Cruinniú na nÓg is Ireland’s national day of free creativity for children and young people but of course this year things are different and events are taking place online.
One of the projects happening in the county is Present Day Poetry – Kerry. This will be a digital e-book, containing the poems of children and young people in Kerry.
“I am delighted to be working again with the young writers of Kerry,” says Máire Holmes. “It’s different this time, with the need for social distancing to keep safe. But words are always able to reach out across time and space. I have no doubt that our digital e-book will do the same.”
The themes of Cruinniú na nÓg are Making: Doing: Creating. Máire has taken these themes and teased them out into prompts to get young writers started:
MAKING – Poems on anything at all that you like to make, or something another person makes for you.
DOING – Poems about things you like to do…or things you want to do.
CREATING – Poems that imagine all the things you will do with your friends when we are together again!
“The last few months have been a lot for young people to process and understand,” says Máire. “I’m sure they have a lot of thoughts and impressions they would like to get down on paper. Perhaps there are people and things they miss, or perhaps this time has allowed them to reflect and notice things that might otherwise have gone unseen.”
Máire will edit the poems and the e-book will go live on its own WordPress site on June 13th.
“I welcome all poems – long and short, in Irish or English, and if the young people want to write on topics outside the prompts I have given, that is fine too. I am here to help them express themselves.”
Máire has many years’ experience in writing, editing and working with writer of all ages. She has previously been a very popular Writer in Residence with Kerry County Council, co-funded by the Arts Council.
Email your poems to arts@kerrycoco.ie by June 8th. More details on all events at cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie/events/ . Cruinniú na nÓg is a Creative Ireland initative, supported by Kerry County Council.