The Bitterness of Reality
Who are we? What are we made of?
Who do we have to tell us whether we are write or wrong?
Who do we have to look up to for inspiration, or anyone who has sang their song?
I’m just a man,
Full of goals and dreams,
To others it’s not of interest,
Or a joke it seems.
I know that many others think likewise,
I know that many others are trapped inside the overwhelming opinions of their peers,
Along with many others that aren’t strong enough to express their fears.
The world is your oyster,
Your place is with those
Who share your dreams ,
And will see how it goes.
Time waits for nobody,
Don’t be waiting for your call,
For if we do not work together,
There’ll be no more future at all.
Eoin Turner
Breathe
The tying of the knot,
The ever-waiting moment which you have fantasised about,
Judgement day is now on the horizon.
The good times and bad,
The everlasting preparation for your time
To show what you’ve done.
The anxiety,
How you could barely breathe
As your blood bobbled and boiled
Beneath your skin about to burst
But not quite ready,
The pain within
The unseen hurt.
The sensation,
The fear
And the feeling of finally attempting
What felt like years of planning.
These walls remember rising high,
Having to expose to yourself to what seemed to be thousands.
You remember the corner,
The colour of the curtain,
How it oppressed
And caressed you.
Remember the struggle you went through,
It engulfed
And consumed you.
Just breathe.
Donal Cronin
Mistakes
It gives me a headache
Those thoughts slitter like a snake
The loud and sorrowful mistakes
Those noises make my stomach ache
Is but a shallow thought
Brought upon sound I had fought
My thoughts wonder
As I sleep under the cover
Cian Casey
I Sleep
I sleep at night, dreaming and imagining
I think about the world around me
And how it’s such a beautiful place
I play with my friends
I spend lots of time with them
And I love them
I spend my time on my phone
Texting my friends Who will be with me until the end
Laughing and smiling around every bend
I game with my friends night and day
They make me smile and laugh
Talking and joking the night away
Ruairi
Darkness
Let me tell you a story about what the shadows whisper.
No matter the size big or small, a shadow can always whisper.
They can whisper about your biggest regrets or your greatest triumph.
You might think you are safe but a shadow never hides.
Now go but remember this. You never know what the shadows whisper.
Vinny Atkinson
The Club
The games are played and we train,
Hurting physically but strengthening our brain.
Many a man has broken a bone,
But that man knows he is never alone.
Backing each other up everywhere we go,
Together for the highs but also any low.
Bellows are left in from the dads,
The craic is had with the lads.
We all train in the hope of success,
Giving our body the ultimate test.
Hopeful our team can defeat the rest.
We give our all for each other,
Because we are like a band of brothers.
When we win, we joyously celebrate,
And return known as a team of greats.
All the effort is worth it now,
We have won, and oh how we grow.
We are a family united for evermore.
Cormac O Reilly
Neglected
From the shadow, I hear a soft voice call
“I’m neglected from society, isolated, all alone
My government has betrayed me I’m only skin and bone”
I turn my back and walk away these words mean nothing to me
Why should I care for these voices?
I have more important places to be
But years go by, and sad voices cry much louder
“I’m addicted to these substances I need your help to stop”
“My families have deserted me I have nothing left”
How foolish was I to turn a blind eye
I never listened to the voices that needed me
And gave a helping hand to those at the outskirts of our society
The shadows whisper and soon there is silence
No words left to be spoken
The PEOPLE from the shadows gone and forgotten
Seamus O’Mahony
To Take Life
To find the one with no thought of humanity
To take the ones who take part in strife
To feed insanity
To end the gift of life
Conor Taylor
Second Thoughts
Second thoughts into my head.
As I slowly sink into my bed.
The deepest darkest thoughts that will never be told.
My soul slowly dispersing as it’s being sold.
Negative thoughts.
Tightening their knots.
Future thoughts that will never arise.
My body sits fading always as it cries.
Daniel
Remember
Remember who is kind and who is not,
Who will make you feel good about yourself and who will not,
Who is always there for me,
Accepting me for the person I choose to be.
Who has done something good for me?
