Offaly student among finalists of all-island poetry recital competition

James Maher, a student of Coláiste Choilm in Tullamore, was among the finalists of the 2025 'Poetry Aloud' competition held at the National Library of Ireland.

The annual competition challenges second-level students across the island of Ireland to recite a prescribed poem from memory.

Organised by the National Library of Ireland (NLI) and Poetry Ireland, in partnership with University College Cork, this year's competition drew 328 entries from schools across the island. The 20 finalists came from 13 counties, from Antrim to Kerry, and including Offaly.

This year's competition saw students recite a previously unpublished poem, 'Those Winter Evenings', by the late Seamus Heaney.

The poem is from the recently-published collection 'The Poems of Seamus Heaney'. The Nobel Laureate was a supporter of the 'Poetry Aloud' competition, citing the extraordinary way in which it seeks to celebrate the joy of speaking and listening to poetry, as well valuing the North-South dimension to the event.

The competition has three categories: junior, intermediate, and senior. The prescribed poems for this year were 'The Power of Words' by Amanda Gorman (junior category), 'Among Treetops' by Alvy Carragher (intermediate category), and the previously unpublished 'Those Winter Evenings' by Seamus Heaney (senior category).

Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, commented: "Poetry Aloud is a joyful celebration of the beauty to be found in speaking and listening to poetry. We are privileged to hear students from all over the island recite their poems with such heartfelt expression and thoughtful interpretation.

"The competition is a highlight in our schools’ engagement calendar each year, and the standard this year has upheld that tradition with real distinction."

Liz Kelly, Director of Poetry Ireland, added: "It has been wonderful to see all of this year's students bring such energy and heart to their performances at Poetry Aloud 2025.

"Each year, this competition highlights the joy and expressive power of poetry in the hands of young readers."

This year’s judging panel included Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, Liz Kelly, Director of Poetry Ireland, and John Fitzgerald, poet and Adjunct Professor, School of English, University College Cork.