As a poet whose powerful work is suffused with themes of family and community, the oral tradition and vibrant and forceful language, we are pleased to invite Paula Meehan to EBCF in 2024. Her poetry appears on the school syllabus and adds great depth and colour to our understanding of life in Ireland. She takes her place in the ranks of Ireland’s finest poets by virtue of her attention to craft, the musicality of her work, its great humour and depth. Collections include Return and No Blame, Mysteries of the Home and As If By Magic. In 2013, Paula Meehan was named Ireland Professor of Poetry, a post she held for three years.

Paula Meehan photo © Paula Nolan