Waterford's first SpeakEasy poetry event of 2026
Dean Browne will be the featured poet at SpeakEasy on Friday, February 20, in Phil Grimes Pub at 8pm.
The SpeakEasy poetry and open mic event returns for 2026, with a night of poetry and music on Friday, February 20, at 8pm in Phil Grimes Pub in Waterford City.
The featured poet is Dean Browne from Cork and the featured musician is jazz pianist and composer Phill Collins.
Dean Browne is a rising star on the Irish poetry scene, having received the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize in 2020. His first collection After Party is published by Picador and one of his poems recently featured in the New York Review of Books.
Phill Collins will be well-known to Waterford music lovers as a lecturer in jazz at SETU, and he also organised the Waterford Jazz Weekender, which ran successfully for a number of years. He also performs with the band Opus Pocus and as part of The Phill Collins Jazz Quartet.
The open mic session will remain a central part of the SpeakEasy event in 2026. The open mic attracts poets and writers of all levels, from those starting out to poets who have published collections. Both poetry and prose writers are warmly encouraged to take part.
SpeakEasy is sponsored by the Arts Office, Waterford City and County Council, with support from The Granville Hotel and Phil Grimes Pub. Entry is €5 on the door, cash only.
