All-Ireland Live Poetry Slam Championships

Paul Casey (Ó Bhéal, Cork), Colin Dardis (Purely Poetry, Belfast), Abby Oliveira (Poetry Chicks, Derry), Desmond Swords (Supa Fast Building, Dublin), Dominick Taylor (On The Nail, Limerick) and John Walsh (North Beach Poetry Nights, Galway) are the six regional organisers of the annual All-Ireland Live Poetry Slam Championships, now in their sixth year!

Each year in November, after regional heats in Belfast, Cork, Derry, Dublin, Galway and Limerick have produced two finalists from each province, the finals are held to judge who of Ireland's top eight performance poets will walk away with the prestigious crown of All Ireland Poetry Slam Champion.

As the event has no formal funding we are advertising our project on the crowd-funding site fundit.ie, in the hope of raising €1000 to cover prize money and expenses for travelling poets, plus the printing costs for 100 copies of a special commemorative edition chapbook of the 16-18 poems that contestants bring to the final. A €10 donation secures you an Honourable Mention in the Special Edition Slam Final Chapbook of Finalists' Poems, whilst €20 secures a mention and a copy of the publication.

Founded on the idea of the old bardic circuit, the location of the final alternates each year, rotating among the four provinces, and have so far been held in 2007 Ulster (Belfast), 2008 Munster (Limerick), 2009 Connacht (Galway), 2010 Leinster (Dublin) and 2011 Ulster (Derry).

The 2012 final will be hosted by Ó Bhéal on 30 November at Cyprus Avenue in Cork, Munster.

Please go to the fundit.ie and Facebook pages to donate, listen, watch and read a full history of this competition. Any support is very gratefully appreciated.

http://www.fundit.ie/project/6th-all-ireland-poetry-slam-championshi

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ireland-Poetry-Slam/338399146209479