waterford (wô'tēr-fērd) n.

A short, affirming, verse of four usually iambic lines with the rhyme scheme abba, in which the first and fourth lines are of eight syllables, and the second and third lines are of four. A waterford can be biographic (about a person, or group of people), geographic (about a place), ekphrastic (about an artwork or art form), or philosphic (an optimistic aphorism). [est. 2024, named after Co. Waterford in south-east Ireland, founded by Kevin MacAlan]

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Click the 'EXAMPLES' button to learn more about this poetry format, with a selection of examples and an FAQ section.Click the 'ABOUT' button for details of the next annual waterford competition. Open to anyone, from anywhere, and free to enter!Click the 'ENTER' button to enter the competition.

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Fizza Abbas
Isobel de Barra
Colm Barry
Frances Browner
Paulette Calasibetta
Caoimhe Cooke
P J Cosgrove
Jenny Cox
Colin Dardis
Steve Denehan
Lara Dolphin
Kathleen Fahey
Nicola Fahey
Judith Flynn
Evie Groch
Neil Hallinan
Kate O Halloran
Hilary Healy
Siobhan Henley
Ceire Leigh
Peggy McCarthy
Lorraine McCullen
Grace McG
Mary McKenna
Bob McLaughlin
Clara McShane
Sheila Meaney
Nurzusilawati Binti Nadzri
Ellen O’Hora
Mary Oishi
Patrick O’Sullivan
Marian Robinson
David Ryan
Yvonne Salmon
Thomas Smith
Sylvi Thorstenson
Dominic Walsh
Patricia Wall
Mary Walsh
Kay Wolf

Fizzi Abbas
Colm Barry
Caoimhe Cooke
Jenny Cox
Lara Dolphin
Kathleen Fahey
Hilary Healy
Bob McLoughlin
Nurzusilawati Binti Nadzri
Patricia Wall

School Morning, KarachiBlue vans hum down the sleepy street,
books in a row,
dreams start to grow
in tiny hearts that skip each beat.

Fizzi Abbas

OthelloBitter fruit of unpeeled knowing;
Untolled telling;
Green eyes welling;
Tears of Iago’s ripened sowing.

Colm Barry

New ArrivalVelvet skin and a baby grow,
chunky, toasty,
quiet mostly,
a smile as soft as a rainbow.

Caoimhe Cooke

Love on the Bloor-Danforth LineBeneath Toronto's concrete skin,
Mercury slides.
I hate goodbyes.
You disembark at Dufferin.

Jenny Cox

Epitaph for a Bass Player
(for our friend, Fred)An upright man would pluck the strings.
Now in his place,
next to the bass.
Devout Sandalphon spreads his wings.

Lara Dolphin

Fifty-nine Years OnShe sat in her usual seat,
looked quite askance
when asked to dance.
Years later, they’re still on their feet.

Kathleen Fahey

The Three SistersThe River Suir, and land and lea,
of Munster sing,
till sisters bring
three voices to the Mother Sea.

Hilary Healy

BeautyBeauty, not really created -
found, discovered,
seen, uncovered -
often not anticipated.

Bob McLoughlin

Batik TerapAfter the war, wax resist came,
a vibrant dye,
new motifs fly,
batik's charm spread with glowing flame.

Nurzusilawati Binti Nadzri

The Taking of ChristCaravaggio holds the light.
A kiss of fate,
supper was late.
Do all betrayers come at night?

Patricia Wall

Scroll down for FAQs, but let's answer the most obvious question first...

So, what is a waterford?

It’s shorter than a limerick - it has only four lines. This might be why it has been described as "the Irish haiku"!Like the limerick, it has its own rhythm and has to rhyme in a particular way - the 1st and 4th lines have eight syllables each and rhyme with each other, and the 2nd and 3rd have four syllables each, and rhyme with each other.This makes the waterford a quatrain, with an abba rhyming scheme (if you want to get technical about it).Think of the waterford as a word caricature, a thumbnail character sketch in four lines. These thumbnail sketches can be about people, places, or art.Another important distinction between the limerick and the waterford, is that the limerick pokes fun, or is insulting, whereas the waterford is complimentary. The idea is that a waterford celebrates its subject; it’s a positive commentary.Let's look at some examples:

Joe Kelly
A piller of society,
With just a touch,
But not too much,
Of local notoriety.

This is a biographic waterford, celebrating the personality of Dungarvan legend, Joe Kelly.
By the way, "piller" isn't a typo. Joe is a pharmacist, this is typical waterford word play!

Dungarvan
Dungarvan is a seaside town
With ev’rything
A place could bring
To make a frown turn upside down.This is a geographic waterford, waxing lyrical about a coastal town in Co. Waterford. It is purely coincidental that Dungarvan is in Co Waterford. A waterford can be written about anywhere. No Waterford connection is necessary.

The Waterford Rhyme
The waterford is hard to write,
You have to count
The right amount
Of syllables and lines: It’s tight!This is an ekphrastic waterford. Coincidentally, it happens to be a waterford about waterfords!

Eye of the Beholder
We hale beauty as if it’s rare,
but look around,
what have you found
that has no art or beauty there?This is a philosphic waterford. It is an opportunity to pen an optimistic aphorism, to express appreciation, or encouragement. The need for positivity is absolute.

