Your go-to guide for Spoken Word on Poetry Day Ireland 2nd May

Ireland celebrates its National Poetry Day on May 2nd. Boundless & Bare gives you the low-down on the events featuring spoken word around the country. The theme set by Poetry Ireland this year is ‘Speak your truth or dare to see the world differently’.

To celebrate Poetry Day, Fermanagh Writers are sharing poems on the theme ‘Telling Truth to Power’ in Enniskillen Library from 2 to 3pm on Thursday 2nd May. 'Power' referring to someone in power in any relationship: a parent, a boss, a government or other official. The poems will be diverse and thought provoking.

In Dublin Outstraight presents: No Silence, No Censorship, an evening of poetry, music, street art, discussion and a poitín cocktail reception to hit the ground running into the summer. Kicking off at 6pm in A4 Sounds. In partnership with Poetry Ireland this event aims to tackle the very real issue of red tape and modern censorship in Ireland today. Following on from a string of sold-out shows across Ireland, OutStraight are back at it to give you an unforgettable evening that'll leave you speechless and make you a storyteller. OutStraight share stories on urban experience and youth culture, bringing to light social and economic situations that the youth of our day face. including gentrification and Ireland’s 'Session Culture'.

The theme of REIC Spoken Word Ilteangach on Poetry Day 2019 is 'Truth or Dare' - do you dare perform a piece, and light a tine Bealtaine with your words? This REIC will celebrate both Bealtaine, and #PoetryDayIRLin Club Chonradh na Gaeilge in Baile Átha Cliath. REIC is a bilingual spoken word event featuring poetry, rap, music, storytelling, and everything else you can think of! It is an open space where performances as Gaeilge are welcomed. Doors open at 7p with the, event starting at 8pm, all in all probably finished by 10ish and you can all have a chat before the last bus home! Bígí linn sa Chlub!

In Waterford, Poetry Day Ireland is about celebrating music and poetry with events happening around the city from 11am including a spoken word pub trail organized by Modwords featuring all Ireland Slam Poet Champion Beau Williams and Melissa Ridge, spoken word queen/founder of Boundless & Bare as well as the Waterford based Modwords heart shouters. The pub trail starts at 7pm at Walsh's Pub on Great George's Street.

Part of Poetry Day Ireland, the performance collective Circle Sessions presents Truth or Dare, proudly supported by The 5 Lamps Brewery. Held in Hely's Bar in Dublin the show will kick off at 7.30pm with 8 poets performing two new pieces on 'truth' & 'dare'. The pieces and performances will be judged on the night.

This month, Limerick based ‘On The Nail’ Literary Gathering welcomes Australian poet Philip Porter, and  writers Tanya Farrelly and David Butler. Everyone is invited to take part in the open-mic after the main event, poets, storytellers, musicians and writers. Even if you don’t write you are welcome to bring something along to read. The night begins at 8.00pm in CB1, Central Buildings, and admission is free.

Dolcáin's Cellar Open Mic is Clondalkin's monthly Open Mic held in The Laurel's Pub showcasing poetry, short stories, music and comedy. In association with Poetry Day Dolcáin's Cellar are hosting their usual Open Mic on a Thursday 2nd May at the usual time of 8.00pm. They encourage writers and poets to bring any form of writing, poetry, stories, music, drama, comedy to the stage. Theme is Truth or Dare. The fact that you come on stage means you are daring to tell your truth so any act will do.

To mark Poetry Day Ireland, Dalkey Writers Workshop is hosting an evening of poems, stories and music in The Magpie Inn, Dalkey on 2nd May. The evening starts at 8pm and is free to enter. Music will be provided by Jane Willow, a Dutch folk musician who moved to Ireland at age twenty-one to pursue music. Her music is laced with Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake influences. She experiments with folk and country elements, whilst keeping her rich, soft and velvet-like voice at center stage.

Waterford Writers present an evening of poetry, prose, story and song called Waterford Words in The Parlour Vintage Tea Rooms on George’s Street at 8.00pm. Can you meet the Poetry Ireland challenge? Do you dare stand up and reveal a truth never before seen! In the Civic Theatre Studio in Tallaght there is a Truth or Dare sleepover themed party that’s filled with poetry.

South Dublin Libraries presents ‘Truth or Dare’, an intimate one-off poetry party on Poetry Day Ireland with spoken word poets Niamh O’Beirne, Ciaran Callan, Stephen Clare and Ailish Kerr. It’s like ‘Spin the Bottle’, ‘Find the Lady’, and, of course, ‘Truth or Dare’, but with poetry. How will that work? Come and see! Starting at 8.15pm.