Director of Poetry Ireland, Maureen Kennelly, pictured with Sinéad O’Reilly at the Trócaire Poetry Ireland Poetry Competition 2017 award ceremony in Dublin.

LOCAL SIXTH class pupil Sinéad O’Reilly’s literary career was launched in fine style recently, when she was awarded a prize at the Trócaire Poetry Ireland Poetry Competition 2017.

The pupil of The Mercy School, John’s Road, was honoured at the event’s awards ceremony at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin.

This year’s competition carried the theme of ‘Before the Storm’ and explored how people, especially those living in the least well-off regions of the world, prepare for extreme weather events caused by climate change.

Sinéad’s poem, entitled ‘Foreboding’, captures the helplessness of the ravages of storms and hurricanes faced by simple-living communities based on exposed low-lying coasts.

Read more in the Wexford Echo.