Co. Clare based Poet and writer, Deirdre Devally, was a guest at an International Day of Peace Ceremony of Reflection at St. Mary’s Church of Ireland in Tipperary, yesterday, Peace Day.
Deirdre was welcomed to Tipperary by Mr. Martin Quinn, Hon. Secretary of Tipperary Peace Convention. International Day of Peace is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
The County Clare based artist performed one of her own compositions ‘No Free War’ and also recited one of her poems ‘She Stood Her Ground’ at the ceremony and she also laid a wreath at the grave of Irish Poet, Ellen O’Leary, who is interred in the cemetery adjoining the Church.
At the grave Deirdre performed one of Ellen O’Leary’s poems ‘To God and Ireland True’ which she put to music to the air of ‘My Lagan Love’. The theme of the day was ‘End Racism, Build Peace’ and this was the dominant theme throughout the proceedings in St. Mary’s Church with contributions to the ceremony from the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs. Ijeoma Chinonyerem Obiezu; Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya, Mr. Michael K. Mubea; Ambassador of Colombia, Mrs. Patricia Cortés Ortiz and Ambassador of the State of Palestine, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid.
Also contributing to the event was the Vice-Chair of the Government’s Expert Advisory Group on the Decade of Centenaries and former Minister of State, Dr. Martin Mansergh. Deirdre Devally is well known in poetry circles as she writes poetry, prose and songs. Her poetry album, The Broken Timbers Speak was released on Bandcamp in 2020.
Her poetry has been broadcast on Irish and US radio and published in the literary journal – The Ogham Stone, anthology – Come Walk With Me and more. A Dubliner living in Ennis, Co. Clare, she is in second year of an MA Creative Writing at UL, working on her debut collection.
@poetryireland Remembering the Irish poet, Ellen O'Leary, at her grave in Tipperary Town today. Wreaths laid by @deirdredevally and @france_midwest with performance by Deirdre. #internationalpeaceday2022 @ChairOfPoetry @PoetryIrelandEd @artscouncil_ie @MaresaSheehan @SonyaGildea pic.twitter.com/YbmQzyhRlw
— Martin Quinn (@martinquinns) September 21, 2022