L-R) Ria Higgins from The Sunday Times magazine joins Claire Keenan from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), Christopher Sommerville from The Times newspaper and the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke, at the On Home Ground Poetry Festival in Magherafelt. NITB hosted the journalists during the festival which was a celebration of poets and poetry and paid tribute to the life and works of one of Ireland’s greatest poets Seamus Heaney.

THE Northern Ireland Tourist Board has hosted a range of journalists during the On Home Ground poetry festival in Magherafelt.

The festival was a celebration of poets and poetry and paid tribute to the life and works of one of Ireland’s greatest poets Seamus Heaney.

Key events from the festival which took place in the Laurel Villa Guesthouse included readings from award-winning poet Michael Longley, a reading from the recently appointed Poet Laureate for Belfast Sinead Morrissey and an exhibition of paintings and drawings by renowned artist Michael McGuinness.