Ireland Chair of Poetry, Northern Ireland
Trustees Annual Report
Period: 2022 / 2023
Date registered with the Charity Commission Northern Ireland
23[rd] May 2022
Charity no. 107974
Trustees of the Ireland Chair of Poetry, Northern Ireland, as of March 31[st] 2023: Professor Kevin Rafter Professor Fran Brearton Professor Lucy Collins Professor Ignatius McGovern Sir Donnell Deeny Professor Michael Longley Professor Brian Walker
Chairperson Mr. Liam Hannaway
Principal Address Poetry Ireland CLG. 11 Parnell Square East Dublin 1
Principal Bankers Allied Irish Banks
Introduction:
The Ireland Chair of Poetry, Northern Ireland, was set up in 1998 following the award of the Nobel Prize of Literature to Seamus Heaney and is jointly held between Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Every three years a poet of honour and distinction is chosen to represent the Chair as Ireland’s Professor of Poetry. During their tenure, the holder spends a year attached to each of the three universities and resides for a period of approximately eight weeks at each. While in residence, the poet gives informal workshops or readings, spends time working with students and performing outreach work and makes one formal presentation a year, usually in the form of a lecture.
Activities of the Ireland Chair of Poetry, Northern Ireland, over these twelve months:
Prof. Frank Ormsby’s lectures and publication of The Poet’s Chair
‘Poetry of the Trouble’s Revisited’, a lecture by Professor Frank Ormsby took place in front of a socially distanced audience in the Provost’s House, at Trinity College Dublin on 7[th] March 2022.
Professor Frank Ormsby’s third and final lecture took place as a private interview on December 13[th] at Queen’s University Belfast. Prof. Lucy Collins travelled to Belfast on Dec 13[th] 2022 to interview and record Prof. Ormsby’s lecture. The transcript from this was to appear in the next edition of The Poet’s Chair , published by UCD Press. Work on The Poet’s Chair publication was ongoing through 2022/2023. The publication consists of the transcript from the interview, some new poems, and Professor Ormsby’s collected lectures. The publication was launched in August 2023.
The Poet of Promise
In June, Jess McKinney was nominated by the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust and the Ireland Professor of Poetry as the Poet of Promise for 2022. The bursary awarded Jess with a four-week residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig County Monaghan. Her nomination and acceptance of the bursary was announced on the ICOP website and social media channels on 2nd June 2022.
The Ireland Chair of Poetry Student Awards
Now in its fourth year, the Ireland Chair of Poetry Student Award recognized excellence in the work of six emerging poets currently enrolled at Master’s level. The student awards went to, Eoghan Totten (QUB), Elizabeth Oaxley (TCD), Kate Lawlor (UCD), Judy O'Kane (QUB), Vivianna Fiorentino (QUB), Noah Racey (TCD)
The Ireland Chair of Poetry Travel Award
The 2022 Travel Award was awarded to Jane Clarke. The winners of the 2022 Student and Travel Awards were announced on the ICOP website and social media channels on . July 29[th]
Jane Clarke successfully traveled to the Lake District to write and research with English poet James Rebanks. The second phase of the proposed project culminated in a reading/presentation at the Burren Beo Winterage Weekend, in October 2022. This inspired her to write ten new poems.
Announcement of new Ireland Professor of Poetry
In November 2022 Professor Paul Muldoon was announced as the ninth Ireland Professor of Poetry, taking over from Professor Frank Ormsby. Paul Muldoon will hold the position until November 2025. The announcement was made at a small reception hosted by President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, in Áras an Uachtaráin. There was significant media coverage in the North and South of Ireland.
How to Read a Poem Seminars by Professor Paul Muldoon
From January – March 2023 Prof. Paul Muldoon, gave a series of discussions at Queen’s University Belfast, entitled How to Read a Poem. Dates of the seminar were 25[th] January, 1[st] February, 8[th] February, 22[nd] February, 1[st] March.
Readings by Prof Paul Muldoon
On February 24[th] 2023 Prof. Paul Muldoon gave a reading at the Linen Hall Library, in Belfast.
On Thursday, March 2[nd] 2023 Prof. Paul Muldoon gave a reading in the Thomas Davis Theatre, Trinity College Dublin.
How the Trust raised and spent funds
The Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust is funded by donations of £12000 each from Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. The funds are spent on the promotion and support of poetry in the South and the North of Ireland as per this report and accounts attached.
To conclude:
Over these twelve months, the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust has supported and helped poets in the North and South of Ireland – through student awards, a poet’s residency, and by supplying a travel award to facilitate a poet’s travel. In addition to supporting the work of poets, the Trust has supported the poetry infrastructure in Ireland (North and South) by providing a series of poetry seminars, readings, and lectures to benefit the public.
The Trustees have at all times had regard to the Commission’s Public benefit requirement with particular reference to the purposes of arts and education.
A review of the charity’s financial position is included in the audit which has been submitted with this return.