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Poets’ Corner

Wednesday nights belonged to the poets.

From April 2003, the late Barney Sheehan’s open mic let anyone walk in off the street and read.13 Poets’ Corner keeps the record and asks before it prints a word. The night itself is back, on the first Wednesday of every month.

Black-and-white photograph: a man reads from a sheet of paper by candlelight while the room listens.
A Wednesday reading · from the bar’s archive · source to confirm

The night, back

First Wednesday

The poets came back in August 2023. On the first Wednesday of every month there’s a reading and an open mic here, back where it started.19

When
The first Wednesday of the month. The open mic starts at 7.30pm.20
Who runs it
The Limerick Writers Centre and Lime Square Poets.19
How
A guest poet reads, then anyone who wants to.20 Bring your own poem, or one you love.
House rule
Phones down, glasses quiet, and a round of applause for everyone, especially the nervous ones.

Coming up

Wednesday 2 December, 6 January and 3 March, from 7pm

Dates follow the first-Wednesday pattern; times and guests to confirm with the organisers.

The archive

Poems read here

Every poem belongs to the poet who wrote it. We list what we know, and print nothing without written permission.

Cleared
Text and recording published
Awaiting permission
Title and credit only, for now
Permission to ask
In the record; we’ll ask first

  1. 2008

    The Slopes of Knockfierna

    Tom Hickey

    Awaiting permission

    Permission pending. Its connection to the Wednesday readings is to be confirmed.

Tributes

Two poets this corner owes

1934 – 2018

Barney Sheehan

Born in Nenagh, he came to Limerick as a child.3 In April 2003 he started an open mic for poetry here, every Wednesday night,1 where anyone could stand up and read their own work, and a published poet would read after.3

The night reached its five-hundredth week,2 and ran here until 2016.1 He died in April 2018, aged 84,3 and the city remembered him as a Limerick legend.4

His chapter in our story

1935 – 2014

Desmond O’Grady

Born in Limerick in 1935, he is said to have first read his poems at the White House in 1954, with a Poetry Circle.5 When he died in 2014, President Higgins called him one of Ireland’s best-known poets.5

A plaque in his honour, from Limerick Civic Trust, is reportedly on the O’Connell Street side of the building, unveiled by the President on 24 February 2015.5

The corner and the plaque

Readings

Heard, not just read

We’d like to record First Wednesday, with the organisers’ blessing and every poet’s consent, and publish each reading with a full transcript.

Sources

  1. 1Limerick Post, 21 April 2022: “White House revival event pays tribute to Limerick poet” (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2Limerick Leader, 25 June 2013: “Five hundred weeks and counting, of Limerick’s White House poetry” (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3Limerick Post, 13 April 2018: “Tributes paid to Barney” (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4Limerick Leader, 2018: “'Limerick legend' Barney Sheehan to be remembered in city” (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5Patrick Comerford, 15 June 2017: “A Limerick pub with an invitation to join” (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, recorded 8 August 2005: “The White House, James Gleeson, 52 O’Connell Street, Glentworth Street, Limerick (Reg. No. 21517252)” (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7Limerick City and County Council, revised April 2025: “Record of Protected Structures, Metropolitan District (Limerick Development Plan 2022–2028, vol. 3A)” (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8Dictionary of Irish Biography, 2009: “Pery, Edmond Sexten (Patrick M. Geoghegan)” (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9Limerick’s Life (Sharon Slater), 20 April 2012: “Limerick streets: from Galvone to Gross Road” (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10Limerick’s Life (Sharon Slater): “Limerick city street names beginning with O” (opens in a new tab)
  11. 11Limerick Libraries, Local Studies, directories of 1838 to 1976: “Trades Directories (searchable transcription)” (opens in a new tab)
  12. 12Limerick Leader (Anne Sheridan), 8 October 2012: “Limerick’s White House marks 200 years” (opens in a new tab)
  13. 13White House Poets, 2014: “The Open Poet: Desmond O’Grady” (opens in a new tab)
  14. 14President of Ireland, 24 February 2015: “Speech at the unveiling of a plaque to Desmond O’Grady” (opens in a new tab)
  15. 15Limerick Post, 12 April 2023: “Reading to be held to remember Limerick poet Desmond O’Grady” (opens in a new tab)
  16. 16Limerick Leader (Kieran Beville), 22 July 2021: “Spotlight: Few ditties from Mr Liddy” (opens in a new tab)
  17. 17National Library of Ireland, catalogue record: “Revival: a journal of contemporary poetry (Revival Press, 2006–)” (opens in a new tab)
  18. 18Limerick Leader (Nick Rabbitts), 20 July 2016: “Dismay as White House poetry night in Limerick is ‘unexpectedly’ cancelled” (opens in a new tab)
  19. 19Limerick Leader (Nick Rabbitts), 7 August 2023: “In Pictures: Poetry returns to Limerick pub for first time in seven years” (opens in a new tab)
  20. 20Limerick.ie, 3 March 2026: “A landmark month of poetry, performance and publication comes to the city” (opens in a new tab)