World Poetry Day celebrations at Derry's Rath Mor Centre

Creggan Enterprises (CE) welcomed over 60 pupils and teachers from schools and colleges from throughout the city to Rath Mor on World Poetry Day to receive their awards for their winning entries to the 2024 Foyle Schools Poetry Competition.

The ceremony included the launch of 'Rhyme & Reason', a selection of poems from the inaugural Foyle Schools Poetry Competition (2024). Some 25 schools from across the district submitted over 1,000 entries featuring poems based on the themes of ‘Today’ for the Key stages 1-2 and ‘Tomorrow’ for Key stages 3-4 and Post 16.

IN PICTURES: World Poetry Day at Derry's Rath Mor Centre

Facilitator Grainne McCool (‘The Write Stuff’), delivered a series of poetry workshops to pupils in the older categories in preparation for their submissions. The poems were judged on their creativity and originality and their ability to capture the essence of the assigned theme.

The winning entrants and those who were highly commended (150 in total) have been published in Rhyme & Reason and will receive a range of prizes on the day.

The Foyle Schools Poetry Competition was coordinated as part of Creggan Enterprises’ Revival Shared Space Project supported by the Executive Office (T:BUC) under the Central Good Relations Fund.

The Competition is the result of a creative partnership between Creggan Enterprises, Guildhall Press, Colmcille Press and Little Acorns Bookstore in an effort to promote and strengthen shared community spaces and encourage literary and creative expression.

Conal McFeely, Development Executive of Creggan Enterprises, commented on the high standard and quality of the entries: “The young poets demonstrated a remarkable understanding of the world around them and the times we live in, and did not shy away from tackling the big issues of the day.

"This diverse selection of poetry is full of emotion, keen insight, compassion and an undeniable positivity.

“The standard was extremely high and the judges had the near-impossible task of selecting winning entries – leading to a number of joint prizes in each key stage.

“We hope that the project will continue to serve as a reminder of the importance of developing shared communities and nurturing the boundless potential of young minds. We congratulate all the entrants, thank them for sharing their amazing talent with us and encourage them to continue to be brave, put themselves out there and to challenge everyone in society to reflect on their own humanity.

"We also extend our gratitude to all the schools/colleges and the many parents, teachers, and mentors who have supported these young poets in their creative journey and to all who participated in, and contributed to, the 2024 Foyle Schools Poetry Competition.”