25th Galway Poetry Trail Plaque Unveiled

The Galway Poetry Trail is a series of 25 different bronze and limestone plaques dotted around Galway city, each featuring a piece of writing about the place in which they are situated – a free attraction accessible to all in Galway.

Recently, the latest plaque on this Poetry Trail was unveiled, on the River Walk by Jury’s Inn. The limestone plaque features the poem ‘Vortex’ by Mayo poet Gerard Reidy and was unveiled by author Mike McCormack.

The poem is an homage to Galway in which the poet describes his coming to Galway for the first time as a UCG student, from a small area in west Mayo, and it can be now seen and read by passers by on the River Walk.

“The poem celebrates water - along the river really is an apt place for the piece” said Gerard Reidy at the launch. “The poem is a homage to the city, to the energy and the people and the vibrancy that’s here.”

Mike McCormack spoke of how the poem captures a love of Galway - “the mood of anticipation, of going somewhere special… Ger touches on all of these moods in this wonderful poem.”

The Poetry Trail plaques can be found in locations such as the Salthill Prom, the Claddagh and Waterside & feature the writing of Seámus Heaney, W. B. Yeats, Moya Cannon, Pádraic Ó Conaire, Walter Macken, Gerald Dawe and Rita Anne Higgins amongst others. Three of the texts on the trail are as Gaeilge – in the Irish language.

The Galway Poetry Trail is organised jointly by Kennys Bookshop and Galway City Council, and in conjunction with Cúirt International Festival of Literature and has been added to annually since the first plaque was installed in 2005.

The limestone plaque was supplied by Fahy Memorials in Woodquay.

Visit www.kennys.ie/galway-poetry-trail for more information and a full list of the plaques on the trail.

Photo by Anna Golden, featuring Tom Kenny, poet Gerard Reidy and Mike McCormack (L-R).