Sheila Fitzpatrick O'Donnell

Sheila Fitzpatrick O'Donnell is a regular reader at the White House Poetry Revival sessions.

JULY 2014

I met Sheila at the Hunt Museum during the lunchtime poetry readings. She told me about her latest project involving her friend and fellow poet, Dr. Bridget Wallace. The project is called 'Reading at Random' and involves touring with a chair ... yes ... a chair (only Sheila etc. ...). The intention is to promote creativity by offering the seat to anybody who wished to 'read at random'. So far, they've visited Sligo, Tulla and Sixmilebridge and they hope to get enough funding to for a poetry bus (more seats) to take on a Poetry Tour of Ireland. She says they are on facebook. Check it out. (BB)

Encouraged by her mother Polly, also a poet, who introduced her to the White House Poetry Revival sessions, Sheila has been writing poetry for since about 2005. To date, Sheila has been published in Revival, The Stony Thursday Book, and Boyne Berries. With contributions to anthologies Poetic Humour (Cube Printing, , Anthology for a River and, (by invitation), SEXTET (an anthology comprising six poets) in 2010, Sheila has also read at venues such as Cork’s ΌBhéal and Galway’s ‘Over the Edge’, where she has been a guest poet. A native of Limerick City, Sheila now lives in Shanagolden, Co. Limerick.

A florist by trade, Sheila’s first collection, fittingly entitled A Bouquet of Trilogies (Revival Press), was launched at the White House Bar on February 6, 2013.

"Poetry is the key that 

                      opens the door to my soul"

                                - Sheila Fitzpatrick O'Donnell

POEM 

(1)

POETIC DREAM

-For Polly- 

With a firm handshake

a smile

and the wink of an eye

you welcomed me

to the realm of poetry

/... (first stanza of three)

POEM

(2)

THE KEY

I asked for a sign.

A fresh yellow rose.

Just One.

I wondered if you heard me.

/... (Opening lines)

POEM

(3)

THE LIMERICK GIRLS PIPE BAND

Cloaked in emerald green

the silver flossy haired mascot

leading majorettes and pipe band

through the streets of Limerick

/... (First stanza of six)(!/!*)

See also:

Bridget Wallace Louis Mulcahy Joe Healy Evelyn Casey 

John Pinschmidt