#LoveyourBike #LovePoetry Dublin Cycling Campaign is launching a poetry competition on the theme of the beloved bicycle. As many cyclists already know, you can become very attached to your bicycle. Expressed in the words of Flann O’Brien, in ‘The Third Policeman’, written at the end of the 1930s but published only posthumously, he outlined his “Atomic Theory” of cycling: spend too long on a bike, O’Brien argued, and you’ll begin to exchange atoms with your machine!

Joyce-cycle is a pageant of over one hundred participants of all ages on bicycles on the theme of Irish writers, who will be participating in the St. Patrick’s Parade on behalf of Dublin Cycling Campaign.

As we joyfully celebrate the many Irish writers who incorporated the bicycle in their literature, Dublin Cycling Campaign is today launching a poetry competition in collaboration with Poetry Ireland on the theme of bicycles. There will be a junior under 16 and senior category, with cash prizes ranging between €200 and €500. Winning poems will be published online and printed, with the poet retaining copyright for any further publications.

There will be three judges, one from the Dublin Cycling Campaign, one from Poetry Ireland and one from the sponsors.

It would be preferable if poems were no more than 40 lines, but can be as few lines as you wish. They must be original and previously unpublished.

There is no entry fee and you may submit multiple poems.

The final date for submitting your poem is midnight on the 1st March and winners will be announced on the 7th of March. POETRY COMPETITION FORM

There will be a further press launch on the 7th of March when the winners of the Poetry Competition will be invited to read their poems.

Dublin Cycling Campaign will be in the main body of the parade, following on from the success of its highly-regarded pageant Freedom Machine last year. The Campaign will be ahead of a marching band and guaranteed RTE live coverage, and will also be included in the Irish Times Festival Guide and the main St. Patrick’s Festival Guide. Printed versions of the winning poems on cards and bookmarks will be given out to the watching public on St. Patrick’s Day, to encourage interaction and promote the winning poets.

For more information: Check out the pageant website Joyce-Cycle