Launch of Souvenir Booklet ‘John Clifford Poems’

Launch of Souvenir Booklet ‘John Clifford Poems’

Larne Museum & Arts Centre

Saturday 7 October 2023, 2pm – 3.30pm

Larne Museum & Arts Centre is pleased to present a programme of 40th anniversary events commemorating the life of local man John Clifford, the first curator of Larne Museum, who passed away on 8 October 1983.

John left Larne in 1937 to take up a civil service post in London, where he became a professional actor. He returned to Larne 30 years later.

Following John’s death, Larne & District Folklore Society published ‘Poems of John Clifford’.

At the time, John’s friend, Sam Cross, wrote, “For more than half a century the name of John Clifford has been synonymous with poetry in the East Antrim area, where he reigned supreme as King of the Country Bards.”

Larne Museum & Arts Centre now presents a new publication containing selected poems by John Clifford.

The poems, arranged in chronological order, reveal John’s deep interest in the places and customs of rural Ulster, its people, their lore and their language.

This booklet has been published with financial support from The Executive Office through Council’s Good Relations Programme and in association with Stone Circle Publishing.

The booklet launch will take place as part of the launch of the John Clifford 40th Anniversary Exhibition at 2pm on Saturday 7 October 2023.