ATU Mayo invites TY students to enter new poetry competition

ATU Mayo campus is inviting secondary school transition year students in the county to get involved with the Poetry Pillar. This is a competition for unpublished poets, who have an interest in sustainability, climate change, biodiversity and all things green.

In total, three prizes will be allocated. The winner will receive a €100 voucher and have their poem erected on the Poetry Pillar, in St. Mary’s courtyard garden, ATU Mayo campus. The runner-up will receive a €50 voucher and there is third place prize a €25 voucher.

ATU Mayo was the first Institute of Technology to achieve the An Taisce Green flag and the ATU Green Campus Mayo in collaboration with the ATU Sustainability Centre together with the ATU School Liaison Team are promoting this competition.

Dr. Deirdre Garvey, Head of Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences, ATU Mayo, said: “We are focused on a holistic approach to understanding human interactions with the natural, social and cultural environment across our programmes. Poetry has the potential to emotionally engage and create awareness of the sustainability challenges facing us.”

This year’s competition theme is biodiversity, which offers limitless potential to be imaginative and creative through the medium of poetry.

For aspiring poets, the Poetry Pillar provides a space to share thoughts, ideas and work with others. The Moore Library, ATU Mayo hosted the prize-giving event, where Dr. Sheila Faherty, winner 2021-22, received her prize from Dr. Garvey.

Dr. Seán Lysaght, national award-winning poet, who participated in the event, conveyed personal experiences that inspired the poems he recited from his current publication, New Leaf. He urged everyone to get involved during 2022-23.

Please submit your poem of no more than 30 lines to poetrypillartransition.galwaymayo@atu.ie by 5 p.m. on Friday, 24 February, 2023. The prize winners will be announced as part to Green Week, March 6 – 10, 2023. The prize giving event is scheduled for May 5.

Anne Donnelly, poet laureate of Belmullet and chair of the judging panel, says: “There will be a separate poetry competition for all ATU students with prizes of €100, €50 and €25. This is a wonderful opportunity for all TY and ATU students to flex their writing muscles.

“There’s a poem in every one of us. All you have to do is put pen to paper and let your thoughts flow onto the page.

“The judging panel and I look forward to reading the submissions we receive.”