The Poetry's Dead Podcast

Jesus. That year went by fecking quickly, but life tends to slip by when it’s greased up with so many bloody brilliant poems.In our final podcast of the year, we celebrate the winners of our Quillkeeper collaboration that all have won a page in our second anthology that will be out next week! Well done again to DK, Brenna and Katy for bringing absolute fire to us.We have a lovely Christmas poem by JRR Tolkein, a piece about lovers from different worlds by Seán Óg Ó Murchú, a tribute to those we won’t be spending time with this Christmas from Ryan and our agony aunt is back helping someone who needs a hand finding their tribe.As is standard, we share what little we know about all the bloody things those poems bring up including border crimes, how to maintain a relationship with your parents and what problems we think AI will actually solve that isn’t just writing better emails.We’ll be getting the book details locked down this week and hopefully have it available in time for Santa 🎅🏻 As we’ve been saying a lot recently, every person who listens to the show means the absolute world to us. It’s been such a fulfilling year for us, and a lot of that is down to the connections we’ve found through the show so to each and every one of you, a huge thank you and a Merry Christmas.Thanks guys Ryan and LeonPoems from the show Support the showOriginal music by Matthew Keating Artwork by Paddy DowneyIntroduction by Lisa Downey Produced by Ryan Duggins

We couldn’t start the podcast any other way than with a poem from Sean Watmore of celebration for the Ireland Football Team getting the job done in Hungary. World Cup 2026? COYBIG!We are so thrilled with the amount of poems that were submitted for the book, especially the many amazing submissions we got as part of the competition with Quilkeeper Press. Nicole Zwolinski didn’t get into the top 3 to win, but we wanted to give a special mention to her and read out her poem Stolen Wishes.We talk about the aggressive attacks poet Aoife Dunne has been receiving and discuss what exactly is it that triggers so many men online, and why.A first play too on the podcast for Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson as we have a lot of fun with his words and swag. Thanks to Allie Asiri and her book A Poet For Every Day Of The Year for giving us a nudge in his direction.Leon announces a very special guest joining his Rising Tide show at Pearce Street Library with the actor Robert Sheehan taking the stage. We share his short story Funeral on the podcast. Our next show will be the final episode of the year. The podcast has given us so much joy in 2025. We’ve travelled to the UK to perform, we’ve hosted our first culture night event and we even interview a rock star! We have no idea what 2026 will bring us, but we know it’s going to be fucking poetic.Poems from the podcast Sean Watmore - Daring To Dreamhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DRKVyc5iAsO/A Singing Lesson - Jean Ingelowhttps://www.poetrynook.com/poem/singing-lesson-1Nicole Zwolinski - Stolen Wisheshttps://www.nicolezwolinski.com/aboutRobert Sheehan - FuneralRobert Sheehan - Funeralhttps://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/funeral-a-new-short-story-by-robert-sheehan-1.4704886If I Woz A Tap-Natch Poet - Linton Kwesi Johnson https://poetryarchive.org/poem/if-i-woz-tap-natch-poet/Music from DC Dolls - Countesshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-5Hz1v-ZX8Support the showOriginal music by Matthew Keating Artwork by Paddy DowneyIntroduction by Lisa Downey Produced by Ryan Duggins

