Join us for an evocative evening of poetry and remembrance at the Carlisle Memorial Church, standing in the heart of the North Belfast streets that shaped one of Ireland’s greatest literary voices.
- Date(s)
- May 2, 2026
- Location
- Carlisle Memorial Church, north Belfast
- Time
- 18:00 - 19:30
- Price
- £12.00
Carlisle Memorial Church
Saturday 2 May, 6.00pm
in association with the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
Returning to the neighbourhood of his youth, this special event honours Derek Mahon’s enduring legacy. Experience Mahon’s poetry brought to life by an extraordinary cast, featuring intimate readings from his daughter Katy Mahon, and readings from the iconic voice of Stephen Rea and Belfast poet Stephen Sexton.
They are joined by a selection of guest poets and friends to navigate the landscapes of displacement, history, and "the soul of things" that Mahon charted so masterfully.
Derek Mahon was widely regarded as one of the most talented and innovative Irish poets of the late 20th century. He was born in Belfast into a Protestant family to Norman Mahon, a shipyard fitter, and Maisie (nee Harrison), who worked in a linen factory. Affiliated with the generation of young poets from Northern Ireland who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, Mahon was best known for illuminating the ordinary aspects of daily life through his skillfully crafted verse. Often working in received forms, Mahon’s lucid, sculpted lines incorporated both classical allusion and contemporary life. A voluntary exile from his native Belfast, Mahon explored themes of isolation, loneliness, and alienation in his poetry.
| Website | https://cqaf.com/ |