Midlands poet launches 'wonderful' new book of poetry

The rich and proud tradition of poetry in the midlands welcomed a new jewel in its crown recently when Portumna Poet Noelle Lynskey published her new collection of poems.

On Sunday, May 18th, her collection of poetry “Featherweight” was launched at The Irish Workhouse Centre by author and poet, Geraldine Mills.
With artwork by Patrick Real and Joyce Soden, Geraldine told the packed house that Noelle lifts each poem ‘out of the ordinary and illuminates it with her unique linguistic talent and musicality.’
The poems in the collection, published by Arlen House, have been whispering to each other for many years and are now together in this debut work.
Members of Portumna Pen Pushers selected a poem from the collection to read and local musician Mary Smith accompanied Noelle in her poem "Reeling Her In."
Noelle also launched in Galway City on Thursday May 29th at 6pm in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and to another large audience read from the book. Margaret Hickey described the deep love of literature and the thoughtful attention to other people’s work that Noelle carries through life. Poems of life, death, nature, food and family life, the poems in the collection are threaded through with nurturing lines steeped in her spirituality. Music is charted throughout the poems as well as the harshness of famine times and the perpetual presence of the natural world.
Featherweight is available on the shelves of Charlie Byrne’s and Kenny’s Bookshop. It also has a corner at Hayes & Hayes Pharmacy where signed copies are available.