Thanks to everyone who has submitted a poem for us for our 2nd volume of The Poetry's Dead Anthology. Submissions are now closed, and we have over 200 poems to read through to bring you a lovely book perfect for Christmas this year.Today's show we have a lot of beautiful poems for you, along with conversations about poetry really can help turn a life around. We talk about phone addiction, how easy it is to slip into crime and how stories can save you.We would really appreciate it if you do like the podcast to do your bit to get the word out. We love hearing from you too so don't be a stranger and get in touch with your poetry stories to [email protected] from the showT.S Elliot - The Love Song of J. Alfred PrufrockRead by Sir Anthony Hopkins with Stephen Colberthttps://www.tiktok.com/@colbertlateshow/video/7567195063692954894Chris Eubank Sr recites Adi Shankara - Song Of The Soul https://www.amritapuri.org/40614/shankaracharya.aumCosta Del Joy (Without The Costa) - Leon Dunne and prisoners of Mountjoy Prison, Dublin https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ4pcj5gCI8/Heather Peteroy - On My Relationship With The Internethttps://www.instagram.com/bettydogood/?hl=enRobert Cullen - Untitled Poemhttps://www.instagram.com/rc1991/?hl=enWilliam Wordsworth - I Wander Lonely As A CloudJane Lightbourne - The Bridgehttps://www.janelightbourne.co.uk/Music by Left Iris - Escitalopramhttps://leftirisband.com/Support the showOriginal music by Matthew Keating Artwork by Paddy DowneyIntroduction by Lisa Downey Produced by Ryan Duggins

OK fair, we are a few days late, but keep the skeletons out for a bit longer as we bring you our Halloween special!Frankenstein, Dracula, the Rock DJ video where we strips his skin off, we leave no tombstone unturned as we take you to the darkest corners of horror with a few poems in the couldron thrown inThe podcast builds up to Leon reading one of popular culture’s most terrifying short stories ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson. We’re sorry in advance.We’re current accepting submissions to our second anthology collection so email your poems to [email protected]. Deadline November 14th - 40 lines max per poemEnjoy the podcast…BOO!Ryan and LeonPoems from the showVincent Price - The Thrillerhttps://youtu.be/bfREGjSHD1g?si=S48t7XG88RiOM3hoSuzanne Meehan - Shadyhttps://www.instagram.com/suzie433?igsh=MXNmc3Bsd3A1N2R6dA==Conrad Aiken - The Vampirehttps://poets.org/poem/vampireLeon Dunne - The Hotelhttps://www.instagram.com/nomanticz?igsh=MXRmNnZ0OGtud2ZwNQ==Shirley Jackson - The Lottery https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/06/26/the-lotteryMusic by Molly Donnery - Pull Me Underhttps://open.spotify.com/track/6mjgRcLY4Bl76b4bltHk9L?si=tqWGSHz8SjGkEkadf6PR4gSupport the showOriginal music by Matthew Keating Artwork by Paddy DowneyIntroduction by Lisa Downey Produced by Ryan Duggins

Join us this week for a special men's mental health podcast in collaboration with Movember. It's not easy out there. Juggling responsibilities, craving rest where there is little time, keeping struggles to yourself. Life can be a very difficult thing to navigate, and today's episode we hope to help with some honest chat interwoven between poems from both established voices and new writers sharing gifts to help through darker days.A special thank you to Daragh Fleming who has created a poetry anthology with Movember where you can find all the poems we share and a heap load more. MO Poems by Movember and Daragh Fleming is available now and all proceeds go to the Movember charity. If you'd like a copy, click the link in our bio or drop us a message.I know we all say its time to talk, but doing that isn't easy. Hopefully this podcast starts a few more conversations from anyone struggling.Ryan and LeonThe Poetry's Dead PodcastPoems from the show:Lee Sheridan - Why Men Have Nippleshttps://www.writing.ie/member-authors/lee-sheridan/Ryan Duggins - Peacehttps://amzn.eu/d/jh45bB2Phil Scully - Other Menhttps://www.instagram.com/philscullyMyla Kortaba - PulseLeon Dunne - This Existencehttps://www.poetryireland.ie/education/writers-directory/leon-dunneJames Mooney - I Was Losthttps://www.instagram.com/the.wanderingpaddy/#Calum Stanley - Echoes Where You Werehttps://www.instagram.com/calum.stanley.art/#Music by Artsipolo - Slow Downhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX47rSU4FZABuy MO Poems by Daragh Fleming and Movember https://jv5m8a-eq.myshopify.com/products/mo-poems-anthology-volume-1Support the showOriginal music by Matthew Keating Artwork by Paddy DowneyIntroduction by Lisa Downey Produced by Ryan Duggins