Letters with Wings: Nandi Jola, Viviana Fiorentino, Maria McManus & Csilla Toldy.

August 2020 - interview in the The Monthly by Shelley Tracey with Viviana Fiorentino concerning Letters with Wings.

Letters with Wings Poetry Reading