I will always remember them and help them when they need me,
The sadness and regret of not achieving a dream,
But after never giving up and achieving it,
I will start to beam.
Someone who is always great to me
And I will never do anything to upset them,
Even if it’s for clout.
Anon
Everything
The lads and the knowledge and the fun and the craic
The heartbreak and torture and disappointment
The pride and sense of achievement
They remember
Everything
William Kilmartin
Untitled
Remember
The cold night of December
For what you did
What you did is done
But your feet weigh a tonne
From trying to run away from something
You can’t out run
Now you feel cold inside
After saying that you lied
About something that is now
Considered old news
Kieran Roche
Legends
Commemorate the legends walking through these walls,
Their sporting accomplishments still existent,
These walls recollect the power of the ball being pucked off them.
Adam Noonan
The Whistle Blows
The whistle blows to start the game
The manager is ready to proclaim
The eruption of the fans as they score
The crowd keeps screaming more and more
Walking up to get the medal
This feeling I’ll remember forever
The celebrations that followed that night
I’ll never forget being high as a kite
Senan Long
I Found
I found my friends,
And drove my Mercedes Benz,
I had the most fun,
As my life begun,
I got my first victory royal,
And my squad stayed loyal.
Jack O’Shea
The Walls
The old scrappy tractors pass out,
No fear of these tractors to sellout.
The cows strolling out followed by the old cold farmer,
This man is such a charmer.
The new farmer took ownership,
We all hope he won’t leave it drip.
The cows pass out as they are being sold,
Didn’t make a lot is what I was told.
The new big machinery pass in,
The cost would give you a grin!
Bryan Cashman
The Rumble
The rumble of the combine
Starting up on a beautiful summers day
At the start of harvest.
The grain being piled up against them
And supporting the weight until it’s sold
Matthew Massey
Untitled
Where the grain is drawn
I get frowned upon
The cattle are moved
The tractors is started
The load is departed
The moneys made
This is how I get paid
Aaron McIntosh
Where
Where we had those first laughs,
While messing in the back of that double arts and crafts,
Where the principal told us that we’d gone too far,
“But we didn’t do anything Miss, it was all Joseph Carr”,
The place where we got our first summer grades,
And those tests hit our parents, like Afghans with grenades,
Where we asked for the en of that cheese chicken roll,
It solved all our problems, fixed body and soul,
Where all the memories flashback in my head,
There was a few bad ones but I remember the good ones instead.
Eddie Hennigan
My 4th Year in School
I’m in a school called the Academy
I’m in TY and times are great
We get barely any homework unless we have French or maybe some English
We got planning permission for the new build
But we probably won’t see the new school
Until we get to college
And hopefully it will be great
But unfortunately I will not be in the school to witness it.
Conor
Always Tired
Always tired
Tired of trying
Getting nothing back
Life isn’t fair, no one ever said it was
Common myth
Girls, twirls and curls
Swirls, hurls and essence
Taking it away
The pain and tiredness gone
All for nothing
Nothing for everything
It just isn’t worth it
Fintan O’Keeffe
My Life
I was good at soccer but now I would rather be a boxer
I was bad at being a boxer so I tried a little bit harder
My life has been getting harder but I try shouting out louder
Jarrad O’Keeffe
Untitled
I come from Lombardstown
The estate where the boys grow up,
Asking what’s up
Playing on the swings
Pretending we have wings
Running on the streets
Listening to so some beats
Iain McSweeney
My Simple Hurley
My simple hurley
Destroyer of teams
Destruction of dreams
My simple hurley
My simple hurley
My guardian, my protection
My weapon of mass destruction
My simple hurley
My simple hurley
I’ll trust in you,
Do your worst
My simple hurley
Tadhg
Untitled
Formed in ’84, and we nearly fell apart.
Promoted from the first division,
Just 2 years ago,
We beat Dundalk to win the double
And then when Seani left for Preston.
Caulfield gone, now Fenn’s in,
Finished one place safe of relegation,
We’ll be back again next year and we’ll make our reformation.
Ruairi O’Dea
Coppers
Teachers, Students; Nurses, Guards.
