The life and works of William Butler Yeats will be celebrated this month with a series of free events at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin.
The month-long tribute, called "Summer's Wreath", has been organised to mark the 142nd anniversary of the poet's birth on June 13th.
Television gardener Diarmuid Gavin, sports commentator George Hamilton and Senator David Norris are among the personalities taking part in a series of poetry lunches. They will read poetry by Yeats and talk about how it has affected their lives.
Reflections from Gavin will kick off the lunchtime series at the library next Tuesday, June 5th. Other personalities taking part include: broadcaster and journalist Tom McGurk; campaigner for the homeless Sr Stanislaus Kennedy; Senator Fergal Quinn; writer Colm Tóibín; Irish Timescolumnist John Waters; and barrister and academic Ivana Bacik.
In a special birthday tribute, author Josephine Hart will present a poetry hour dedicated to Yeats on Wednesday, June 13th. She has been hosting the Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at the British Library since 2004, and has encouraged luminaries such as Ralph Fiennes, Edna O'Brien and Harold Pinter to give readings.
A selection of Yeats scholars, including professors Terence Brown, John Kelly, Declan Kiberd and Bernard O'Donoghue, will present a public lecture series, starting next Wednesday, June 6th.
Musicians Denise Kelly, Moya O'Grady and tenor Emmanuel Lawler will present an evening of Yeats's poetry set to music.
One-day creative writing and storytelling workshops will also take place, while families will be catered for with storytelling hours, tours and children's trails.
The events are running in conjunction with the library's exhibition, "Yeats: The life and works of William Butler Yeats".
See www.nli.ie for more information.
