Poetry Now, International Poetry Festival
Thursday 29 th March to Sunday 1 st April 2007 - Dún Laoghaire

An Cathaoirleach, Councillor Eugene Regan recently launched the 12 th Poetry Now Festival which takes place in The Pavilion, Dún Laoghaire over the weekend of Thursday 29 th March to Sunday 1 st April. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has produced the Poetry Now Festival since its inception in 1995. Now established as one of the world's leading poetry festivals, this year features major international poets, many of them reading in Ireland for the first time, alongside leading Irish poets. This international gathering will offer a feast of poetry, readings, workshops and the announcement of the winner of The Irish Times Award and The Strong Award together with a keynote address by Alice Quinn on Elizabeth Bishop who is one of the best loved poets of the last century.

There will be a rare reading by Irish poet Derek Mahon, (winner of the 2006 Irish Times Poetry Now Award), as well as first Irish readings for the former US poet laureate Robert Hass and the renowned French translator of Irish poetry Claire Malroux. They will be joined by Bei Dao, Jean Valentine, Helen Dunmore, Christopher Reid, Sean O'Brien, Jane Hirshfield and celebrated Irish poets including Michael Longley, Peter Fallon, Rita Ann Higgins, Biddy Jenkinson, Paddy Bushe and many others.

The festival will also host writing and, for the first time, poetry reading workshops, as well as a children's reading. It will also celebrate Louis MacNeice's centenary with a free gala reading of his work. A nightly festival club will take place at the Kingston Hotel.

Speaking at the announcement of The Irish Times Poetry Now Award shortlist, programme director John McAuliffe says: ‘The Festival and its associated prizes are now central to the Irish literary calendar.  The wide range of poets and the social and convivial context for the Festival readings means that the Festival draws large crowds to Dún Laoghaire every March. In particular The Irish Times prize focuses attention on the thriving good health of Irish poetry as well as engaging audiences in new conversations about writing and poetry.' He also commented on the strength of The Irish Times Poetry Now shortlist which consists of three of the best-known Northern Irish poets, including Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, as well as two poets from the younger generation of Irish poets, Caitriona O'Reilly and David Wheatley. Two of the books are published by Faber, one by Bloodaxe and the two Irish published books are from The Gallery Press:

Seamus Heaney , District and Circle (Faber)
Medbh McGuckian, The Currach Requires No Harbours (Gallery)
Paul Muldoon, Horse Latitudes (Faber)
Caitriona O'Reilly, The Sea Cabinet (Bloodaxe)
David Wheatley, Mocker (Gallery)

The Strong Reading features readings by the poets selected for The Rupert and Eithne Strong Award 2007 as well as the presentation of The Strong Award by this year's judge, Paddy Bushe, to Matt Kirkham for The Lost Museums (Lagan Press). This award recognises first collections published in English or Irish by Irish presses or by Irish writers in 2006. Maria McManus Reading the Dog (Lagan Press) and Dairena Ní Chinnéide An Trodai/The Warrior (Clólar-Chonnachta) were also short-listed for this award.

Sharon Murphy , Arts Officer, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council adds ‘we are delighted to continue to support and nurture the Poetry Now Festival. Now in its twelfth year, it continues to offer a forum for poets of international and national importance to present – and often premiere- their work to our audiences in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and beyond. This ambitious and far-reaching Festival is achieved through significant partnerships with cultural organisations including The Arts Council, The Irish Times and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire'.

Poetry Now is produced by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Arts Office and grant aided by Dun Laogahire Rathdown County Council and the Arts Council.

For further details and bookings contact Poetry Now , ArtScope, 7 Elm Close, Griffeen Valley, Lucan, Co. Dublin; Tel - 00 353 1 505 9582 e - poetry@artscope.ie w - www.dlrcoco.ie/arts/festival.html
PR – Sandra Ellis, 086-1959858

Country House Concerts 2007

Now in its 3rd year, Country House Concerts continues it’s popular series of classical and jazz recitals in country houses and welcomes some of Ireland’s most talented musicians to the elegant surroundings of Cabinteely and Marlay Houses. This is another opportunity to visit the houses, enjoy the beautiful gardens that surround them and enjoy the magnificently restored drawing rooms where the recitals take place.

