New poetry from Gerald Dawe and Jim McElroy, and Loah sets Katherine Tynan's poem 'Easter' to music.

Belfast-born poet Gerald Dawe has published nine collections of poetry as well as prose works and has edited a number of anthologies. He was Professor of English and Fellow and Director of the Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin until his retirement in 2017.

Gerald has now produced a short book of seven poems with illustrations by his friend, the artist John Behan, called 'The Revenant'. The poems were prompted by a cache of papers from his estranged father and a recent experience of cancer treatment. All profits from the sale of this limited edition book will be used to help fund a postgraduate certificate in oncology for nursing staff.

Olivia also speaks with Belfast-based poet Jim McElroy who has published his debut pamphlet after retiring from a career as a businessman. It's called 'We Are The Weather' (Smith Doorstop Publishing). Jim won the 2021 Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing and the 2020 Francis Ledwidge Poetry Award. In 2019 he was selected for Poetry Ireland Introductions, and awarded an Individual Artist Award by Arts Council NI. He speaks to Olivia about his rural upbringing, his parents and farming - which are all themes in his collection.

As it's Easter Sunday, the poem ends with a musical setting by Loah on her 2021 album 'When I Rise Up' of Katharine Tynan's poem 'Easter'.

The Poetry Programme is a Rockfinch production for RTÉ.

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Olivia O'Leary and Jim McElroy