Last month, Kevin McAleer, stand-up comic, raconteur, gentleman farmer and part-time Yeats scholar, and Irish Times Literary Editor Fintan O’Toole cast a cold eye on Lissadell and sought to improve on WB’s original lines from In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz.
The light of evening, Lissadell,
Great windows open to the south,
Two girls in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one a gazelle.
You can read their efforts and the original article here.
We invited readers to have a go with the promise of two silk kimonos and a gazelle (or the equivalent in books) for the best entry received by January 1st, to be chosen by Kevin and Fintan. The entries flooded in like the Shannon in spate or raindrops trickling down the great windows of The Irish Times, but the winner is Claire Dempsey, whose entry, she says, was inspired by somelate-night cheese, as well as the judges ’ efforts. Claire teaches English and history in Ardscoil Mhuire, Ballinasloe. "I don't have any previous literary form unless you count the copy of Charlotte's Web I won for a story in fifth class. If you do, I will consider this `the Double'," she said. "For some reason I'm thinking about the episode of Only Fools and Horses when Rodney won the art competition."
The winning entry
In spite of leaving Lissadell
Great writer watches, from the south,
Two women in silk kimonos. Both
Objectified, one a fridge-freezer.
Claire Dempsey
Second place
The light of evening, Limerick,
There was a young man from Nantucket,
Hang on, it's not that kind of poem?
Ah, fuck it.
Niall McArdle
Third place
The light of evening, Connemara,
rain-strafed windows facing west,
two herring gulls in flight, both
struggling, one turning east.
Luí na gréine i gConamara,
Clagairt báistí ar ghloine,
Beirt ag roiseadh leo cois tine,
Duine acu bodhar.
Dolores Stewart
Dolores writes poetry in Irish and in English and has published collections with Dedalus Press and Coiscéim. She is working on a bilingual collection.
This was wonderful, but landed after the deadline
The faint drizzle of November, Clonmel,
A great window opens to the world,
Two guys in ties, no more lies,
Both delighted, holding hands.
Fergus Kerrigan
We also liked
The light of evening, Northern Ireland,
Great sundering open to the South,
Two groups in closed contemplation
of the future, zero sum game.
Liam Parker
The light of evening, Northern Ireland
Great healing open to the world.
Two men in business suits, both
chuckling, one a preacher
one a gunman,
ex.
Liam Parker
The light of evening, the Oireachtas,
The mailroom closed for the hour,
Thanks to Averil Power,
You can take the girl out of Fianna Fáil ...
Niall McArdle
The light of evening, Sligo,
Great winds open to the South,
Two storms in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one called Eva
Kevin Byrne
The light of evening, Liffey-side,
Great winds blowing north and south,
Two lads in black hoodies, both
Homeless, one still alive.
Caroline Bracken
Oh the redlight of Leeson's House.
Where great flaps open, where one's mouth falls south,
Two women in silk kimonos, one
Beautiful, one the Madame
DP Weldon
The light of evening, doorbell ringing,
Great windows have curtain closed to the gawkers ,
Two superannuated politicians in drab Burton's suits , both
Uglier than sin, one a vulture
Anne O'Neill
The light of dawn, dark Lissadell,
Great women open on the world,
Cast in brilliant, silken truth, fay
Rebels to rebirth their men.
James Patrick Casey