Told her I was County, Scored form 90 yards.
County colours, jersey pullers,
Not the type of girl to take home to your mother.
Cheesy tunes, mighty craic,
Grown men dancing to Westlife tracks.
Pints and bottles, girls with loose morals,
You’ll find em all in Coppers
Kevin Graham
My Name
My Name is Coco
I live in a tree
I sell bananas for 99p
Big or small what ever you choose
My bananas are always good news
Seán O’Riordan
It All Began
A winters day in deep and dark December
Where it all started
Our B2 journey began
In early July, we had a setback when Ruairi got sent off
6 weeks later, he’s back in action ready to give ya our satisfaction
He sent pour Billy butler away in an ambo whilst Ruairi drove away in his Lambo
Croke Rovers may have got lucky and took the North Cork cup but not the county cup
It is now October and our journey continues
Grenagh won’t know what hit them
Come on Kilshannig come on
Gavin Sheehan
Here
I’m here in the back of class
Writing this poem
I wish I was at home
I’m chillin with the bros
David Horgan
Remember
Remember the first day
We started first year,
Our hands trembling with fear.
As a tiny petrified 13 year old boy, just trying to fit in.
The first time I got bullied and hit,
How that felt like crap
The stress of the junior cert
How at the end,
It was worth it all.
Or was it?
Rory Walsh
The Final Contact
The days of loneliness and sorrow,
The feeling of no tomorrow
The long lonely nights, days after fights
The continuous attempts of broken hearts to keep in touch,
When they don’t talk much
The sounds of cries for help, from those who seek it
The final contact between those broken souls which once where inseparable,
But now are no longer connectable
Oisin Breen
Untitled
Roses are red
Violets are blue
My heart is dead
I’m such a fool
Why did I fall for you
I gave it all to you
Anon
School
We began the year
A fresh start, all clear
Students looking forward to class
Hoping to pass
Going home at last
The evening falling
My mother calling
Another day of school
Darragh O’Keeffe
Croker Dreams
Our hurling dreams began
We trained hard . We ran and ran
We’ve won and we’ve lost
We’ve counted all the costs
Here was where the vision started
Our forwards have made runs, darted
We grew up
We watched others winning cups
Celebrations are going to be unreal
When we rediscover how winning B2 feels
Tom Cunningham
Our Journey
This is where our journey began
We had some great days and some bad days
We won and we lost
We won every game up to the final
The final was on we lost and it all went to bust
Adam Kinsella
On the Field
Points and goals were scored
This is where people became heroes and friends became foes.
This is where people got floored
Training went on while all the rain poured.
Cups were won and battle was done
All underneath a blazing hot sun.
This is where jerseys were torn
And most importantly this is where county players are born.
Andrew Leneghan
Men
Men aren’t made in the gym
Or they aren’t made in from fighting
Men are made from something
They have deep inside of them
A desire,
A dream,
A vision.
Seám Connell
Where
Our hurling dreams began
And we trained. We ran and ran
We’ve won and we’ve lost
We’ve counted the costs
Here the vision started
And our forwards made runs that darted
We grew up
And watched others lift cups
Celebrations are going to be unreal
When we rediscover how winning B2 feels
Tom Cunningham
I Dream
I dream of repetitive days and nights
The broken dreams of sun-close flights
Entropy causes life to decay in fire
So I’ll keep going, I’m a heartless liar
Euan Mangan
Desire
We desire
A safe and clean world
Without pollution and poverty
No smoke or smog
Just life and joy
Shane Walsh
That Friend in Need
We all have that friend in need,
That friend that needs our love.
Our friend that reaches out and cries,
To our very own God above.
We wonder how they feel,
Or are we really sure
If they have anyone behind them
But their shadow on the floor
So tell them you know they need help
And let them fill with glee,
It’ll be such a great feeling,
And they’ll thank you soon, you’ll see
Eoin Turner
We Met Eyes
Across the mat, we met eyes,
The top podium place my final prize.
The crowd were screaming, expecting a scrap,
And they were about to receive just that.
First round in, half way through,
We were both feeling black and blue.
