The Poetry's Dead Podcast
Ryan and Leon are delighted to bring you your NEW favourite poetry podcast, exploring the work of poets old and new, with a little bit of craic mixed in.
We'll share our love of poetry every week, taking you on a journey through work from poets you'll have heard of, as well as poets you may not have heard of and even people you had no idea wrote poetry.!
We'll also help with our Agony Poet part of the show where we'll accept any challenge of solving a problem with a poem. Nothing is too trivial or too serious.
Ryan Duggins is a published English poet based in Dublin, with work found in journals Dreich, Flare and his first collection 'You're Never Too Old To Know Better' was published in April '23. He's also performed at Electric Picnic and is a regular on the open mic scene in Dublin
Leon Dunne is a spoken word artist and cornerstone of the poetry scene in Ireland. He is the 2022 All Ireland Poetry Slam Champion and co-founder of Rising Tide, an events company hosting the best spoken word performers the country has to offer out of Pearse Street library
Both of them are more fun than these descriptions would have you believe
Give us a follow, leave us a review, send this to your Ma' and join us :)
Original music by Matthew Keating
Introduced and co-produced by Lisa Downey
The Poetry's Dead Podcast
Michael Longley, Anne Waldman and 'Why'D You Only Call Me When You're High?'
Jesus wept its been way too long lads, but we're back at you with poems, craic, probably lies about Irish history and loads of other bits and pieces to help you start the week off poetically.
The community lost one its most powerful voices in January with the loss of Belfast poet Michael Longley. Known for his work helping paint pictures of peace in Northern Ireland, we shine a light on his poetry on our first episode back.
We have a lovely spring poem from Sinead Byrne Canning to shake off the cobwebs, a piece by Steve Denehan about Vending machines, but as you'll see, its definitely about more than vending machines even if the poem itself is called 'Vending Machines' and, as expected, a folklore story from Leon that we urge you not to fact check
The agony aunt is all about what to do when who you have a crush on only fancies you when he's battered (tough call) and the show is wrapped up by Anne Waldman and a song from her brand new LP 'Your Devotee In Rags'. The track is called Hag, and its a belter.
Our read-along is also back this month with The Winding Stair so if you need a push to get back into reading, sign up to the Patreon on the link below
Poems from the show
Time - Sinead Byrne Canning (Instagram - @sineadbyrnecanning)
The Ice Cream Man - Michael Longley https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2025/0201/1494193-michael-longley-funeral/
Vending Machine - Steve Denehan https://www.stevedenehanpoetry.com/
Bird - John Murphy https://www.poetryireland.ie/publications/poetry-ireland-review/online-archive/view/bird
Hag - Anne Waldman and Andrew Whiteman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieCIwaDJ8nc
Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction and co-produced by Lisa Downey
