We invited poets of all levels of experience to participate in one of the events of our Fingal Poetry Slams series 2024 and win a chance to perform at the Grand Slam event in this year’s Fingal Poetry Festival:

• Balbriggan 17 April 2024
• Malahide 22 May 2024
• Blanchardstown 19 June 2024
• Swords 10 July 2024

Balbriggan Wed 17 April 2024

The winner this evening for the First Poetry Slam Heat of the Fingal Poetry Festival 2024 was Kev Kennedy (Heavy Kevvy) with first runner-up Jessie Flood and Nicola Clare (runner-up).

Leon Dunne

A Dublin-based poet, Leon’s work focuses primarily on giving a voice to topics outside the mainstream conversation. Coming from a working-class background, and after studying English and Film at University College Dublin, he engages in language and rhythm with high energy to draw the listeners in.

As Leon puts it, “I write poems and stories for people that may feel left behind by the mainstream culture”. In November 2022 the artist won The All-Ireland Poetry Slam Championship held in Cork and in March 2023 he performed at Trafalgar Square, in front of 15,000 people, as part of London’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival.

In November 2023, the artist co-founded Rising Tide- an events company working in partnership with UNESCO- to provide performance spaces that celebrate both Irish and international culture. In January 2024, the artist competed in Belgium at the European Poetry Slam where he placed as a finalist and shall now be heading to the World Poetry Slam held in Togo, Africa.

Zdena

Zdena is a performing artist living in Balbriggan and a member of the Scéal Arts Collective.

Her musical chants are joyous and meditative transporting you to a peaceful magical side of life.

Malahide Wed 22 May 2024

Congratulations to the winner, Mel White, who is now through to the Grand Slam at our Fingal Poetry Festival in Skerries in September!

Our thanks to Sheila Ryder for hosting another amazing Slam event…. The talent was incredible and the judges had some job selecting the winner and runners-up.

Next slam: Blanchardstown Slam June 19!

Gerard Devine

Gerard Devine is an award-winning Irish poet who lives a life less ordinary.

The former carpenter is a full-time firefighter in Dublin City.

Prior to joining the fire brigade, Gerard spent many years working on the building sites of Dublin, Boston and San Francisco. He still plies his building skills by volunteering to work in third-world countries such as Africa. An animal and nature lover Gerard recently moved up into the inspiring Wicklow mountains where he lives in harmony with nature with wife Stephanie and their rescue dog Saoirse.

While his favourite poet is the wonderful WB Yeats much of Gerard’s poetry is inspired by Irish ballads and singers like Shane McGowan and Christy Moore.

Gerard was recently invited back to his old school O Connell’s where ex-pupils include Thomas Kinsella, James Joyce, and Luke Kelly.

Hannah McGinn

Hannah McGinn is a indie folk artist known for her charming melodies and personal lyrics.

She weaves stories from her life, love and self discovery.

She takes influence from Adrianne Lenker and Elliot Smith.

Hannah has played features in Smithfield Creatives, Circle sessions and Dublins Finest.

Photo credit: @pizzaegg

Blanchardstown Library 19 June 2024

Thank you to everyone who came out for our Blanchardstown Poetry Slam, hosted by Sheila Ryder with music from Luke Clerkin in between readings from featured poet Shiv Hickey and our slam contestants.

It’s always exciting to see so many first-time performers take to the stage 💛

We’re thrilled to announce that Mark Philbin took 🥇place, with Mikey Cullen and Niamh Geran in 2nd & 3rd place ✨

And here are the winners:

Mark Philbin (middle) 1st; Mikey Cullen (left) 2nd; and Niamh Geran (right) 3rd place ✨

Shiv Hickey

Siobhán ‘Shiv’ Hickey is a Dublin-based poet, director, actor, and Artistic Director of After Midnight Theatre.

Shiv has published two collections of poetry ‘After Midnight’ (2020) and ‘Scribbles From An Anxious Mind’ (2022). She has become a regular on Dublin stages, following performances at Kaleidoscope Festival and Electric Picnic.

In January 2023, Shiv performed at L’Hirondelle as the featured poet at Spoken Word Paris and in October 2023, Shiv was commissioned to create an hour length spoken word show, TABOO, to close out the SEX Pan!cs Conference with DCU.

