As part of Poetry Day Ireland on Thursday May 28, a Menu of Poems will be shared with patients, staff, and visitors across Irish hospitals and healthcare settings. Circulated on patient meal trays, the initiative will offer moments of comfort and reflection, and will reach over 12,000 people nationally. Réalta/Waterford Healing Arts is delighted to partner with the Catering Department of University Hospital Waterford to share this wonderful initiative with patients from the south-east.
Launched in 2008, Menu of Poems is an annual anthology which brings meaningful arts experiences into healthcare environments across Ireland. The anthology is produced by Saolta Arts in Galway, in partnership with Arts and Health Coordinators Ireland (AHCI), and supported by Poetry Ireland and HSE Health Promotion and Improvement.
The 2026 edition of Menu of Poems has been curated by poet Anne Tannam and features In Other Words, by Alvy Carragher; Longitude, by Luke Morgan; Reunion, by Marie Howe, alongside Anne’s own poem, The Art of Listening, which is a special ‘bonus poem’ only available online. A children’s poem, My Delicious Hat by Paul Timoney, will also be distributed in paediatric settings. All poems are available to download, with recordings online.
Speaking about the initiative, Anne Tannam said: “Sometimes, life can be hard to navigate and can feel lonely. In difficult times, there is no kinder, more understanding, or more fun companion than a poem. I hope readers, young and old, will get as much pleasure and solace from reading these poems as I did from choosing them.”
Claire Power, Director of Poetry Ireland said: “We are thrilled to see Saolta Arts and Arts and Health Coordinators Ireland collaborating once again to roll out Menu of Poems in hospitals across Ireland. Menu of Poems is a truly special initiative that helps to connect people and poetry at times when people may need a moment of solace or joy most. I don’t doubt that this will once again be a wonderful celebration of poetry, especially with Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann’s former Poet in Residence Anne Tannam curating this year’s selection of poems.”
ADDITIONAL INFO:
Menu of Poems can be downloaded and recordings accessed at https://saoltaarts/stories/menu-of-poems/ Further details about Menu of Poems, including how healthcare facilities and get involved, are available by emailing saoltaarts@hse.ie
Poetry Day Ireland information is available from www.poetryday.ie
Saolta Arts runs the West of Ireland’s leading Arts and Health programme as a means of improving the hospital experience for patients, staff and visitors. Saolta Arts Believes that access to the arts promotes wellbeing, enhances the hospital environment and encourages new ways of seeing and fresh dialogue, making the hospital a place of possibilities. www.saoltaarts.com
Arts and Health Co-ordinators Ireland (AHCI) is a support network of professionals who are responsible for managing arts + health initiatives in Ireland. AHCI members co-ordinate a range of arts and health programmes, including participatory and collaborative arts practice, environmental enhancement, professional development for artists and staff, artist residencies, health promotion and research. https://artsandhealthcoordinatorsireland.wordpress.com/
Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann connects poetry and people. The organisation is committed to achieving excellence in the reading, writing and performance of poetry throughout the island of Ireland. www.poetryireland.ie
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