A point up, 120 seconds left,
My first time sparring as a black belt.
With the final bell I had won,
But my day was surely not done.
Across the stadium, we met eyes,
My girl who was watching, my true prize.
Paul Heavin
Change
Can things please change
We way we treat each other is strange
Making people feel sick in their stomach
Making them think they don’t belong
Making them feel hated because of their ways
All they want is just some praise
Tell them they are doing OK
Tell them hey it’s fine
Because that’s all they want to hear
Make them feel a part of the three musketeers
No one wants to be alone
They just want to be known
Help them get over their fears
Help them make everything more clear
Just wipe their tears
And their worries will disappear
Niall O’Shea
My Life
I like to play GAA.
I have pride in living in the county-side.
School is good craic my schoolbag isn’t heavy on my back.
Playing rugby is another one of my hobbies.
Sometimes I go swimming in the river afterwards,
I get cold and shiver.
My mam is a bit disabled,
I help out when I’m able.
I go for a puck with the lads and we have good craic.
Sean Bartley
Gains
My name is James
I go to the gym and get some gains
I go hooping
I don’t play football and I don’t play hurling
Up at the dumbbell rack is where I’m curling
James Buckley
The Hurling Grind
On the hurling field I do compete,
Training head to make the team sheet,
Winning counties, pretty neat,
Broken bones and smelly feet.
Blood, sweat and tears,
We never fear,
To pull hard on the small sphere,
The grind goes on all year.
Seán O’Riordan
Grandad
My grandad was a legend
He had a bit of craic
But when he to heaven
I would never get him back
He had so many stories
That came from the heart
So when I meet him again
I won’t know where to start
Alan O Sullivan
Ash on Ash
15 on 15 when the ball is thrown in
Man on man
Ash on ash
Friends become enemies
60 minutes becomes a lifetime
All the parish on the line watching on
Old men wishing they could relive the glory days
Young boys dream that they will be out there one day
The team have dreamed of this day their whole lives and now it’s here
It’s just one point, one puck of a ball
But it can change it all
Seán Ring
Under the Oak Tree
Under the oak tree my character was shaped
Relationships blossomed and Friendships were made
Fights were had and laughs were dealt
Words were vocal, heard and felt
Under the oak tree is where I was raised
Under that tree, I’ll never forget those days
Kevin Graham
Farming
Raised in the country, always working
Into the cattle mart that’s where I’m lurking.
Learned to drive at the age of 10
Hearing stories of the past from old men
Spend my days training dogs
Or else I’m flat out splitting logs
Up on the tractor I’m putting up mileage
Trying to round up all the bales of silage
Sean Palmer
Last Day
My name is Daniel
I’m only fifteen
I like to play sports
It’s the last day of term
And I can’t wait to go home
Daniel
Excited
Last day of school,
I feel relieved all year long I believed.
So thankful for this day,
Can’t wait to play soccer with my friend Ray,
So excited because I am delighted because I wrote this poem.
Diarmaid Murphy
Walked in the Wind
I first scored a goal
I shovelled the coal
I made vivid memories
We celebrated anniversaries
I cried
I hide
I laughed
I drank draught
I lived
I thrived
I done a good deed
I bleed
We sinned
I walked in the wind
Fionn Sheehan
The Bus Stop
Rocks were slingshot across the carpark,
It was a laugh, waiting for passengers to disembark.
We watched lads attempt climbing on the bus stop,
Try and try again, inevitably they never got on top.
We laughed at the lad whose bag got stuck on the roof,
It began to rain, the bag wasn’t even rainproof.
Dirty snowballs were thrown at the back of lads heads and dripped down their necks,
Loners (including me) staring at girls that deep down they know, they’ll never get off with.
And this is where countless lads waited every day, hoping their bus would be on time,
This was the best poem I could write and I really hope I’ll make it rhyme.
Anon
Untitled
The truths never to be told
Many years old
Secrets kept to me
The light of day they’ll never see
The thoughts I’ll never voice
I feel it’s not really my choice
The need to be tough
Even when life is rough
Luke Hever