FAQs

Is waterford written with an uppercase "w"?
Waterford, the place (as in the city and county) is written with an uppercase "w" because in this instance the word is a proper noun, a name. However, when referring to the poetry form, waterford is written with a lowercase "w". The same distinctiion is made between limerick (the verse) and Limerick (the place).Can a waterford have more than four lines?
No. All waterfords are four lines long.Does line length matter?
Yes. Most definitely. To be recognised as a waterford, the first and fourth lines must be eight syllables, and the second and third, four.Can a waterford have more than one verse?
No. A waterford consists of a single verse of four lines.Does a waterford need to be about a subject that has a connection with Co Waterford?
No. You can write a waterford about anyone, any place or any piece of art.Does the poet who writes a waterford need to have a connection with Co Waterford?
No. The waterford is a global art form - open to all. We encourage everybody, the world over, to embrace this concise expression of positivity!Does a waterford have to rhyme?
Yes. To be recognised as a waterford, the verse must have an abba rhyming scheme. However, all forms of rhyme are acceptable. It needn't be 'perfect rhyme'.Must a waterford be funny?
Absolutely not. Sure, it can be, but it doesn't have to be. A waterford can express the full gambit of emotions. It is a poetic form. As such, it can be used wherever poetry is appropriate.Must a waterford have a title?
It is preferrable, but not essential. By default, if a waterford is left untitled, either the subject, the first line, or the first few words of the first line, will often be used as a 'de facto' title.Can a waterford be rude, or insulting?
No. In this manner, the waterford is entirely different to the limerick. The limerick is defined as being bawdy or mocking. The waterford is an affirming verse. To be recognised as a waterford, the subject is given reverence. A waterford needs be a positive commentary. Peace out!Must a waterford be written in the English language?
No. El waterford es una forma de arte global - abierta a todos. ¡Animamos a todos, en todo el mundo, a que abracen esta concisa expresión de positividad!Does a waterford need punctuation?
Punctuation marks can be helpful to the reader, but there is no hard and fast rule. The use of punctuation in any poetry is an artistic choice. It is no different for a waterford.Is a waterford better than a limerick?
Not better, just different. We're all for a bit of inter-county rivalry here in Ireland, but no single nation has contributed more to poetic excellence. The limerick has an eight-hundred year headstart, but even fans of the limerick should welcome the appeal of the waterford, and be happy to see it make its mark on the world.

All sorts experimented with the limerick, including Rudyard Kipling, John Cooper Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Ogden Nash, Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson and even William Shakespeare. Give me a few centuries and I'm sure I'll be able to share an equally impressive list of waterforders.

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Click the 'ABOUT' button for details of the next annual waterford competition. Open to anyone, from anywhere, and free to enter!Click the 'ENTER' button to enter the competition.

Waterford Competition 2026

2025's waterford competition is now closed, it closed for submissions at midnight on November 15th. The competition will return in October 2026. Come back here, or follow us on BlueSky to keep up to date.In 2025, as in 2024, the contest was just for fun and bragging rights, but we took the opportunity to perfect our set-up with a view to securing some funding in subsequent years for prizes and a dedicated award event. We'll keep you posted.Alas, there were no cash prizes in 2025, but oh joy, it was still free to enter! The evening we had at The Marine Bar in Dungarvan to round everything off in 2024 was exhilerating. Nearly all of the winners joined us. We will be revisiting that arrangement for another great night this year. All our welcome to join us at the Marine Bar in Dungarvan on the afternoon of December 7th.One development in 2025 was the presence of a guest judge. We are delighted to have the services of Alan Murphy. Alan is the author and illustrator of four books of poetry. His writings and artworks have been widely published in countless journals and anthologies. Click on his name above to visit his website, or check out his instagram page.In 2025, as before, ten winners will be chosen, all of whom will be recognised by publication, and invited to read, but everyone who enters will win our adoration for helping establish a new, and essentially positive, art form. We desperately need more positivity in the world!The waterford, in all its glory, is the brainchild of Kevin MacAlan. For the most part, this is not a glass-half-full kind of a fella. So, let's make this positive offering to the universe a resounding celebration.C'mon, most of yers think you have a book in ye, all we're looking for is twenty-four syllables (probably less than a couple of dozen words).The only catch? You gotta say something nice!

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Click the 'EXAMPLES' button to explore a selection of waterfords and access the FAQ section.Click the 'ENTER' button to enter the competition.

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Submissions now closed.

The 2025 competition closed for submissions at midnight on November 15th.Look out for next year when you will be able to enter any number of waterfords via this contact form. Please make sure that each one has a title, rhymes correctly, and has four lines of the right length.Please Note: this contact form is for entries only. If you have a press enquiry, a question not answered by the FAQs, or any other reason for contact which isn't an entry, then please use this email instead.Remember:The waterford is hard to write,
You have to count
The right amount
Of syllables and lines: it's tight!

Thank You...

...for your interest, but the 2025 waterford competition closed for entries at midnight on November 15th.Nevertheless, stay poetic!
Team Waterford

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