Anthology celebrating 20 years of Boyne Writers Group

 Boyne Writers Group, Trim, was formed on Thursday 8 March 2006 when six writers who had answered a small notice in the local press, met in the lounge of the Castle Arch Hotel.

Since then the group has flourished. Many members have had their work published in newspapers and magazines and quite a number have had books published. With assistance from Meath Arts Office we published a twice-yearly poetry and prose magazine, Boyne Berries, from 2007 to 2020. We held a Trim Poetry Festival in 2019 and online festivals in 2020 and 2021. Most recently we have held a series of “Swift Sessions” in the Swift Cultural Centre, Trim.

We are celebrating our twenty-year anniversary next week-end by holding a Trim Literature Festival. First event is the launch of an anthology of current and founder members’ work, Time is Patient, also including work by some deceased members.

The launch is in the Swift Cultural Centre at 7.30pm on Friday next, 9 October. All welcome, free admission.

Ron Carey Workshop, Saturday 10 Oct, Trim Literature Festival

 

To book a place email trimpoetry@gmail.com

Trim Literary Festival 2026

 

Boyne Berries closed for submissions.

Boyne Berries is currently closed for submissions. 

Boyne Berries is closed for submissions at the moment while the group ponders its future. It's likely that the magazine will not continue publishing as an open submission print magazine. We are using this difficult period to consider alternatives. 

So please do not send submissions to Boyne Berries. 

If you do they will be ignored!

Boyne Berries 27 - Spring 2020 was the last print issue. Copies are available, see puchasing details on the right. Some back issues are also available. Email trimpoetry@gmail.com if interested.

Boyne Berries 28 was a special issue to mark Poetry Day, Ireland and it was only available as a free pdf download due to the COVID lockdown. Download link in a post below.

Boyne Berries 28 will be included in UCD library's Special Collections as part of their Poetry in Lockdown collection.  This will be part of the Irish Poetry Reading archive in UCD Special Collections.

3 New Video Poem Recordings from Boyne Berries 28, The Covid Issue

Brian Kirk reads his poem from the issue: 

Éamon Mag Uidhir reads his poem from the issue:

Mari Maxwell reads her poem from the issue:

Boyne Berries 28 - The Covid Issue

Boyne Writers Group marked Poetry Ireland Day 2020 in these remarkable times by compiling a special digital issue of their magazine Boyne Berries. The magazine was launched on 30 April 2020 and is available free as a pdf download. Poems had to adhere to the theme chosen by Poetry Ireland for that day: “There will be time.”

Download a Free PDF of Boyne Berries 26 - The Covid Issue here.

From the Editor's Foreword:

Poetry Ireland asked us to consider the notion that ‘There will be time’ and we responded with a wonderful wave of poetry, a tsunami as great as that off Kanagawa, spilling on the shores of that universe, the heart, in foams of cherry blossom words.

In this pandemic we seek each other out at a distance. The Dog of Technology has its day. What is important, health, family, friendship and the natural world have come to be our pillows. The writers, the musicians and the dreamers arrive to save our souls and raise our spirits.

We stand on the shoulders of giants shooting arrows of hope, pulled back to go further forward to a better future, as Venus glimmers in the evening sky. We are in this together.

It has been an honour to edit this online issue of Boyne Berries which is intended to be a beacon in darkness. Thank you to all the contributors.

Is mise, le meas,   Orla

Rachel Coventry reads her poem from this issue:



Michael Farry reads his poem from this issue:



Sinéad MacDevitt reads her poem from this issue:

Poetry Ireland Day 2020 - Boyne Berries: The Covid Issue

Boyne Writers Group intends to mark Poetry Ireland Day 2020 in these remarkable times by compiling a special online issue of their magazine Boyne Berries. The magazine will be launched on 30 April 2020 and be available free, as a pdf download only.

Poets are invited to submit one poem only each to the editor, Orla Fay, who will choose in the region of 30 poems for the issue. Poems should adhere to the theme chosen by Poetry Ireland, “There will be time.” More information on their website. 

Poems should be no more than 40 lines long, use Times New Roman 12 and single spacing and be previously unpublished. Please include a short biographical note, which should be 50 words or less. If longer, all text after 50 words will be omitted. 

Submissions should be placed in the body of the email and attached as a word document. Submissions will be accepted until midnight on Sunday 19 April to orla.a.fay@gmail.com only.