The poet Louis de Paor grew up in Cork, but has not lived there for many years. In The Shaky Bridge he goes back to explore how the Cork of his childhood, and especially the Cork that his father knew, run throughout his poetry.

Some forty years since he last lived in Cork, Louis de Paor goes back to where he spent his childhood, recalling family and places that he knew, and some of the Cork writers who would influence his work. He walks the streets of Cork city with local historian Diarmuid Ó Drisceoil, talks with Claire Ní Mhuirhile about the writers Liam Ó Muirthile (her late brother) and Seán Ó Ríordáin, and reminisces with Dónal Gallagher, brother of the guitarist Rory Gallagher. They compare childhood experiences of learning Irish, and poems by Louis de Paor in Irish and in English translation are woven throughout the programme. Louis reflects on how, even after so many decades spent elsewhere, the city and its environs still haunt his poetry.

Louis de Paor’s poetry is published by Bloodaxe Books and Cló Iar-Chonnacht and the English translations of the poems are by Kevin Anderson, Biddy Jenkinson, Mary O’Donoghue and Louis de Paor. Music in the programme is by The Gloaming, Microdisney and Rory Gallagher, and the reading of the poem Rory is accompanied on guitar by Albert Niland, with soundmix by Ronan Browne.

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