Jane Clarke interview about Coracle on RTÉ Radio 1's CountryWide
Irish poet Jane Clarke's fourth full-length collection, Coracle, is published in the UK and Ireland by Bloodaxe Books in October 2026. It is a Poetry Book Society Recommendation for Winter 2026. Scroll down for details of Bloodaxe's international online launch event on 20 October.
Coracle explores what it means to care for each other and the natural world in the midst of social and environmental jeopardy. With a timeless lyricism her poems attend to lives, language and landscape. Her finely observed, distilled and intimate poems reflect on our kinship with all living things. The coracle, a small, simple boat used from antiquity to the present day symbolises our shared vulnerability and resilience. Heart-stirring and wise, this collection – her fourth – faces the reality of loss while celebrating acts of restoration that inspire hope.
Jane Clarke's 2019 second collection When the Tree Falls, was shortlisted for the Pigott Poetry Prize 2020, the Irish Times Poetry Now Award and the Farmgate Cafe National Poetry Award 2020, as well as being longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize 2020. Her debut collection The River (2015) was the first poetry book to be shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize. Jane Clarke grew up on a farm in Co. Roscommon, and has lived for the past thirty years near Glenmalure, Co. Wicklow. Her anthology of nature poetry, Windfall: Irish Nature Poems to Inspire and Connect (Hachette Books Ireland), illustrated by Jane Carkill, was published in hardback on 1 November 2023. Ten poems inspired by Jane's visits to the Burrenbeo Trust Farming for Nature Ambassadors featuredin The Hare's Corner: Making Space for Nature, New Island Books, which was published in September 2025, and are now included in her fourth collection Coracle.
Do join Bloodaxe for this launch event for our new October titles. Bloodaxe editor Neil Astley will be joined by Jane Clarke, Carolyn Forché and Chase Twichell. All three poets will be reading live from their new poetry books, followed by a discussion about their work.
This free Bloodaxe launch event will be streamed on YouTube Live on this YouTube page: https://youtube.com/live/p1cB6hjTCeY
Watch live or later via YouTube.
The Lyric Feature: Where the River Rises, RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 2 February 2025, 6pm, rebroadcast on Sunday 14 June 2026, 6pm
Jane Clarke presented an evocative documentary feature for lyric fm in which she explored the Avonmore River in County Wicklow through poetry and conversation. The Lyric Feature: Where the River Rises was first broadcast on 2 February 2025, and was rebroadcast on 14 June 2026.
Originally from Co Roscommon, Jane Clarke has been living in County Wicklow for the past thirty years. In that time, she has grown to know and love the Avonmore River but has also become concerned about environmental threats to the river’s water, wildlife and surrounding landscape.
Where the River Rises explores the nature and history of the Avonmore River through conversation with naturalists and historians as she follows the river from its source by the Sally Gap until it joins with the Avoca River. Along the way, Jane stops to read poems which celebrate the nature of the Avonmore River, describe its fragility, and celebrate efforts being made to protect and restore it.
Jane reads her poems ‘The Dipper’, ‘Lazy Beds’ and ‘Stepping In’ from her third collection A Change in the Air, and the title poem from her 2019 collection When the Tree Falls. She also reads her new poems ‘Barnacullian Bog’ and ‘Anna in Mayo’, part of a sequence of poems inspired by the leader of the Ladies' Land League, Anna Parnell. Those two poems are now published in Jane Clarke’s fourth collection Coracle, published by Bloodaxe in October 2026.
The feature is available on the RTÉ Radio Player as a separate chapter. Jane reads her poems ‘The Dipper’ at 5.48, ‘Lazy Beds’ at 13:52, ‘Barnacullian Bog’ at 21:47, ‘When the Tree Falls’ at 29:43, ‘Anna in Mayo at 35:52 and ‘Stepping In’ at 44:44.
Listen here.
Ahead of the June 2026 rebroadcast, Martin Doyle included a mention of the programme in his online Books Newsletter in The Irish Times of 12 June 2026. Read here.
