Saolta Arts

29/05/2026

Lovely to celebrate Poetry Day Ireland yesterday with 'Menu of Poems'!

Circulated on meal trays, the 'Menu of Poems' offers moments of comfort and reflection, reaching over 12,000 people as part of an all-island celebration of poetry.

'Menu of Poems' is an annual poetry anthology that Arts for Health, West Cork has proudly taken part in for more than 15 years. Produced by Arts and Health Coordinators Ireland, with Saolta Arts as the lead organisation and support from Poetry Ireland and HSE Health Promotion and Improvement, the initiative brings meaningful artistic encounters into healthcare settings across the country.

The 2026 edition was curated by award winning poet Anne Tannam. It features poems by Alvy Carragher ('In Other Words'), Luke Morgan ('Longitude'), and Marie Howe ('Reunion'), alongside Anne's own online bonus poem, 'The Art of Listening'. A children's poem, 'My Delicious Hat', is also distributed to paediatric settings.

'In difficult times, there is no kinder or more understanding companion than a poem, especially when it captures something of the fullness of what it means to be alive.' - Anne Tannam

Read more about the project at the link below:
https://artsforhealthwestcork.com/celebrating-poetry-day-ireland-with-a-menu-of-poems/

Poetry Ireland
Saolta Arts
Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre
HSE Ireland
Cork Education and Training Board
Cork County Council
Cork County Council Library & Arts Service
The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

28/05/2026

We are marking Poetry Day Ireland with the 2026 Menu of Poems!

Curated by Anne Tannam, this year’s collection includes beautiful work by Alvy Carragher, Luke Morton, Marie Howe and Paul Timoney. These poems will be shared throughout the Hospital today, offering moments of comfort, reflection, and connection for patients, staff, and visitors. A huge thank‑you to Saolta Arts and the Arts Coordinators who help bring creativity into our hospitals every day.

Here’s to the power of poetry to lift the spirit and brighten the day!

28/05/2026

Today, to celebrate , a Menu of Poems, curated by Anne Tannam, is being shared with over 12,000 patients, staff, and visitors across Irish hospitals and healthcare settings.

The 2026 edition features poems by Alvy Carragher (In Other Words), Luke Morgan (Longitude), and Marie Howe (Reunion), alongside her own online bonus poem, The Art of Listening. A children’s poem, My Delicious Hat by Paul Timoney, will also be distributed in paediatric settings

Listen to the featured poets reading the poems and download a print version: https://saoltaarts.com/stories/menu-of-poems/

Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann HSE West and North West / FSS an Iarthair agus an Iarthuaiscirt Healthy Ireland

23/05/2026

Please consider nominating us.... should we be successful this funding will support our visual arts and music programmes for our patients in Galway University Hospital and Portiuncula University Hospital
https://movementforgood.com/draws/special/health-wellbeing/?utm_source=main-site&utm_medium=thank-you-modal&utm_campaign=health-special-draw&fbclid=IwVERTSAR-775leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR6IfdULHagjbSdcmacnxdsUeO3habOI9-SuB3oY3JKYGRMtnOweQ0SVyluH5Q_aem_qy7W7Dfi0CZNo27QuXCFFQ&sfnsn=wa

Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

01/05/2026

Excited to have The Tightrope Walker performing in Galway as part of Galway Theatre Festival this weekend.

A 20% discount is available for healthcare and cancer support staff and service users, to be claimed with the code

GTFTIGHTROPE26.

This is available on a limited amount of tickets, on a first come, first served basis.

Book your ticket: https://shorturl.at/Hboxq

We are thrilled to be bringing The Tightrope Walker to the wonderful for two performances this May!

When life throws us a curveball, how do we find our next step? The Tightrope Walker is a journey through crisis told with wit, warmth and wonder.

📍O’Donoghue Theatre, University of Galway
🗓 Saturday 2 May & Sun 3 May | 6pm | 70 minutes
🎟 €18/€16
🔗 Ticket booking link in our bio or visit galwaytheatrefestival.com

With humour and humility, the Tightrope Walker explores the precarious balancing act of serious illness and stitches the pieces of the story together in a different way each night. An innovative form and affirming tale, this moving solo performance connects us to the care, community and connection we may create in difficult times.

Writer and performer: Jenny Macdonald
Performer and sound operator: Bronwen Barrett
Director: Joe Salvatore
Set Designer: Pai Rathaya
Lighting Designer: Ciara Meehan
Sound Designer: Martha Knight
Stage Manager: Ruby Collin
Producer: Martha Cosgrove
Poster Image Credit: Vlad Gurdis

This performance is funded by Galway Theatre Festival and the Civic, Tallaght. The Tightrope Walker was developed through support from the Irish Hospice Foundation, The Arts Council of Ireland, South Dublin County Council Arts Office, and First Fortnight Festival.



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Image description: The poster image for The Tightrope Walker shows Jenny wearing a blue blouse and white doctor’s coat, holding a blue file folder and looking at the camera. Behind her there are white sheets with numbers printed on them scattered on a light green background. The show title and performance details are displayed on the left side of the photo.

29/04/2026

As part of the Poems for Patience project, Saolta Arts runs an annual poetry competition.

The competition was judged since 2013 by the late Kevin Higgins, writer in residence at Galway University Hospitals from 2006 to 2023. It is now judged by his wife, poet Susan Millar DuMars, in his memory.

In her introduction during the launch, Susan Millar DuMars, said: “This was an extremely difficult choice to make. I was drawn to the poems that depicted small glints of light in the face of unimaginable fear and loss. Finding that balance between pain and hope is such a delicate task, and all five of these poems do so movingly. I won’t forget any of them for a long time.”

This year’s winning poem was Supermarket Days by Eileen Casey. At the launch she said: “I am delighted to be among the Poems for Patience curated collection. I hope my poem Supermarket Days brings inspiration and empathy to others.”

Patients described the project as a welcome moment of stillness during hospital visits. One said: “It is great to be able to stop for a minute and forget everything and share in a silent way with the world.”

Another described the poems as a “wonderful collection to ease the mind of even the most impatient patient.”

22/12/2025

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas from Saolta Arts. 🎄✨

Here is some Christmas cheer brought to you by and special guest David.

A heartfelt thank you to all the staff, musicians, and artists who filled our hospitals with creativity throughout 2025. Special thanks to Niall Teague, Mick Brown Folksinger, Javier Mula, and Bernard Naughton, whose music brought connection and joy to patients and staff in Merlin Park University Hospital, University Hospital Galway, and Portiuncula University Hospital.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to all our partners, funders, and supporters. Your belief in our work enables us to bring creativity, engagement, and moments of joy to patients, families, and staff in our hospitals.

Here’s to more arts and music in 2026. ✨🎶




Creative Ireland Healthy Ireland Galway City Council Galway County Council HSE West and North West / FSS an Iarthair agus an Iarthuaiscirt HSE Ireland Healthy Galway City Healthy Galway County The Arts in Galway