A POPULAR Limerick poetry festival is set to return for its 13th year this April, bringing the power and the pleasure of the spoken word to the Treaty City.
April Is Poetry Month returns to Limerick for the entire month of April, with a literary feast of readings, exhibitions, talks, awards, and more from near and far afield.
“From intimate readings and performances to milestone anniversaries and UNESCO celebrations, this year’s programme offers something for every poetry lover – whether a lifelong devotee of verse or simply curious about what poetry has to offer,” organisers said.
The festival was inaugurated in 2023 by the Limerick Writers’ Centre and Quay Books, and has gone from strength to strength over the past 13 years.
Highlights of the festival this year will include the announcement of the winner of this year’s Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition and a special gathering of poets published in the Stony Thursday Book, as the treasured local publication marks its 50th anniversary.
The festival will kick off of April 1 with John D Kelly reading from his First Wednesday series at The White House Bar on O’Connell Street, followed by an open mic poetry session, from 7.30pm.
April 16 will see the annual Desmond O’Grady Memorial Reading at the People’s Museum of Limerick from 7.30, featuring Sean Lysaght, Jamie O’Halloran, and Jo Slade. Following the reading, the winner of this year’s Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition will be announced.
Running throughout April, The Poetry Wall at the People’s Museum of Limerick invites fans of the written word to engage with a daily, all-day installation celebrating the power of poetry in public life.
Speaking on this year’s lineup, organisers said that “April Is Poetry Month in Limerick 2026 is a testament to the enduring vitality of poetry in this city and to the poets, venues, publishers” and organisations who sustain it”.
“With 15 events spread across iconic Limerick venues, the programme reflects a city that takes its literary heritage seriously while embracing new voices and new ideas.”
All events throughout this year’s April Is Poetry Month are free and open to the public, with further information to be announced by participating venues – including The White House Bar, The Belltable, Quay Books, and the People’s Museum of Limerick.
The full programme is available on limerickwriterscentre.com.