All royalties from this anthology will go to Beir Bua’s supported charity, Féileacáin Ireland.

Beir Bua Press is honoured to be part of bringing a local anthology to print, this anthology is a creative product of the very first lockdown, from March to June 2020 and their Zoom sessions facilitated by Margaret O’Brien and based in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary.

Introduction

The open mic, Poetry Plus, has been meeting monthly in Brewery Lane Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir for almost ten years. Month after month, from September through June, writers and readers from across the region came down the lane, entered through the kiln area and into the tearoom at the back of the little theatre. This room was transformed into a café-like atmosphere for the night, with small tables, lamps in bottles, strings of fairy lights. Everyone sat at the small tables as they arrived, chatted and caught up with each other’s happenings month on month, as I went around taking down names for reading. Regulars were a very friendly bunch and newcomers were always especially welcomed and supported. At half time we shared tea and biscuits, sometimes cake, but always the chat and the craic. I’ve often thought that this was the most important part of the night. Every April, during the annual Brewery Lane Writers’ Weekend, Poetry Plus expanded beyond the region and we welcomed visiting writers from all around Ireland and overseas for even more chat and craic.