Presidents Poem for Letterfrack Poetry Trail
Last October President Michael D Higgins opened the Conamara Sea Week Festival as it celebrated its 30th birthday. On the day he also launched the Letterfrack Poetry Trail and now he has given CEECC, the organisers of Conamara Sea Week, his poem ‘The Prophet’s are Weeping’ for inclusion in the Letterfrack Poetry Trail. The President’s poem tackles extremism and is his first poem since assuming office.
The Letterfrack Poetry Trail has attracted wide attention since it was launched and ‘is a wonderful addition to our area’ said Leo Hallissey Director CEECC. In early 2014 nine of Irelands finest poets were commissioned to write a poem celebrating the importance of place. Some poems are general in nature and others are site specific and deal with the troubled history of Letterfrack, a village in North West Conamara. Poets on the trail are Paula Meehan, Louis DePaor, Rita Ann Higgins, Theo Dorgan, Eva Bourke, Moya Cannon, Michael Gorman, Joan McBreen and Mary O’Malley.
The poems are displayed on plaques designed by Sven Habermann of The Restoration Centre Letterfrack. Three poems are in the National Park, three in the Connemara West Centre and three in the village of Letterfrack thus linking the village and the National Park. The trail can be picked up either in the village or park.
At this stage it is envisaged that the President’s poem will be in a secret location in the park and part of the mystery and magic around the this trail is that trail participants will have to find this unmarked poem using the clues given. ‘We are just thrilled with the generosity of our President who has always been a good friend to CEECC’ says Leo Hallissey.
