Regular poetry nights

BELFAST

The Phat Lip Open Mike session at the Pavilion Middle Bar, 296 Ormeau Road, is part of the Knights of the Round Table event and takes place twice a month on the second Thursday and fourth Friday at 8pm.

The Make Yourself Heard open-mike event takes place at the Safehouse Arts Space in Donegall Street on the second Friday of each month at 8pm; www.nirelandpoetry.proboards57.com.

The Creative Writers Network runs a poetry event at Bookfinders Cafe , 47 University Road, which takes place on the last Friday of alternate months at 8.30pm.

The Word of Mouth Poetry Collective, at 159 Lower Braniel Street, also runs occasional open-mike events.

The Belfast Poetry Cup takes place annually in May as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. It's an open slam of poetry up to one minute long.

CORK

Ó Bhéal is an open-mike night in the Long Valley pub on Winthrop Street every Monday evening from 8.30pm; www.obheal.ie, info@obheal.ie.

DUBLIN

Rá, a spoken-word event including poetry, storytelling and music, takes place on the last Tuesday of every month at 8.30pm in the Cobblestone Pub in Smithfield, Dublin 7.

Naked Lunch, an open-mike night at Anseo on Camden Street, Dublin 2, takes place every second Wednesday of the month from 8.30pm to 12 midnight; www.myspace.com/dublinpoetry.

The Seven Towers Agency, a publishing house and literary agency, runs four poetry events in the capital; www.seventowers.ie.

GALWAY

North Beach Poetry Nights, slams at the Crane Bar on Sea Road, take place on the second Monday of each month at 9pm. Juries are selected from the audience.

North Beach Poetry runs a series of readings in Galway City Museum. They feature three published poets and take place on the second Tuesday of every month; www.myspace.com/northbeachpoetrynights,johnwa@iolfree.ie.

Over the Edge, an open reading series at Galway City Library, takes place on the last Thursday of every month from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Over the Edge also organises literary nights at Sheridan's Wine Bar, beside St Nicholas's Church, on a Friday in the middle of the month at 8pm;   www.overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com, over-the-edge-openreadings@ hotmail.com.

Galway Arts Centre hosts a poetry slam in the Ruby Room of the King's

Head pub in the city centre on the last Tuesday of every month at 8pm; www.galwayartscentre.ie.

LIMERICK

The White House Poetry Revival at the White House pub, 52 O'Connell Street has a poetry night every Wednesday, beginning with an open-mike session at 9pm, followed by a reading by a published poet; www.myspace.com/thewhitehousepoets, www.whitehousepoets.blogspot.com, www.revivalpress.ie.