The White House poetry revival celebrated its 200th night last Wednesday, and if poetry enthusiast Barney Sheehan, 73, has anything to do it, the poetry nights will be earmarked in Limerick’s social calendar for ever more.

For the last four years,every Wednesday the famous old world bar is transformed into a centre of culture as poets recite their latest work.

Barney Sheehan and Dominic Taylor are the people behind the revival of poetry at the White House, and continue to attract the best of Irish and International poetry to Limerick.

But Mr Sheehan also believes it’s time for some new blood to come on board.

“I think there’s no reason why the White House poetry revival, in its present form, sociable to all, should not continue. I am completing my fourth year and I consider that it is more advisable that new blood be found to continue with the revival. It’s time I went,” said Mr Sheehan.

Commenting on the success of the series, Mr Sheehan said he found it “incredible that something of this nature has gone on so agreeably and affectively for so long, when in the beginning people gave it no chance at all.

But three international Tv cameras from this country, Germany and America, have all considered our work to be relevant in the context of our city. The most important consequence of course is that Limerick city, via the White House and via poetry, has received international positive recognition.”

Dominic Taylor

This week’s guest poet was Mike Mac Domhnaill, who has been shortlisted for the Francis MacManus short story award for 2007, and, who, Mr Sheehan said, “is quite typical of the quality of published national poets that we also entertain in the Irish language in the White House.”

Over the past four years some of the world’s most successful poets have visited the White House, including Austrian poet Vicky Rhomberg; American poets Buddy Wakefield and Derrick Brown; France’s Rolland Pauzin; Sarah Donnelly from Africa, and Harry Zefenbegen of Holland.

“I cannot but not mention Louis de Paor and Gabriel Fitzmaurice, who, to my mind, are two of the most outstanding, entertaining poets and poetry performers in this country,” he said.

The poetry nights have also witnessed special tribute evenings to a number of poets, including James Joyce, Michael Hartnett, Patrick Kavanagh and poems by Richard Harris, read by Barney Sheehan.

Just over a year ago, an anthology of poetry read at the White House, Microphone On, was published. Last week, issue three of Revival, a journal of contemporary poetry, was published, with issue four expected to be published this June.

The journals cost €7, and are available at the O’Connell Street pub, where the poetry readings begin every Wednesday at 9.30pm.

For further information contact Barney Sheehan at 086 8657494 or Dominic Taylor at 087 2996409