PoetryComp2011finalists

Inclusion Ireland's 50th Anniversary Poetry Competition

Inclusion Ireland ran art and poetry competitions for adults with an intellectual disability, as part of our 50th Anniversary Celebrations, under the theme ’What Inclusion Means to Me’. Poets Theo Dorgan and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, and Irish Times Literary Editor Caroline Walsh judged the poetry competition. President Michael D. Higgins announced the winners of the poetry competition at the National Library of Ireland on the 30th November 2011. 18 poets were exhibited at the event. Further information on the art and poetry competitions, including pictures from the November event, are available HERE. Inclusion Ireland would like to thank all poets who entered the competition for taking part. The poetry judges and everyone at Inclusion Ireland, were bowled over by the fantastic standard of entries. Click on a poem to view it full screen.

Competition Winner

I Am a Tree

by David Cormican

David Cormican sadly passed away before the formal announcement of the winners of the poetry competition in November 2011. David's prize was collected by Claude Madec, who facilitated the Galway based 'Away With Words' creative writing circle that David was involved with. Calude said David loved writing, and that while he was in many ways a man of few words, when he wrote you discovered a man of great depth and of incredible tenderness.

Second place winner

Sad

by Sharon Murphy

Joint Third Place

Man

by Bernard Deering

Joint Third Place

I'm Thinking

by James Ledwidge

Finalists - all of the below poets were finalists in Inclusion Ireland's 50th Anniversary Poetry Competition. Over 200 people entered the competition and the below poets were chosen as finalists to be displayed in the National Library of Ireland at an event attended by President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins.

Rebecca

by Nathan Phillips