Comortas Filiochta Sheain Ui Riordain is the annual poetry competition run by Cork Institute of Technology as part of its Arts Fest.
This year, three fifth-year students from Colaiste Chriost Ri in Cork swept the boards in the competition, sponsored by Cork Corporation, which is, of course, as Gaeilge.
O Riordain, a native of the Baile Bhuirne Gaeltacht in Cork, worked for many years for the corporation but was periodically absent due to the onset of tuberculosis which plagued him all his life. Although he wrote extensively in both languages, he believed Irish was the medium through which he could best express his feelings.
The competition, says the teacher of the winning students, Mr Daithi O hAodha, encourages young people to deal with their modern-day demons. The recurring themes are relationships, love, loneliness, hardship and stress.
"The therapeutic nature of writing poetry should have a much higher place in our curriculum for school and for life. Looking at today's fast-paced and stressed-out world, we see that increasing numbers of young Irishmen cannot cope with the problems and feelings they encounter. But the competition has shown that young men can deal with highly complex emotions in a most sensitive way," he added.
The winning students were Liam O Murchu, Micheal O Briain and 17-year-old Sean O Riogain, who is passionate about music and the lyrics of U2. Poetry, he says, allows him to express his deepest thoughts and feelings. In Aithis Feinmharuithe, ("The Plea of Suicide"), he deals with a difficult subject which is now being studied much more seriously in Ireland:
Iosa, Iosa
Tog me leat
Go Parthas
Ta dochas ann gan dochas
Ar chuala tu mo screach?
Mo screach don cabhair.
The translation is:
Jesus, Jesus
take me with you
to paradise
There is hope there without hope.
Did you hear my cry?
My cry for help.