Award for Mayo-based Latwest Association's poetry book

THE Latwest Association, based in Claremorris, have received an award from the Irish Hospice Foundation Creative Ireland programme for the publication of their poetry book, Reflections on the Bridge.

The publication will be going to print in early 2022 and contains poetry and translations in English, Latvian and Irish.

The poetry deals with many issues of concern and connection that affects the lives of both Latvian immigrants in Ireland and Irish emigrants abroad.

Noel Lyons and Skarleta Mukane are to the forefront of this publication and are delighted that this project is acknowledged by such an auspicious award. They have both contributed their own poetry and lyrics to the publication as well as the translations of Irish poets such as Pádraig Pearse, Antaine Rafteirí and Seán Clarárach Mac Domhnaill and famous Latvian poets Guntars Racs, Janis Peters and Ziedonis Purvs.

The Latwest Association offer support to the local diaspora and promote municipal, university, tourism and business links between both countries. Latwest have received several Embassy awards in recognition of their efforts.

They published a music CD of previous works called Angels in Your Eyes, which was nominated for Latvian Album of the Year in their Golden Mikrafons awards 2020. They will also be publishing another album in 2022 based on the music of internationally renowned composer Raimonds Pauls with lyrics translated from the works of several Latvian poets.