Ó Bhéal Bids Farewell to Live Events After 18 Years
For nearly two decades, Ó Bhéal has been a cornerstone of Cork’s literary landscape, offering poets and audiences a welcoming space to share, listen, and grow. However, the renowned hybrid reading series and live poetry events will conclude on April 14th, 2025, marking Ó Bhéal’s 18th Anniversary event. The Winter Warmer Festival and Five Words competition will also come to an end, closing a significant chapter in the city’s poetry scene.
Ó Bhéal’s success has been deeply rooted in its community ethos, a fact that founder and director Paul Casey takes the greatest pride in. “Firstly, and most importantly is the vibrant community which has magnified over the years,” he reflects. “Its supportive ethos continues to attract the very best of people. Its warmth and inclusivity. The lifelong friendships that have been made.”
The decision to conclude Ó Bhéal’s signature events stems primarily from Casey’s need to focus on his own creative work, as well as the evolution of Cork’s poetry scene. “The workload eventually became far too prohibitive, and my writing has been struggling to evolve,” he explains. “That, coupled with the multitude of new regular events in the city, means that writers, especially poets, now have an abundance of choice.”
Where once Ó Bhéal was a singular force in Cork’s spoken word landscape, the city now boasts at least six regular open-mic nights, offering poets plenty of spaces to share their work. Closing this chapter is a deeply emotional moment, but Casey emphasises that it feels like the right time. “It’s certainly bittersweet,” he acknowledges. “But leaning significantly towards the sweet. The community will continue to gather and share new work. The event is passing into very safe hands and will continue to evolve as a community-driven, community-focused phenomenon.”
For Casey himself, this transition marks a personal and creative shift. “Personally, I’m looking forward to taking part in Cork’s many new poetry nights as a punter, listener, and reader,” he shares. “I’ll need to give my neurons a bit of time to adapt to this new, stress-relieved reality, and—if the muses are with me—my next chapter of writing should follow before too long.”
While the decision brings a sense of finality, it is not the end of Ó Bhéal’s contribution to poetry. The literary hub will continue its International Poetry Film Competition and the Unfinished Book of Poetry for young writers.
“The Unfinished Book of Poetry will retain its current format, supported by Cork City Libraries and Cork City Council Arts Office,” Casey explains. “There are plans in place to evolve the international poetry film competition into a small poetry film festival, with a focus on promoting Irish-made poetry films, in addition to the current competition and screenings, which have already been granted continued support from the Arts Council.”
One of the most enduring aspects of Ó Bhéal’s legacy will be its digital archive, ensuring continued access to its vast collection of poetry content. “Since 2007 Ó Bhéal has amassed over 1.1K+ biographies, 1.2K+ videos and 1.8K+ audio mp3s, along with a number of free eBooks,” Casey notes. “The regularity of readers, listeners, and viewers of these is significant, hence the website will be adapted to form a perpetual online archive to allow free, ongoing access to these elements.” This extensive online collection will serve as a lasting resource for poets, researchers, and poetry lovers alike, preserving the many voices that have found a home at Ó Bhéal over the years.
Though Ó Bhéal’s current iteration is ending, its spirit will continue in new ways. A seasoned team of board members and emcees is planning to carry on a similar series of poetry events at The Hayloft Bar, above The Long Valley. “You’ll need to keep an eye out for the details, and we’ll share those as soon as any official announcements are at hand,” Casey teases. The format will remain largely similar, though without the hybrid (in-person/online) element that had become a part of Ó Bhéal’s recent structure.
Its committee consists of some of Cork’s most dedicated literary figures, including publisher and poet Billy Ramsell, events organiser Gerry McNamara, actress and poet Rosie O’Regan, and a host of writers and poets such as Julie Field, Rab Urquhart, Ciarán MacArtain, Kathy D’Arcy, Stanley Notte, Michelle Delea, Shaunna Lee Lynch, Benjamin Burns, Cédric Bikond, and Colm Scully. Many of these individuals have acted as compères on Monday nights, guiding and nurturing both experienced and first-time poets.
As the countdown to April 2025 begins, there is still time to experience the magic of Ó Bhéal’s final events. On February 10th, Ó Bhéal will showcase new creative writing from UCC’s MA Creative Writing programme, featuring readings from James Carroll, John O’Boyle, Leah Sohotra, Lucie Pereira, Jessica Anne Rose, Andie McNamara, and Angelia D’Souza, with special guest Pam Campbell.
One chapter may be ending, but the story of Cork’s poetry community continues—stronger and more vibrant than ever.