Bio

Mary Turley-McGrath. Poet / Writer / Workshop Facilitator

Mary is from Mount Talbot, on the Galway / Roscommon border. She lives in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal where she began writing her early poetry as a founder member of Errigal Writers.

Her primary degree is in English, Archaeology and Philosophy from University College Dublin. After a career in teaching, she completed an M. Phil in Creative Writing at The Oscar Wilde Centre, Trinity College Dublin.

She has published four collections of poetry. Her poems reflect on and celebrate the natural world in different contexts, landscapes and waterscapes, exploring the connections between everyday life, environment, place and history. There is an acceptance of the permanence of change, and the realisation that as human beings, we are learning about ourselves, our planet, and the universe beyond.

Mary works as a poet, writer, and workshop facilitator with adults and young people, and is a member of the Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools Scheme. She has judged a number of poetry competitions, most recently the Strokestown Roscommon Poets’ Competition in 2018.

Poetry Collections

Mary’s fourth collection is After Image (Arlen House, 2020). Eva Bourke in her comments describes the collection as structured like a triptych central to which are her rapt contemplations of her natural surroundings … aware of the darkness overshadowing the beauty of the natural world in our time, the poet confronts us with the full and paradoxical image of human experience.

Cover image: ‘Amaryllis in Blue’ photograph by Brian McDaid.

Her previous collection was Other Routes (Arlen House, 2016). These are poems about the magic and mystery of destination and destiny; of meetings and missings; of what might have happened, wrote Mark Roper. In her review of this collection Nessa O’Mahony writes of how the poet … does not strive for ornateness of language; she captures the scene with a documentary, almost cinematic, sweep for detail. (Poetry Ireland Review).

Cover painting: ‘What Traffic’ by Bernadette Cronin.

Mary’s second collection, Forget the Lake (Arlen House, 2014) was launched in Kenny’s of Galway. In her comments, Paula Meehan wrote: Water is everywhere in these poems … this is what gives the book its fluidity and lightness, the grace that frames the collection’s humane empathies. The book received a very insightful analysis from poet and reviewer, Catherine Phil McCarthy: What is conveyed here is a love of language, of the sounds of words in the mouth. … The imagery is startling, often sensual. (Poetry Ireland Review).

Cover painting: ‘Waterfall’ by Frankie Gallagher

Mary’s first poetry collection, New Grass under Snow, was publishedby Summer Palace Press in 2003. Patrick Deeley describes the voice in the poems as measured, quietly lyrical, distinctive and refreshing. James J. McAuley, commenting on the book wrote: Her approach gives unity to this collection; we are aware of a constant, steady, sympathetic presence or voice, for each poem.

Cover painting: ‘Burning the Boat’ by Anne McKenna.

Other Publications

Mary’s poems have appeared in many anthologies including: The Forward Anthology (London 2011); The Roscommon Anthology (2013); Washing Windows? (Arlen House, 2016); Reading the Future (Arlen House, 2017); Strokestown Poetry Anthology (2018); Future Perfect (Poetry Ireland/ Trócaire Anthology 2019); The SHOp Anthology (2020) and Strokestown Online Anthology (2021).

Her work has been published in The Irish Times and Poetry Ireland Review; also in magazines, The SHOp, Cyphers, and Crannóg. Her articles on poetry related topics are available on the Poetry Ireland website in the Feature Articles section.

Video

Rinnland — Strokestown Online Anthology 2021

Omar’s Song — Trocaire / Poetry Ireland Competition Winners on Culture Night 2021

The Donegal Poems with songs [Facebook] — Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Literary Festival closing event 2021

Radio

Mary’s poems have been broadcast on RTE Radio 1 Sunday Miscellany and the poem, ‘Hook Head’ from her first collection, was featured as part of the RTE1, The Poem and the Place series. She has read her work on Highland Radio, also on Shannonside Radio and Mid-West Radio.

Listen back on Sunday Miscellany: The Sycamore, Lake Pagoda & At the Station

Awards

Mary’s poems have been successful in many competitions: she was the winner of the Trócaire / Poetry Ireland Competition; Dublin International Film Festival Award; the inaugural Annie Deeny Memorial Prize; The Bridget Winter Award and The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Competition. She has also been shortlisted at the Listowel Writers’ Festival and Cúirt Festival.

Readings

Mary has given readings from her collections at festivals including: The Patrick Kavanagh Weekend, where she read a paper on the ‘Great Hunger’; Clifden Arts Festival; the Allingham Arts Festival; Shorelines Festival; Strokestown International Poetry Festival. She has also given readings recently in Books Upstairs and the United Arts Club Dublin. During a visit to Toronto she read at the Toronto Arts Club. Over the years she has participated at events in King House Boyle, The National War Memorial Gardens, The Long Room Library of Trinity College, The Irish Writers Centre, Poetry Ireland, The National Library, Books Upstairs, Hodges Figgis Dublin and North West Words Letterkenny. Recently she has been involved in online readings organised by Over the Edge, Crannóg Magazine, and the Strokestown Festival Online Anthology 2021.

Workshops

Mary is available to take Workshops for adults and children.
Contact: turleymm@tcd.ie

Her collections are available from:
Kenny’s Galway; Hodges Figgis and Books Upstairs Dublin; local bookshops or the author.
Also from supress@syr.edu; amazon.com; bookdepository.com