Writing contest honors Steven McDonald

The Irish Cultural Society announced its annual Martin J. Kelly Writing Contest for students in the 9th through 12th grades in Nassau County.

This year, students are asked to compose a four-line Gaelic quatrain honored NYPD Det. Steven McDonald who died Jan. 10.

To compose the ancient poem, the first line of the verse must be three syllables; the following three lines must be seven syllables each. The rhyme structure tasks the poets to rhyme lines one, two and four, and to cross rhyme the third line rhyme with the third syllable of the fourth line. The challenge of this quatrain tests the students’ creativity and facility with language.

An example:

A Gaelic Quatrain for Steven McDonald

Forgiveness—

It confirmed your saintliness

To people needing heroes.

The world owes you endlessness.

The Society’s web site, www.irish-society.org, also contains “helpful hints” to the contestants about how to approach the writing task. Entries are due by March 17, 2017.

The Society has been sponsoring a writing contest for over thirty-two years. This year the Society will award $50 prizes to the best fifty verses. Multiple verses are invited.