Ahead of the first broadcast in 2025, Jane Clarke wrote a piece about the programme for RTÉ Culture, in which she and the five contributors are pictured on location. Read here.
The Culture File Debate: The Hare's Corner XXXL Edition, RTÉ lyric fm, Wednesday 17 December 2025
This edition of The Culture File Debate was recorded in front of an audience at Dublin Book Festival in November 2025. Paddy Woodworth led a discussion between authors Catherine Cleary and Jane Clarke, and illustrator Jane Carkill. Their book The Hare’s Corner: Making Space for Nature (New Island Books) was published in September 2025. With original music by Colm Mac Con Iomaire. The Culture File is Luke Clancy's arts and culture magazine, and he introduced the episode.
Jane Clarke read three poems from The Hare’s Corner, all of which will be included in her forthcoming fourth collection Coracle. Jane read and introduced her poems ‘Calf’, 'Hen Harriers of Sliabh Aughty' and 'Goats on Leitrim Hill'.
A beautiful set of videos filmed in the various locations where these poems are set, with audio of Jane reading the poems, was made by Burrenbeo Trust in 2025. They can be seen at the top of Jane’s YouTube page here. Scroll down to see the video of 'Hen Harriers of Sliabh Aughty'.
‘An ancient Irish farming tradition that sees the wisdom of leaving some farm land free from the imperatives of production -- ‘The Hare’s Corner’ -- is celebrated in poetry, story, discussion and music. Paddy Woodworth leads a panel featuring Jane Clarke, Catherine Cleary, Jane Carkill and Colm Mac Con Iomaire.’
Jane Clarke’s poems feature at 12:22, 17:55 and 22:59.
https://www.rte.ie/radio/lyricfm/clips/22569994/
'Hen Harriers of Sliabh Aughty'
'Hen Harriers of Sliabh Aughty': inspired by a visit to Nia O'Malley's Farming for Nature farm in south Co. Galway. This poem by Jane Clarke features in The Hare's Corner: Making Space for Nature, (New Island Books, 2025) and Coracle (Bloodaxe Books, October 2026). The film was made by Burrenbeo Trust, 2025.
JANE CLARKE READS TWO NEW POEMS ON RTÉ RADIO 1’s COUNTRYWIDE
CountryWide, RTÉ Radio 1, Saturday 4 October 2025, 8-9am
Jane Clarke read two new poems on a special edition of RTÉ Radio 1’s CountryWide devoted to new books about farms, rural life and nature.
The new poems read by Jane, ‘Walls of Arainn’ and ‘Come October’, are included in Jane Clarke’s illustrated book The Hare’s Corner and in her fourth collection Coracle.
The Hare’s Corner: Making Space for Nature (New Island Books), by Jane Clarke and Catherine Cleary, with illustrations by Jane Carkill, was published in hardback on 26 September 2025.
Jane Clarke’s poems are available as separate clips.
‘Walls of Arainn’ - listen here.
‘Come October’ - listen here.
The full programme is available here.
JANE CLARKE READS A NEW POEM ON RTÉ RADIO 1’s COUNTRYWIDE
CountryWide, RTÉ Radio 1, Saturday 19 July 2025, 8-9am
Jane Clarke read her new poem ‘Barnacullian Bog’ on a special edition of RTÉ Radio 1’s CountryWide devoted to bogs. Ella McSweeney was looking at how our relationship with the bog has changed over the past few years, from one of extraction and peat production, to one of creation and restoration.
The poem is inspired by bog restoration in Wicklow mountains, where she joined a group of volunteers involved in the restoration. Jane Clarke's reading was accompanied by the sounds of her walk up to the bog described in the poem.
‘Barnacullian Bog’ is included in Jane’s fourth collection, Coracle, published by Bloodaxe in October 2026.
Jane Clarke’s poem is available as a separate clip: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22531941/
The full programme is available here: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22531902/
[15 October 2026]
