I have always been attracted to Irish poetry. Maybe it's because my ancestors were Irish (My maternal great grandmothers were born in Cork and Waterford), or maybe it's because I appreciate the lyrical and rhythmic quality of it. I could never get enough of Seamus Heaney, James Joyce (Ulysses, although not poetry, is one of my favourite novels, and has directly influenced my own writing), and William Butler Yeats. Several years ago I was in Dublin with my wife (I was on a speaking trip, and she is a teacher of English) and as we were walking around the city, we stumbled upon the Dublin Writers Museum. We spent a fabulous 4 hours wandering around, just soaking up all the history, memorabilia and sense of awe at the collected talent of Irish poetry. If you're ever in Dublin, it's a must visit!
One of the jewels in the Wheelsong Books crown is a young Irish poet named Aoife Cunningham. She is a rare talent - a poet who writes far in advance of her years, and who taps into the visceral emotions and events that happen around her with brutal honesty and contagious humour. It really is a pleasure to read her poetry, and we had the distinct pleasure to publish her debut collection of poetry, Circus of Circles in 2024.
Circus of Circles is currently enjoying a surge of interest in sales. Aoife is fairly prolific anyway, so people are reading her work on our poetry groups with regularity. But they are also showing an interest in owning a copy of her beautiful work. Circus of Circles has recently been in the top 3 of Amazon's Irish poetry best sellers (yes, this is a fickle and rapidly changing chart, which depends upon arcane rules and algorithms that I suspect even the Amazon wizards don't fully understand .... since when was Dylan Thomas an Irish poet?)
Here is Aoife Cunningham's profile:
Key facts and background
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Aoife grew up in a rural area around Galway, in a family of six children: she is a twin to her brother, with two younger twin sisters and two older brothers. Source: Connacht Tribune
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She began writing poetry at around age 16 following a difficult period with her mental health — writing became a kind of lifeline for her. Source: Galway City Tribune
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Her writing is described as raw, unapologetic, and emotionally honest. She calls herself a “heartist”—combining “heart” and “artist.” Source: Connacht Tribune
Work & Achievements
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Her debut poetry collection is titled Circus of Circles.
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She launched “Circus of Circles” in December 2024—at the University Hospital Galway (UHG), as a gesture of gratitude to the hospital staff who had supported her during her difficult times. Connacht Tribune
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Many of the poems in that collection were written while she was in hospital. galwaydaily.com
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She has performed spoken-word poetry at events such as the Galway Fringe Festival (Fringe), at Dublins’ Àras Chrónáin, and at public literary events like those run by Over the Edge Literary Events in Galway. Connacht Tribune
Her Perspective & Style
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Her poetry seems deeply personal and oriented around healing, mental-health journeys, vulnerability — using art as a path to recovery and self-expression. Connacht Tribune
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By choosing to launch her book in the hospital where she had received her care, she deliberately highlights the connection between art, healing, community, and gratitude.
Circus of Circles is the first we hope of many collections we will see from Aoife Cunningham. Yes, the poetry is as colourful and evocative as the jazzy cover art. It's a volume of poetry that will not age, but will remain a snapshot of her prodigious writing talent. You can purchase your copy of Aoife's Circus of Circles from all good online bookstores *listed here, or directly from Wheelsong books by emailing wheelsong6@gmail.com
*Proceeds of the sales from this book will be donated to Save the Children by request of the author.
Steve Wheeler
