Kilkenny County Council Arts Office Poetry Phone has a new selection of poems that were published in the Poetry Broadsheet 2023 selected by the editor Afric McGlinchey.
Just dial 1800 272 994 and pick a number between 0 and 9 to listen to one of twelve poems written by Kilkenny poets; Alice Bennett, Anne Mac Darby Beck, Breda Joyce, Canice Kenealy, Darren Francis Caffrey, Eamonn Donovan, Emily Murtagh, Mia King, Mike Watts, Noel Howley, Nuala Roche & Paddy Doyle.
The poems are beautifully recited by Kilkenny actors; Susie Lamb, Ger Cody and Amy Dunne.
Alice Bennett – ‘Meeting Maggie’
Alice Bennett’s poems have been featured in the Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet and various anthologies Her first collection was shortlisted for the Patrick Kavanagh 2023 award, she hopes to publish it soon. Her poems are rooted in her personal experiences, often exploring the child’s gaze on an adult world of political and domestic unrest. Her work takes the reader on a journey through the intimate details of deeply connected relationships.
Anne Mac Darby Beck – ‘Sunflowers’
Anne Mac Darby Beck grew up in rural Ireland and writes poetry and short stories. Her work has been published in various magazines, journals and anthologies in Ireland. Her work has also been published in British and American magazines such as Scintilla and Nourish anthology.
Breda Joyce – ‘Beauty I Didn’t Expect to Find in A Nursing Home’
Breda Joyce, originally from Galway, lives near Cahir, Co. Tipperary where she enjoys hiking and cycling the hills near her home. Her poetry has won and been shortlisted for awards and has appeared in The Irish Times, The Kilkenny Broadsheet, Poems from Pandemia, Crannóg, Skylight 47, The Honest Ulsterman, The Galway Review, Best of British and Irish Poets, The Waxed Lemon and others journals. Her work has also featured on RTE Sunday Miscellany. Her first collection Reshaping the Light was published by Chaffinch Press in 2021.
Darren Francis Caffrey – ‘Before My Sexuality Was Met as an issue’
Darren Francis Caffrey has studied fine art and obtained a masters in visual art practice. He has worked with numerous galleries, venues and events, both exhibiting and performing. As well as creative writing, he publishes critical responses to public exhibits, most recently in the Visual Artist Newsletter. This poem is his second piece to be selected for Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet.
Eamonn Donovan – ‘10 ways of looking at a Dead Dog Walking’
Eamonn Donovan lives in the South of Co. Kilkenny and am a retired Primary school Principal. Since his retirement he has started writing in a variety of genres: poems, short plays and stories. His interest was sparked by Literature classes given by Piltown based poet Mark Roper and Creative Writing classes delivered by Waterford poet Edward Denniston.
Emily Murtagh – ‘From a girl to a girl’
Emily Murtagh is from Kilkenny and lives in Dublin. Her poems have also been published in Psaltery and Lyre, The Round Tower Review and the CS Lewis themed curation of the Poetry Jukebox in Belfast
Mia King – ‘Máithrachas’
Mia King is a primary school teacher and co-owns local Kilkenny business The Cookie Co-op with her husband Brian. She holds an M.A. in Dance and is an accredited Forest Bathing Guide and Chakradance Facilitator. Mia’s writing preference tends to lean towards personal essays and articles. Her writing often delves in to areas such as Wellbeing, Mental Health and her own area of specialisation, Forest Bathing. Her work has been published by numerous online platforms including ‘A Lust for Life’, ‘WellFest’, ‘The Happiness Project’ and ‘Amygdala’. Mia has written poetry for personal enjoyment for many years. ‘Máithreachas’ is Mia’s first published piece of poetry, and is also her first piece of writing to be published as Gaeilge.
Mike Watts – ‘Life Cycles’ 
Mike Watts has been writing since 1980 and has been published in Salmon Writing in the West and several editions of the Kilkenny Broadsheet. He illustrates his own poetry and children’s books.
Noel Howley – ‘Spice’
Noel Howley originally from South Kilkenny now living in Waterford. In 2002 he was runner-up in the Cork Literary Review Manuscript Competition. He was shortlisted for the Listowel Writer’s Week Poetry Collection Competition and commended in the Patrick Kavanagh Manuscript competition in 2011. His poems have appeared in various literary journals and broadsheets including the Kilkenny Broadsheet, The Waterford Review, Cork Literary Review, Revival Literary Journal and The Waxed Lemon. In 2019 he won the Waterford Poetry Prize. In 2023 he read at the Cork International Poetry Festival as part of the Prebooked Introductions.
Nuala Roche – ‘Principles for designing a 10,000 year [Clock]’
Nuala Roche writes poetry, fiction and non-fiction. She recently placed 2nd in the Fish Short Memoir Competition with a creative essay ‘The Dead on Street View.’ Her poetry has won Dromineer Literature Festival Poetry Prize & Highly Commended in the Patrick Kavanagh Competition (2016). Bridie, a one-woman play, premiered at The Watergate Theatre in 2017. Nuala’s writing is published in Fish Anthology 2023, The Cormorant Anthology, Doghouse Press journal, Pendemic.ie and The Milk House, whose editor nominated ‘Lumber’ for the Pushcart Prize.
Paddy Doyle – ‘Big Pod Doyle’
Paddy Doyle was raised on a farm in North Kilkenny. His work has appeared in numerous literary magazines, including The Galway Review, Skylight 47, Revival Magazine and Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet. He was twice winner of the ‘From the Well’ Short Story Competition and runner-up in both the Leslie Boland Poetry Award and the Shahidah Janjua Poetry Award. He has performed at festivals all over Ireland, including the West Cork Literary Festival, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Kinsale Arts Festival and Cork International Short Story Festival. He has collaborated with dancers, film makers, rappers and musicians, and his play, The Cauldron of Poesy, enjoyed a ten show run in Cork in 2019. He lives in Kinsale and is working towards a first collection.
