'Yellow Days' - a new collection of poetry by the Harbour Poets

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the HSE’s Memory Harbour service are delighted to announce the launch of Yellow Days a new poetry pamphlet by the Harbour Poets.

The Memory Harbour is part of a national network of HSE Memory Technology Resource Rooms (MTRRs). These are assistive technology and memory enablement demonstration sites where people with memory concerns or dementia and their families, when referred, can meet with an Occupational Therapist for a consultation. Each member of the Harbour Poets was seen in the Memory Harbour and then invited to participate in the poetry group. Through this project, they navigated the brain health challenges of planning, organising, meeting new people as well as challenging their language skills to reflect and write this fantastic collection of poetry. They came together with poet Grace Wilentz and Catherine Keogh, Senior Occupational Therapist to create this collection of poetry which includes work by each member. 

Cllr. Jim O’Leary, Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: 

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is delighted to launch this poetry pamphlet as part of the Council’s Arts and Health Programme funded by the HSE. It proves that changes in our brains should not and do not limit our creativity.” 

Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said: 

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is very pleased to continue our work supporting people as they age to continue to access creative and challenging arts experiences in their local area that positively impact their wellbeing.”

Welcoming the launch of the Yellow Days Poetry Collection, Fiona Hammond, Head of Service for Primary Care, HSE Dublin South and Wicklow, said: 

“Since the Memory Harbour was established in 2019, its value to the wider community has been greatly enhanced through the dedication of our Occupational Therapists and the engagement of service users and their families.  This collaboration is beautifully credited and showcased through the Yellow Days collection of poetry. It also demonstrates the importance of HSE Primary Care and Older Persons Services supporting and promoting brain health while encouraging creativity of service users.” 

‘Yellow Days’ was funded by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the HSE and supported by the Memory Harbour. The project was managed by dlr Arts Office as part of the dlr Arts and Health Programme.

If you are interested in receiving a copy of ‘Yellow Days’ or would like more information about this project, please contact the Arts Office at arts@dlrcoco.ie or (01) 236 2759.