Luke Clerkin

Known for his euphoric live performances, deep and infectious music, and his extraordinary work ethic, Luke Clerkin is an artist to be reckoned with. With a career that has seen him famously play over 250 gigs in 2015, gain international recognition through multiple tours, festival appearances and chart topping singles, Luke is showing no signs of giving up. Over the course of his career he has appeared at such festivals as Electric Picnic, Body & Soul, Stendhal and Edinburgh Free Fringe, and he has headlined venues all over Ireland including Whelan’s, The Workman’s Club, The Cobblestone, Hole in the Wall Kilkenny, and John Lee’s in Tullamore. Luke has also toured Germany on multiple occasions and he has also toured Ireland with The Circle Sessions and Cycle Against Suicide.

Throughout his career, Luke has been invited to play for government officials in both Leinster House (Irish Government Buildings ) and The Mansion House (Dublin City Council Buildings). His song ‘Home’ was used in Dublin’s bid for the 2020 Capital of Culture. Luke was the inaugural North Clondalkin Library Musician in Residence where he recorded and released his ‘Live From The Library’ EP in 2023. This was followed up by sold out shows across Ireland and the UK, including one in London’s Camden Chapel. Luke also played slots at major summer festivals such as Electric Picnic, All Together Now and The Works Festival. After an incredible show in The Workman’s Cellar in March, 2024 is set to be an even more incredible year with the release of his debut album, ‘Orpheus’ due to happen in October.

Carnegie Free Library Swords Wed 10 July

The last Fingal Poetry Slam before the festival was one of the best!

Here is what one of the attendees said:

What an absolutely amazing slam to finish off the season 👏🏻
Such raw talent and phenomenal subject content

And another:

Ah what a special experience… so inspiring and lots of original voices… 🙌🙌🙌 💫💫

And here are the winners: Adele Leahy (winner), Vaima Kario (first runner-up), Rachel Lee (second runner-up). Congratulations!

The Poet Geoff

We were delighted to welcome The Poet Geoff as this night’s featured poet.

Geoff Finan was the Writer in Residence for Dublin City Council for the Dublin North West area in the summer of 2018 and again in 2019. He was one of the coordinators for Poetry Town in Dublin 1 in 2021 and is currently lecturing in poetry in the National College of Art and Design.

In 2019 he had the honour of writing the 100 year commemorative poem celebrating the first Dáil in Ireland, titled ‘January 1919’ which has recently been archived by The National Library of Ireland. 

Geoff was commissioned as part of the First Fortnight Festival to write the poem ‘Gloke’ after working with The Travelling Community for 4 months. Geoff has also been commissioned by the DCC’s Culture Connects project to write for the Local Heroes initiative and his poem A Letter To Leo was chosen as the flagship piece for the My Name Is campaign, fighting against child homelessness in Ireland.

Geoff has written and performed a poem for the documentary Baristas, which has gone to number 1 in 8 countries, top 10 in the US and top 5 in Canada and the UK, in the documentary charts and is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

He was also recently shortlisted for writing and performing in the short film ‘Taboo’ and debuted his first play, Wakespace, with The Can Collective called during the Scene & Heard Theatre Festival in 2022.

Geoff been featured on RTÉ, TV3, Today Fm, 98 FM, FM104 and Newstalk and in The Sunday Business Post, The Times, The Irish Times and The New York Times

Ange Boxall

Ange is the musician of the night.

Ange’s latest album, Skipping Stone, released September 2023, debuted on the ARIA Country Charts at #1 and #7 for Australian Albums across all genres. It also came in at #1 on the AIR Charts for Australian Independent Record.

Skipping Stone was produced in collaboration with multi-ARIA Award-winning Producer, Paul McKercher, guitar virtuoso, Pete Cornelius, and Ange Boxall.

Ange has performed, written, recorded, and released albums throughout the USA, UK, Europe, and Australia. For over a decade she was based between London and Nashville.

She has performed with and supported artists such as Ron Sexsmith, JD. Souther, Tim Freedman, Damien Leith, and Icehouse.

Ange has performed at the World Cricket ‘Ashes,’ Nashville, and Electric Picnic Ireland, to name just a few.