Solas ag Éirí Gearr

Introduction for Solas ag Éirí Gearr Solas ag Éirí Gearr begins at that point in the year when the light changes before we quite notice the season has turned. The days begin to draw in; the first chill touches the skin; evening arrives a little earlier, and the warmth of the day becomes something we … Continue reading Solas ag Éirí Gearr

An Irish country laneway (boreen) at the very first turn of autumn, where summer is just departing. Narrow winding lane disappearing into the distance, flanked by ancient hedgerows and stone walls. The leaves are mostly still green but with the first hints of gold, amber and russet creeping in at the edges. Soft, golden late-summer light filtering through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the lane. A gentle mist in the distance. Wildflowers fading at the verges. The mood is quiet, nostalgic, bittersweet — the last warmth of summer lingering. Painterly, atmospheric, deeply Irish.

Bóithrín Turn

Introduction For Bóithrín Turn There is a quiet, unspoken wisdom in the land itself — and nowhere more so than along an old bóithrín. That narrow, winding country lane that has seen every season come and go. It does not need to tell you the world is turning; it knows before you do. This poem … Continue reading Bóithrín Turn

An old Irish boreen, narrow winding country road pathway, lush high grass on the verges, medium-high traditional hedgerows on both sides, opening onto rolling green fields and countryside beyond, soft natural light, atmospheric and timeless, rural Ireland landscape photography style

What They Left Behind

Introduction To What They Left Behind Some poems begin with an image, others with a question. Some grow out of memory, and others rise from the land itself—from those quiet places where nothing is lost, only intentionally left behind. This Poem began with a challenge: to find one small, ordinary thing on an old boreen … Continue reading What They Left Behind

Stone Shed with wooden door and lit lantern during rainfall in forest

The Last Lantern

Introduction to The Last Lantern There are places that hold time like Dust — quiet corners, stone sheds tucked at field edges, where the world slows and softens, and the past lingers, not as a shout, but a hush. This poem walks gently into one such place; an old shed, weathered by rain and years, … Continue reading The Last Lantern

A horse standing by a stone wall next to a country road at sunset.

Keeper of Rún

Introduction to Keeper of Rún Walk an old country road in Ireland, and you will meet them: gates patched and pieced together with twisted wire, rough timber and rusted iron – mended not for show, but because they matter. They have stood through storm and sunshine, leaned on by cattle, climbed by children, held open … Continue reading Keeper of Rún

From High Hearth to Harbour

On a sunny Sunday, I climbed 200 meters of sharp, uneven rock-steps – far steeper than they first look – up above Gougane Barra, under the Sheehy Mountains. What people call “the source of the Lee” sits easy to reach, fenceed in beside the road.. But the river keeps its true beginning higher still; on … Continue reading From High Hearth to Harbour

Where the Old Head Remembers

When I set out to write this, I found myself asking what shape the words should take. Should I tie it to a strict steady rhyme like AABB, neat and regular? But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that kind of fixed structure wouldn’t quite fit what I wanted to say. … Continue reading Where the Old Head Remembers

Forest trail surrounded by green trees and blooming bluebell flowers in misty conditions

Steps to the Spring

There are times when I complete a poem and think, "what do I say about this for readers could go on this journey?". But on this occasion, there was only one word I could say.. Nothing!! This is the 4th in the series of poems that carried me on a journey of self discovery as … Continue reading Steps to the Spring

Man leaving rustic stone cottage onto garden pathway during twilight

My Poetry Journey: From Boundaries to Freedom

Learning to Undress My Words Growing up in and around the town of Charleville in North County Cork was always enjoyable, yet for me it also brought a number of challenges to overcome. I grew up with a speech impediment (a stammer or stutter), which caused more than a few difficulties throughout childhood. At times … Continue reading My Poetry Journey: From Boundaries to Freedom

Open door of a stone cottage at dusk with warm interior lights and flowers outside

Between The Lights

In considering methods and what it would take for me to put today's Poem together. In itself eventually took me on a journey of its own that will reveal to be what is a departure from my usual style of writing. This is because some tales within a poem dictates its own style. Therefore for … Continue reading Between The Lights