We celebrate Latvia’s 20th anniversary of joining the EU with a special poetry exhibition.
The Embassy of Ireland was delighted to present the exhibition “Beacons at Bealtaine” from 2 May until 16 May, at the EU House, Riga.
The poem “Beacons at Bealtaine” was originally written by Irish poet Seamus Heaney to celebrate the Day of Welcomes in Dublin on 1st May 2004, when Latvia and nine other countries joined the European Union.
To mark the twentieth anniversary of this historic day, the poem was translated, displayed with beautiful designs based on the national flags and published in the national languages of the ten states – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia and Poland. The poem was translated into Latvian by the well-known translator and poet Inga Gaile.
Seamus Heaney (1939-2013) was an Irish poet, translator, teacher and critic. One of the most celebrated writers of his generation, he published 13 collections of poetry and was awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.
You can also read the translation of the poem and learn more about the Day of Welcomes at www.ireland.ie.