Tickets for all concerts €15/12 from Pavilion Theatre box office / 01- 2312929 - Limited seating available

For further information on the concerts or to request a brochure, please contact the Arts Office Administrator on 01-2719531 or email arts@dlrcoco.ie

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<Press Release> 27/11/06
Judges for Irish Times Poetry Now Award 2007 announced

Poetry Now - International Poetry Festival
Thursday 29 th March to Sunday 1 st April 2007 - Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in association with The Irish Times announces The Irish Times Poetry Now Award 2007 judging panel.

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and The Irish Times are delighted to announce the Judges for Irish Times Poetry Now '07 Award.  The judges are: Eileen Battersby , Niall MacMonagle and Maurice Riordan . This award, the only one of its kind, is generously sponsored by The Irish Times in association with the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Poetry Now Festival. It recognises the best collection of poems published by an Irish poet in 2006 and has previously been awarded to Derek Mahon and Dorothy Molloy.

The judges will announce the award shortlist in February 2007 and will announce the winning collection on March 31 st at the 2007 Poetry Now Festival in Dún Laoghaire.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has produced the Poetry Now Festival since its inception in 1995. Now established as one of the world's leading poetry festivals, the Festival features major international poets, many of them reading in Ireland for the first time, alongside leading Irish poets.

Programme director John McAuliffe says: ‘The Festival and its associated prizes are now central to the Irish literary calendar.  The wide range of poets and the social and convivial context for the Festival readings means that the Festival draws large crowds to Dún Laoghaire every March. In particular The Irish Times prize focuses attention on the thriving good health of Irish poetry as well as engaging audiences in new conversations about writing and poetry.'

Sharon Murphy , Arts Officer, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council adds ‘we are delighted to continue to support and nurture the Poetry Now Festival. Now in its twelfth year, it continues to offer a forum for poets of international and national importance to present – and often premiere- their work to our audiences in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and beyond. This ambitious and far-reaching Festival is achieved through significant partnerships with cultural organisations including The Arts Council, The Irish Times and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire'.

For further details about the award, contact Poetry Now , ArtScope, 7 Elm Close, Griffeen Valley, Lucan, Co. Dublin; Tel - 00 353 1 505 9582 email - poetry@artscope.ie

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<PressRelease> 27/11/06
Judge for the Rupert and Eithne Strong Poetry Now Award 2007

Poetry Now International Poetry Festival
Thursday 29 th March to Sunday 1 st April 2007 - Dún Laoghaire

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is delighted to announce the judge for the Rupert and Eithne Strong Poetry Now Award 2007 as Paddy Bushe.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has produced the Poetry Now Festival since its inception in 1995. Now established as one of the world's leading poetry festivals, the Festival features major international poets, many of them reading in Ireland for the first time, alongside leading Irish poets.

Sharon Murphy , Arts Officer, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council says “we are delighted to continue our association with the Strong Award. This award is made possible by the generous support of the Strong family in memory of the lives and work of Rupert and Eithne Strong. It is intended that this award will encourage the emergence of new talent.”

The award will recognise the promise and achievement of both English and Irish language poets. First collections published in English or Irish by Irish presses or by Irish writers in the calendar year 2006 are eligible, and the winner will be announced at the Strong Reading which will take place at the Poetry Now festival, on Sunday April 1 2007.

Judge Biography
Paddy Bushe was born in Dublin in 1948 and now lives in Waterville, Co. Kerry. He has published seven collections of poetry, the latest of which are Gile na Gile (Coiscéim) and The Nitpicking of Cranes (Dedalus). He has also published three books of translations. He has twice been awarded an Arts Council bursary, and has won the Strokestown International Prize, the Listowel Writers' Week Poetry Prize, Duais an Oireachtais and, most recently, the Michael Hartnett Award.

Rugadh Paddy Bushe i mBaile Átha Cliath sa bhliain 1948, agus tá cónaí air anois in Uíbh Ráthach i gCiarraí. Tá seacht leabhar filíochta foilsithe aige, arb iad Gile na Gile (Coiscéim) agus The Nitpicking of Cranes (Dedalus) na cinn is déanaí. Tá trí leabhar aistriúchán foilsithe aige freisin. Bronnadh sparántas ón gComhairle Ealíon air faoi dhó, agus ghnóthaigh sé Duais Idirnáisiúnta Bhéal Átha na mBuillí, Duais an Oireachtais agus, le déanaí, Duais Michael Hartnett.

