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Among the Heather Rocks, in The Lyric Feature, RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 9th March 2025 at 6 pm

Poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin explores the folklore, history, landscape and language of Donegal that inspire her poetry.

Photo: Annemarie Ní Churreáin (left) and Lucy Ní hAodhagáin

In this programme, poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin goes back to the Donegal Gaeltacht, where she grew up, and explores the folklore and history, landscape, language and personal experiences that all influenced her poetry.

She meets historian Brian Lacey to hear more about the local myth of Balor and the Poison Glen, talks with Lucy Ní hAodhagáin of Wild Awake about reconnecting with nature and our past, views workhouse documents with Donegal County Archivist Niamh Brennan, and takes part in Ireland’s only Irish-language Pride parade, Bród na Gaeltachta, before speaking with its founder, Pól Penrose. Throughout the programme we hear poems by Annemarie from her collections Bloodroot (Doire Press), The Poison Glen (The Gallery Press) and Ghostgirl, published as part of the Donegal Decade of Centenaries programme.

Music in the programme was composed by Michael Gallen and performed by Prima Quartet and Ana Gog.

The producer is Claire Cunningham, sound supervision is by Tinpot Productions, and the programme is a Rockfinch Production for RTÉ lyric fm.

The programme is available to podcast on the usual podcast platforms and on the RTÉ Radio Player.

The programme is funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the Television Licence Fee and by RTÉ. Producer for RTÉ lyric fm: Eoin O’Kelly.