The Poetry's Dead Podcast

Jesus. That year went by fecking quickly, but life tends to slip by when it’s greased up with so many bloody brilliant poems.
In our final podcast of the year, we celebrate the winners of our Quillkeeper collaboration that all have won a page in our second anthology that will be out next week! Well done again to DK, Brenna and Katy for bringing absolute fire to us.
We have a lovely Christmas poem by JRR Tolkein, a piece about lovers from different worlds by Seán Óg Ó Murchú, a tribute to those we won’t be spending time with this Christmas from Ryan and our agony aunt is back helping someone who needs a hand finding their tribe.
As is standard, we share what little we know about all the bloody things those poems bring up including border crimes, how to maintain a relationship with your parents and what problems we think AI will actually solve that isn’t just writing better emails.
We’ll be getting the book details locked down this week and hopefully have it available in time for Santa 🎅🏻 
As we’ve been saying a lot recently, every person who listens to the show means the absolute world to us. It’s been such a fulfilling year for us, and a lot of that is down to the connections we’ve found through the show so to each and every one of you, a huge thank you and a Merry Christmas.
Thanks guys 
Ryan and Leon

Poems from the show 

Support the show
Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey
Produced by Ryan Duggins

We couldn’t start the podcast any other way than with a poem from Sean Watmore of celebration for the Ireland Football Team getting the job done in Hungary. World Cup 2026? COYBIG!

We are so thrilled with the amount of poems that were submitted for the book, especially the many amazing submissions we got as part of the competition with Quilkeeper Press. Nicole Zwolinski didn’t get into the top 3 to win, but we wanted to give a special mention to her and read out her poem Stolen Wishes.

We talk about the aggressive attacks poet Aoife Dunne has been receiving and discuss what exactly is it that triggers so many men online, and why.

A first play too on the podcast for Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson as we have a lot of fun with his words and swag. Thanks to Allie Asiri and her book A Poet For Every Day Of The Year for giving us a nudge in his direction.

Leon announces a very special guest joining his Rising Tide show at Pearce Street Library with the actor Robert Sheehan taking the stage. We share his short story Funeral on the podcast. 

Our next show will be the final episode of the year. The podcast has given us so much joy in 2025. We’ve travelled to the UK to perform, we’ve hosted our first culture night event and we even interview a rock star! 

We have no idea what 2026 will bring us, but we know it’s going to be fucking poetic.

Poems from the podcast 

Sean Watmore - Daring To Dream
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRKVyc5iAsO/
A Singing Lesson - Jean Ingelow
https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/singing-lesson-1
Nicole Zwolinski - Stolen Wishes
https://www.nicolezwolinski.com/aboutRobert Sheehan - Funeral
Robert Sheehan - Funeral
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/funeral-a-new-short-story-by-robert-sheehan-1.4704886
If I Woz A Tap-Natch Poet - Linton Kwesi Johnson https://poetryarchive.org/poem/if-i-woz-tap-natch-poet/
Music from DC Dolls - Countess
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-5Hz1v-ZX8

Support the show
Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey
Produced by Ryan Duggins

Thanks to everyone who has submitted a poem for us for our 2nd volume of The Poetry's Dead Anthology. Submissions are now closed, and we have over 200 poems to read through to bring you a lovely book perfect for Christmas this year.
Today's show we have a lot of beautiful poems for you, along with conversations about poetry really can help turn a life around. We talk about phone addiction, how easy it is to slip into crime and how stories can save you.
We would really appreciate it if you do like the podcast to do your bit to get the word out. We love hearing from you too so don't be a stranger and get in touch with your poetry stories to [email protected]

Poetry from the show
T.S Elliot - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Read by Sir Anthony Hopkins with Stephen Colbert
https://www.tiktok.com/@colbertlateshow/video/7567195063692954894
Chris Eubank Sr recites Adi Shankara - Song Of The Soul 
https://www.amritapuri.org/40614/shankaracharya.aum
Costa Del Joy (Without The Costa) - Leon Dunne and prisoners of Mountjoy Prison, Dublin 
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ4pcj5gCI8/
Heather Peteroy - On My Relationship With The Internet
https://www.instagram.com/bettydogood/?hl=en
Robert Cullen - Untitled Poem
https://www.instagram.com/rc1991/?hl=en
William Wordsworth - I Wander Lonely As A Cloud
Jane Lightbourne - The Bridge
https://www.janelightbourne.co.uk/
Music by Left Iris - Escitalopram
https://leftirisband.com/
Support the show
Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey
Produced by Ryan Duggins

OK fair, we are a few days late, but keep the skeletons out for a bit longer as we bring you our Halloween special!
Frankenstein, Dracula, the Rock DJ video where we strips his skin off, we leave no tombstone unturned as we take you to the darkest corners of horror with a few poems in the couldron thrown in
The podcast builds up to Leon reading one of popular culture’s most terrifying short stories ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson. We’re sorry in advance.
We’re current accepting submissions to our second anthology collection so email your poems to [email protected]. Deadline November 14th - 40 lines max per poem
Enjoy the podcast…BOO!
Ryan and Leon
Poems from the show
Vincent Price - The Thriller
https://youtu.be/bfREGjSHD1g?si=S48t7XG88RiOM3ho
Suzanne Meehan - Shady
https://www.instagram.com/suzie433?igsh=MXNmc3Bsd3A1N2R6dA==
Conrad Aiken - The Vampire
https://poets.org/poem/vampire
Leon Dunne - The Hotel
https://www.instagram.com/nomanticz?igsh=MXRmNnZ0OGtud2ZwNQ==
Shirley Jackson - The Lottery 
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/06/26/the-lottery

Music by Molly Donnery - Pull Me Under
https://open.spotify.com/track/6mjgRcLY4Bl76b4bltHk9L?si=tqWGSHz8SjGkEkadf6PR4g
Support the show
Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey
Produced by Ryan Duggins

Join us this week for a special men's mental health podcast in collaboration with Movember. 
It's not easy out there. Juggling responsibilities, craving rest where there is little time, keeping struggles to yourself. Life can be a very difficult thing to navigate, and today's episode we hope to help with some honest chat interwoven between poems from both established voices and new writers sharing gifts to help through darker days.
A special thank you to Daragh Fleming who has created a poetry anthology with Movember where you can find all the poems we share and a heap load more. 
MO Poems by Movember and Daragh Fleming is available now and all proceeds go to the Movember charity. If you'd like a copy, click the link in our bio or drop us a message.
I know we all say its time to talk, but doing that isn't easy. Hopefully this podcast starts a few more conversations from anyone struggling.
Ryan and Leon
The Poetry's Dead Podcast
Poems from the show:
Lee Sheridan - Why Men Have Nipples
https://www.writing.ie/member-authors/lee-sheridan/
Ryan Duggins - Peace
https://amzn.eu/d/jh45bB2
Phil Scully - Other Men
https://www.instagram.com/philscully
Myla Kortaba - Pulse
Leon Dunne - This Existence
https://www.poetryireland.ie/education/writers-directory/leon-dunne
James Mooney - I Was Lost
https://www.instagram.com/the.wanderingpaddy/#
Calum Stanley - Echoes Where You Were
https://www.instagram.com/calum.stanley.art/#
Music by Artsipolo - Slow Down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX47rSU4FZA
Buy MO Poems by Daragh Fleming and Movember 
https://jv5m8a-eq.myshopify.com/products/mo-poems-anthology-volume-1

Support the show
Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey
Produced by Ryan Duggins