Cian wins national award in poetry speaking event

Cian Siggins, a third year student from Coláiste Éinde, Salthill, has won the Intermediate category of this year’s All-Ireland Poetry Aloud competition.

This annual poetry speaking competition, which is organised by the National Library of Ireland and Poetry Ireland, is open to all post-primary school students in Ireland and receives over 1,500 entries every year.

Students are expected to learn a series of poems, both prescribed and of their own choice, and perform them in front of a large audience and judges. Prizes are awarded in three categories; Junior, Intermediate and Senior. The Senior category won the overall title.

The final of this year’s Poetry Aloud Competition took place last Friday in the National Library, following a series of regional heats in October and two semi-finals in Dublin. Contestants in the final were judged by a panel of three, made up of writers.

Cian greatly impressed the judges with his delivery and his interpretation of a series of poems including The Gift of Love by Tom Kettle, The North Pole by Frank McGuinness and a selection of works by William Shakespeare.

As winner of the Intermediate section Cian received a valuable cash prize and his English teacher Gerard Hanberry was delighted to be presented with a ‘Shelf of Books’ for the school library.