Eligibility and Entries
First collections published in English or Irish in the calendar year 2006 will be eligible. Translations are not eligible. Self-published collections, or editions of deceased poets, will not be accepted. Each press (but not individual poets) will submit two copies of each title eligible for the award, in book, proof or galley form (which will not be returned) before December 1st 2006. That is, two copies of each entry must be submitted by the press , before December 1 st 2006 to Poetry Now, ArtScope, 7 Elm Close, Griffeen Valley, Lucan, Co. Dublin. No entries will be accepted if they are postmarked after that date. The decision of the judge will be final.

For further details about the award, contact Poetry Now , ArtScope, 7 Elm Close, Griffeen Valley, Lucan, Co. Dublin; Tel - 00 353 1 505 9582 email - poetry@artscope.ie

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Bentley Villas Per Cent Scheme

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is delighted to announce that a new work by sculptor Sandra Bell has recently been installed at Bentley Villas, a residential unit for crisis homelessness at the junction of Clarence Street & Georges Place in Dún Laoghaire.

This new residential unit will provide thirteen apartments and ancillary accommodation for the homeless and will be operated by Crosscare. The ground floor will accommodate a Day Care Centre with small lounge and dining area and rooms for rough sleeping. The site is on a prominent corner in central Dún Laoghaire and consists of a five-storey structure finished in a mixture of white rendered walls and pre-patinated copper cladding. The building was designed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Senior Architect, Eugene Gribbon.

Sandra Bell was awarded the commission through an open submission competition selection process. She has created a striking life-sized figure ‘The Gift' in cast bronze, with green pattination and highlighted polished areas. It depicts a curved abstract figure holding a bowl, which incorporates a water feature. According to the artist “the work was created with Maggie Maloney, the owner of the original site where the building stands, as the inspiration. Maggie, who was a fishmonger all her life, bequeathed her house to the County Council. The sculptural figure is adorned with fish scales and waves and the bowl is overflowing with water, representing the bounty this state of the art building offers its new tenants.”

Sandra was educated in Newry, Dundalk and at Glengara Park, Co. Dublin. She is a self-taught sculptor using the "Lost Wax Method" for bronze casting. There are many different influences in her sculpture - Celtic, Classical, African and yet all her pieces have a uniqueness. Her work is based on the human form, abstracting it to eliminate detail so that only the essential essence of the figure remains. Sandra has exhibited widely in Ireland and abroad and her work is included in numerous public and private collections.

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€100,000 Roads Public Art Commission awarded to Mark Joyce

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is delighted to announce that a major public art commission has been awarded to artist Mark Joyce. The project is funded through the Per Cent for Art scheme related to two capital construction budgets - the Southern Cross and the South Eastern Motorway funded by the National Roads Authority. The two schemes were pooled by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council.

This commission is one of the first works in a round of public art commissions which will be rolled out from 2007-2010 in tandem with the new Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Strategy for the Arts, to be published by the Arts Office.

The artwork, entitled ‘The Wave', was selected by way of an open submission 2-stage competition advertised widely, both in Ireland and abroad, which attracted a large number of entries.

‘The Wave' will be sited near the Sandyford interchange on the M50. The work will consist of 250 coloured aluminium columns which will emerge from the flat granite of the site and create a wave of energy, with colours running from leaf green to violet on the visible spectrum. Seen from a moving car, the cluster of coloured lines will shift as the viewer moves.

Mark Joyce was born in Dublin in 1966 and studied at the National College of Art in Dublin and at the Royal College of Art, London. He has had several solo exhibitions, including regular ones at the Green on Red Gallery, Dublin and his work has been included in group exhibitions both in Ireland and abroad. Mark has been the recipient of a number of awards, including ones from the Arts Council and the British Council and is currently the Course Co-ordinator for the BA in Fine Art at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire.

The artwork will make a bold statement on the motorway, located at the interchange at the Sandyford Industrial Estate and will create a notable art work that will serve as a welcome landmark for the Sandyford area. The estimated completion date is late Summer / Autumn 2007.

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