Fingal Poetry Grand Slam 2023

Location: Little Theatre, Old Schoolhouse, Skerries Community Centre, Thoa
Date and Time: Fri 15 September 2023,
Languages: Bilingual: Irish / English. Irish Sign Language-interpreted event.
Tickets (on Eventbrite or on the day): €10 / €8 low income / unwaged (+ Eventbrite fees)

Secure your tickets now on Eventbrite (booking fees apply except for free events),
or come early – there will be some tickets available on the day.
Online booking ends 24 hours before the event starts.
💥 Go to our full programme here💥

Hugely popular night with performance poets competing for the title of Festival Slam Champion

Featuring performances from host Sheila Ryder, our guest poet Stephen James Smith and musician RVE @luna.rae.beams

Location: Little Theatre, Old Schoolhouse, Skerries Community Centre

Sheila Ryder

Sheila Ryder is a poet and dramatist from Dublin.

She has written for stage and screen but over the last 4 years has become known for her poetry and spoken word.

She was a winner at the Cuirt International festival in 2018 and an All Ireland Poetry Slam finalist in 2019.

Sheila is a regular on The Word stage at Electric Picnic and has been a featured poet at the Fingal Poetry Festival for the past three years.

Her poems are honest and raw and performed with humour and often a splattering of song.

Stephen James Smith

Stephen James Smith: an Irish poet born in Dublin.

They are also a dyslexic writer, performer, playwright, and educator.

Their short poetry films have been seen by millions, leading them to perform alongside Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Patti Smith, Bono (U2), Imelda May, and Glen Hansard, to name a few.

As a touring artist, they are a veteran of the stage, having performed close to 1,000 gigs worldwide over the past 20 years from Ballydehob to Bangkok, perhaps most notably at Glastonbury, the Nuyorican Poetry Café (New York), the Centre Culturel Irlandais (Paris), and the Palladium (London).

As a recording artist, Stephen’s work has been critically acclaimed nationally and internationally, and led them to be called “Dublin’s unofficial poet laureate”.

Their work has been published extensively, translated into eight languages and received numerous awards and nominations.

Stephen contributes regularly on Irish TV and radio cultural programmes.

Music: RVE

Welcoming RVE again after her super performance at the Blanchardstown slam in the run-up to this festival. RVE is a singer songwriter hailing from Galway. Inspired by a personal heartbreak, RVE embarked on a journey of self-expression and discovery through music. After relocating to Dublin, RVE’s captivating performances started gaining attention in the city’s vibrant music scene.

Drawing inspiration from the depths of nature, the complexities of love, and allure of things obscure and mundane, RVE weaves a musical tapestry that is as evocative as it is thought-provoking.

With an innate ability to translate emotions into melodies, RVE creates a sonic and soothing landscape that takes listeners on a journey.

Having already graced numerous venues in Dublin City, RVE’s talent took centre stage at prominent festivals such as ‘Vantastival’ and ‘Stoneybatter Festival’. This year, RVE is set to captivate audiences at a number of upcoming events with the release of her debut single ‘kicks’.

Prepare to be enthralled by the ethereal melodies and profound storytelling of RVE. Their music will transport you to a realm where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, where the mundane is infused with magic, and where the beauty of nature intertwines with the depths of human emotion.