Spending time in nature is vital to our wellbeing and has provided the inspiration for countless stories, poems, and music throughout the ages. With this in mind, Powerscourt Gardens and Waterfall have partnered with Fighting Words – which provides free tutoring and mentoring in creative writing – to invite visitors to the estate to write a short poetic piece.

Those from ages seven up are invited to create a poem, write lyrics or compose a spoken-word piece inspired by nature they have observed at Powerscourt Gardens and Waterfall in July and August 2021. Submissions are online only and are entered into an open prize draw. The deadline for submissions is 31 August.

The first 20 entries will receive a family day pass to Powerscourt Gardens. To help visitors get inspired, a poetry trail featuring the ancient poem Song of Amergin has been installed in Powerscourt Gardens.

The overall winner selected in the open prize draw will be announced at the beginning of October and will receive a year’s annual family membership to Powerscourt Estate and a gift card worth €250. The three runners-up will receive annual membership to Powerscourt Estate.

For more information about Poetry in Bloom at Powerscourt, as well as full terms and conditions, visit powerscourt.com/poetryinbloom and fightingwords.ie/poetryinbloom.

A host of resources are available for free on the Powerscourt and Fighting Words websites to assist with submissions and creative writing.