NEXT up for our #FiveOnFriday questionnaire is the rapid-tongued poet Lewis Kenny following his typically brilliant performance at the Therapy Sessions in FF16.

Lewis is one of the rising stars of the ever-growing Irish performance poetry scene; his uncompromising rhymes confront the issues facing our communities, drug culture, the unforgiving highs and lows of being a dedicated football nut… and everything else in between.

Such is his passion for ‘the beautiful game’ that he was appointed the first ever Poet in Residence at a League of Ireland club (Bohemians).

Take a look at some of his work here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSSarwlNMOU

INTERVIEW: MICHAEL QUINN

1. You’ve said that what makes you tick is ‘spreading the word about the growing poetry scene in Ireland’. The scene certainly seems to be growing thanks to the likes of younger poets like yourself. Do you find that people who may not have considered going to a poetry gig before are often surprised by how much they enjoy it?

Exactly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone coming away from their first poetry event saying: ‘Nah, that wasn’t really for me.’ Ireland is an overflowing pot in terms of the talent of it’s performance poets. Their work today has gone back to its roots of poetry. It’s very real, it’s in your face and it’s telling all our stories fresh from the vine and I think this is what draws people in, and will make them come out with a new-found perspective of what poetry can be for everyone.

2. You have the unique honour of being the first ever Poet in Residence at a League of Ireland club. Now that’s all well and good, but Bohs haven’t won the league since 2009! Do you think this year will bring a return to glory?

Last year was a huge year of progress for Bohemians. We secured our future in Dalymount Park with a deal with DCC which will see some much needed renovations take place up until 2020. Football-wise, it’s been a fantastic year for Bohs, one in which we were expected to struggle. The introduction of Keith Long as manager, someone whose footballing philosophy is very positive and means for attractive football, while keeping it tight at the back, has been greatly welcomed. The nearest similarity would be to what Mark Hughes has done with Stoke City. There have also been a few really good signings, such as Izzy Akinade from Bray Wanderers who helped us push on with attacking options. If we can keep our form going, and introduce a bit more experience into the team, I feel we can get back up to where we belong.

3. Poetry has been a staple of First Fortnight for a long time, and has always proved a hit with the crowd. You have been performing your words all over the place for a while now. What have been your most memorable places/crowds and which gigs will you be looking forward to in the coming year?

 The most memorable performances have been with the Come Here To Me group who put on variety performance and panel shows with some of Ireland’s leading cultural icons in The Sugar Club. I was asked to perform at both the first, and the second night, alongside the likes of Maser, Jim Fitzpatrick, ADW and Costello amongst many others. The second time around the chosen charity was the Rape Crisis Centre, a charity which means a lot to me. That probably would have been my most memorable.

I’ll be looking forward most to the final of the Inter-Varsity Poetry Slam in NCAD on March 9th. I set up the competition last year as a way of creating a poetry community at 3rd level and it was a roaring success.

 Since you’re involved with First Fortnight, we think it’s important to ask one question which touches on mental health.

4. You’ve often mentioned the problems suffered by you and your generation in your poetry. Irish people (and possibly young men in particular) have a reputation for preferring not to share their problems. Do you think, from your experience, that we’re getting any better at this?

I really hope so. From what I can gather, it is getting a lot better; I mean even close friends of mine will share things with me they probably wouldn’t have, and when I ask them why they told me, they say it was because they didn’t know how, until I had shown them through being open with poetry.

It’s something I’d never considered before, but from this I think once someone can confidently open up, it will inspire others to do so too. It reminds me of ‘Our Greatest Fear’:

‘… as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’ – Marianne Williamson

 5. We know it’s never easy, but it’s the standard fifth question in the #FiveonFriday to ask for you to choose 3 songs (from any time in your life) that you would reach out for to listen to if you weren’t feeling on top form. Which tunes would you go for?

Most recently it’s been an up-and-comer Dublin Rapper named Kevin Smith or Kojaque. His lines really speak to me in a way that’s very original for a rapper to be. In this, he talks about his own mental health, something that is very rarely explored through the medium of hip-hop:

Mic Christopher’s Heyday, because who could listen to this song and not feel that they could swim straight across the Atlantic Ocean!

Cian Finn ‘Precious Thing’ is a fantastically put together song wth a positive message. You can never go wrong with a 6”8 Rastaman from Galway.

Catch Lewis and all of Ireland’s best young poets at the Inter-Varsity Poetry Slam in NCAD March 9.

More info here: https://www.facebook.com/Intervarsitypoetryslam/?fref=ts