A Selection Of Irish Writing

Presented by Margaret O’Driscoll


‘Nature enriched my senses
Spiders webs with shiny dew
The fragrance of the whitethorn
The pheasant’s call as it flew’
(extract from my poem, ‘Country Childhood’)

Greetings from Ireland! I am honoured to be asked by Setu Editor Sunil Sharma, to curate a selection of work by Irish writers, some are buds bursting forth, some already in  full bloom, poetry and prose, all bringing a breathtaking display of intrinsic Irish beauty  to be admired and celebrated across the globe. Feast your soul on the wonderful work of Roibeard Shanahan, Hazel Durham, Arthur Broomfield,  Hugh McFadden, Patrick Joseph Dorrien and  P├│l O'Colmain.


Margaret O’Driscoll


A Selection Of Irish Writing

[Click on the title to read poetry]
... and here are the poets



Roilbeard Shanahan

Bio: 

Roilbeard Shanahan

I am of Irish descent, family from Bantry, West Cork
I am a painter, a poet and a playwright
For me life is compassion and expression
I reside in Tasmania in a little seaside village
I was awarded high commendation in the WB Yeats poetry prize Australia





Hazel Durham

Bio: Hazel Durham

Hazel Durham was born in Artane in Dublin city in 1958. Her parents were a huge influence
throughout her life. They opened the door to nature and the beauty of Ireland to her and her brother Richard from a young age. With wonderful memories of caravan holidays all around
the country. Hazel left school at fourteen years of age and worked in riding stables and racing stables. She had found a great passion in her love for horses, also from an early age her love of books. She always wrote her thoughts down on paper as it was a release of her inner emotions. Hazel is a very proud and loving mother to her daughter Rebecca and grandmother to her granddaughter Caylin. 
Hazel now lives in lovely Carlow in Graiguecullen. She started writing poems in 2010 her inspiration comes from her Partner, her family and the beautiful countryside all around.    



Arthur Broomfield

Dr Arthur Broomfield is a poet, novelist, short story writer and Beckett scholar from County Laois, Ireland. His published works include When the Dust Settles  (International University Press 1993),  Language and Philosophy in the works of Samuel Beckett (Cambridge Scholars' Publishing 2014) Mice at the Threshing (Lapwing 2015) and Cold Coffee at Emo Court (Revival Press 2016)





Hugh McFadden

Hugh McFadden is a poet, critic, and literary editor. His poems have been published widely in literary magazines. He is the author of four collections of poetry, the most recent being Empire of Shadows, published by Salmon Poetry in September 2012. A Selected Poems, Elegies and Epiphanies was published by Lagan Press in 2005.

He is the executor of the literary estate of the writer John Jordan, and edited his collected poems, collected short stories, Selected Prose: Crystal Clear, as well as John Jordan: Selected Poems (Dedalus Press, Dublin, 2008). He worked as a journalist with The Irish Press newspaper group; and lectured in journalism at the Dublin Institute of Technology.  He has reviewed for many papers & journals, including Books Ireland.  He lives in Dublin.



Patrick Joseph Dorrien


Bio: 

Patrick Joseph Dorrien


I am a 66 year old man, married with 3 adult offspring. I am a retired teacher, ex union activist. I currently live in Belfast, under Napoleons Nose, better known as Cavehill. I have lived here for nearly 30 years.







Paul ├У Colm├бin

Paul ├У Colm├бin lives and works in West Cork,Ireland. He was a winner of the inaugural Poet’s Podium, 1995 run by Samhla├нocht Chiarra├н and is a regular contributor of poems in both Irish and English to journals and anthologies both in Ireland and abroad. He was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series 2017.

He is a musician, songwriter and visual artist and runs Working Artist Studios in Skibbereen, which presents exhibitions, poetry evenings, an annual Poetry Marathon and other art events.