Longford poet launches 9th collection of poetry

Acclaimed poet Noel Monahan, a native of Granard will have his 9th collection of poetry, Journey Upstream, launched in Cavan Courthouse on Thursday, April 25 at 8pm.
This collection is published by Salmonpoetry, Ireland.

Noel's work is never far removed from his native county and his new book features subject matter on: Commemoration, Ballinamuck, 1798, Mullinalaghta, Erne and a tribute to retired Longford County Librarian.
One of Ireland's finest contemporary poets, Noel's poetry was prescribed text for Leaving Certificate English.
Many of the poems in this new collection were published in literary magazines and journals worldwide. Noel has read his poetry in many universities throughout Europe and North America.

A number of his poems have been translated into Italian, French, German, Romanian and Russian.
Forever active in his native county, Noel has given mentoring courses for advanced practitioners of poetry in Longford. The courses were organised by the late Fergus Kennedy, Longford's Arts Officer.

Noel has also been involved in the Goldsmith Summer School, the Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival and Granard Harp Festival and recently Granard Booktown Festival.
He has visited many schools in Longford and given readings and workshops on poetry. A number of such visits were organised by Mary Carleton Reynolds, former Longford County Librarian.

Monahan's literary awards are numerous and include: The SeaCat National Poetry Award, organised by Poetry Ireland, the RTE PJ O'Connor Award, the Hiberno-English Poetry Award, the Irish Writers' Union Poetry Award.
In 2012, Longford County Council celebrated the Lifetime Achievements of Noel Monahan's literary career in Backstage Theatre.

His drama, the Children of Lir, was performed by Livin Dred Theatre in Backstage Longford and toured throughout Ireland.
This new collection, Journey Upstream, searches for identity and belonging in the shifting shadows of modern Ireland.
Here we witness Monahan navigate his way through mythic landscapes to country towns and urban living.
His poems dip into the community of artists and responds to works of art on the way. He loves to interrogate our past, our heritage and the poet's place in today's world of rapid change.

One poem 'Section 4, Let the Images Unfold', is the result of a collaborative work during the Covid-Shutdown with sculptor, Tom Meskell, familiar to all Longford people.
'Maynooth Calling', deals with the poet's short stay at Maynooth Seminary, once the largest seminary in the world.
This is another of Monahan's long prose poems, now familiar to many and this finely wrought poem, both lyrical and satirical comes alive with enthralling dramatic effect on the page.

The reader is invited to join the poet as he makes that spiritual journey of discernment behind walls to the backdrop of ghost rooms, oratories of silence, trains passing in the night and bells ringing.