Ballina student recognised at Poetry Aloud competition
Pictured at the National Library of Ireland receiving a Poetry Aloud certificate is Lucy Murphy with Director of the National Library of Ireland, Dr Audrey Whitty.
Lucy Murphy, from St Mary's Secondary School in Ballina, has been recognised as a finalist in this year’s Poetry Aloud competition. The competition challenges second-level students across the island of Ireland to recite a prescribed poem from memory.
Organised by the National Library of Ireland (NLI) and Poetry Ireland, in partnership with University College Cork, this year’s competition drew 358 entries from schools across the island. There were 29 finalists in this year’s competition from across 15 counties, from Antrim to Dublin and Mayo.
The competition has been putting poetry to the forefront of students’ minds since 2007. It has three categories: junior, intermediate, and senior. The prescribed poems for this year were by Geraldine Mitchell (junior category), by Nithy Kasa (intermediate category) and by Eavan Boland (senior category).
The late poet Seamus Heaney was a supporter of the Poetry Aloud competition, citing the extraordinary way in which it seeks to celebrate the joy of speaking and listening to poetry, as well valuing the North-South dimension to the all-island event.
Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, commented: "Poetry Aloud is a powerful celebration of spoken word, which brings young people from across the island of Ireland together to breathe fresh life into the work of Ireland’s greatest poets. The competition highlights the enduring power of poetry to move, inspire and unite.”
Liz Kelly, Director of Poetry Ireland, said: “The late Seamus Heaney loved Poetry Aloud, he always said that ‘…it brings poetry into the memory and affections of the young in a way that will make it a lifelong possession and value’. Poetry Ireland is thrilled to carry on the work of making poetry a lifelong possession for young people through Poetry Aloud 2024."
