With many of you, I was very sad to learn that Irish poet, Eavan Boland died yesterday at the age of 75. She was one of the leading voices in Irish literature. Details of her life are given on the RTÉ new website here.

There are a number of more ‘famous’ poems than the one I’ve chosen to read today. But I was drawn to this poem. It is an evocation of White Hawthorn, which bears the taint of Irish mythology, a way of reading human fears into what must surely just be a native plant? You decide on that one.

I invite you to take a moment to relax and enjoy these beautiful words.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam,

Patrick xo