She used a blue biro pen and had numbered the pages on small, plain, lined notepaper…I was pleased to see, sometimes, the smudged ring of a teacup or saucer imprinted on the page. I ould see her in the kichen getting a cup of tea as she wrote to me on a Sunday night. Continue reading
Childhood memories, family, grief, the beauty of nature, climate change and war are my main themes. I write to make sense of life and to shape my memories and feelings. I have a lyrical style of writing. Continue reading
Language has always been of interest to Colin Ryan as a way of shaping and expressing the world, and he began writing quite early. Continue reading
Mise Aisling By Anne Casey After Eavan Boland’s ‘Mise Éire’ I lost my tonguelong ago in exile,refound it in a ghost childcalling for her mother. Elizabeth O’Brien casting offto the deep: Bíonn súil le muirach ní bhíonn súil le tír(hope in the sea,no hope in the land)as she clutchesher grizzling Eliza,slipping away. I am the … Continue reading
Her work is known for its lyrical style and strong ties to the Irish language and culture. She addresses emotional and controversial issues, including clerical abuse in the Catholic Church and the trauma felt by the Irish people. The imagery she creates evokes a profound sense of grief and historical pain. Continue reading
Another drink, said the Pooka, with the bark of a foreign tree entangled in his horns, an exile in the southern region of the mind, burnt by a strange sun, leaping between skyscrapers, dancing in a pub, drinking bitterness. Continue reading
Bilingual poems afford us the opportunity to appreciate both languages. What is most appreciated is the effort taken by these poets to make the English translations poems in their own right. This means that even if you do not read Irish, you can appreciate the themes, thoughts and imagery in this collection. Continue reading
by Michael Boyle The Woman Who Live Beside Ballymacpeake Mass Rock There are no half measureswith her. Even in gettinga cupán tae in yer hand.But the full spreadof fancy sandwichesand sweet cake at the table.Oh herself and the girlswill never pour ye outan ordinary a wee Black Bush.You’ll get a fill of the glassand then … Continue reading
This poem was published in English as ‘Twin Room” in Tinteán on the 7 May, 2019 (see https://tintean.org.au/2019/05/07/twin-room-by-david-harris/). Here is a version as Gaeilge. Continue reading
The stars are fading,
To the east a match is struck
Heralding the dawn. Continue reading
Tinteán 