At just 20 years old, Cork native Lavie Olupona is no stranger to the spotlight. Through her work as a spoken word poet she has performed at Electric Picnic and Misléor.
Today, I met Lavie in her local park in Clonakilty, Cork, where she wanted to show me a very special bench. It’s a bench that is dedicated to her grandfather Michael Foley, commissioned by her Mam, aunty and grandmother. Lavie’s Mam, Mary, sadly passed away from cancer in February this year, but left Lavie with plenty to remind her of her presence.
“My mam was actually a poet as well. She left a journal with all that she wanted and letters to us. She had everything prepared. Every day I see little signs around me that let me know she’s here. I saw a feather on my way to meet you today, and she said she'd come back as a crow with a fag in her mouth. She had a very specific humour, very dark but hilarious.”
Lavie’s Mam was a proud Irish Traveller and instilled that sense of pride and heritage in her daughter. “I'm very honoured that my Nana passed down a lot of stories from her life to me and my Mam. I try to incorporate that in my poetry where possible. And my Mam was a very proud Traveller woman, so I try to carry the culture and history with me and honour her that way.”
While Lavie’s Mam is Irish, her Dad is Nigerian, which is a beautifully unique mix.
“A lot of people tell me it's really interesting or that it’s like I have two identities. But for me, I think it's one together, combined, that's just how I was raised.”