Poet Laureate Draws Full House in Newcastle Library

Newcastle Library welcomed a full audience on Friday evening as Poet Laureate Simon Armitage visited County Down as part of his UK-wide Laureate’s Library Tour.

The library was selected to represent the letter ‘N’ on the 2026 tour, marking the first public library stop in Northern Ireland on Simon Armitage’s ten-year journey celebrating libraries as vital cultural spaces.

Guests gathered from 7:00pm, enjoying music from harpist Anne Harper and light refreshments before the formal proceedings began. Attendees included members of local creative writing groups, library customers and poetry enthusiasts from across the Mourne area, reflecting the strong literary community connected to Newcastle Library.

Photo: Jim O'Hagan, Chief Executive of Libraries NI, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Poet Dean Browne and Bonnie Anley, Chairperson of Libraries NI

Chairperson of the Board of Libraries NI, Ms Bonnie Anley, formally welcomed guests, highlighting the role of public libraries as trusted community spaces where stories, creativity and culture come together. She thanked Simon Armitage for choosing Newcastle Library and acknowledged the week-long programme of supporting events celebrating poetry and place.

The evening’s readings began with Irish poet Dean Browne, whose contemporary work engaged the audience from the outset. He was followed by Simon Armitage, who delivered a captivating and often humorous reading, sharing poems exploring everyday life, landscape and national moments of reflection.

Toni Kelly, Newcastle Branch Library Manager, said: “This was a special evening for our library and our community. To welcome the Poet Laureate as part of this national tour, alongside Dean Browne, was a real privilege. The response from the audience shows how much creativity, poetry and shared cultural experiences matter to people here in the Mournes.”

Throughout the evening, the atmosphere was warm and attentive, with moments of laughter, reflection and sustained applause. The visit marked the culmination of a series of creative events hosted in Newcastle Library during the week, including workshops on pyrography, creative writing, local heritage and townland names, all celebrating poetry and the cultural life of the Mournes.

Libraries NI would like to sincerely thank Simon Armitage and Dean Browne for visiting Newcastle Library and for sharing their work so generously with the local community.

Click here for more information on upcoming events in Newcastle Library.