Máirtín Ó Direáin

Máirtín Ó Direáin ([ˈmˠaːɾʲtʲiːnʲ oː ˈdʲɪɾʲaːnʲ]; 29 November 1910 – 19 March 1988) was an Irish poet. A native of the Aran Islands Gaeltacht, Ó Direáin later spent time working in Galway and Dublin, where he upheld a connection to Gaelic affairs through Conradh na Gaeilge and Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe. A significant theme of his poetic works deals with the tensions between the urban and rural, modernity and tradition, the English-speaking world and Gaeldom.

Máirtín Ó Direáin
Born(1910-11-29)29 November 1910
Inis Mór, County Galway, Ireland
Died19 March 1988(1988-03-19) (aged 77)
Dublin, Ireland
Resting placeMount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin[1]
Pen nameRuaidhrí Beag
Occupationpoet, writer
LanguageIrish (Connacht Irish)
Literary movementModern literature in Irish
Notable worksRogha Dánta and Ó Mórna agus Dánta Eile
Years active1949–1986
SpouseÁine Colivet (m. 1945–1976, her death)[2]
Children1

Biography

Ó Direáin was born in Sruthán on Inis Mór in the Aran Islands.[3] He was educated at Onaght national school.[4] The son of a small farmer, Máirtín Ó Direáin spoke only Irish until his mid-teens.[3] He worked as a civil servant from 1928 until 1975. In 1952, he translated a play by Irish playwright Teresa Deevy for Radio Eireann; the play was called The King of Spain's Daughter[5] (translated as Iníon Rí na Spáinne).[6]

His literary awards include the An Chomhairle Ealaíon/The Arts Council Awards (1964 and 1971); the Butler Prize, with Eoghan Ó Tuairisc (1967); the Ossian Prize for Poetry, FVS Foundation, Hamburg (1977). He was a member of Aosdána.

While Ó Direáin was rooted deeply in the Gaelic tradition, his poetry also shows influence from wider European writers. His influences included Nietzsche, Spengler, Yeats, Haicéad, Ó Bruadair, Bedell and Shakespeare.

Legacy

Carraig agus cathair: Ó Direáin is a recent (2002) biography. Its title ('Rock and City') refers to Ó Direáin's journey from his native rocky island to Dublin, where he lived most of his life.

An Charraig Stoite (The Uprooted Rock) is a 2003 award-nominated TG4/Bord Scannán na hÉireann funded documentary on Máirtín Ó Direáin which was written by Alan Titley and produced and directed by Mac Dara Ó Curraidhín.

On 27 May 2010, An Post (the Republic of Ireland's Post Office) issued a single stamp to commemorate the birth centenary of Máirtín Ó Direáin featuring a portrait of the poet.[7] Six of his poems have been put to music by Colm Ó Snodaigh from the music group Kíla: Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa, Maith Dhom, Bua na Mara, Dínit an Bhróin, "An tEarrach Thiar" and Bí i do Chrann. The first three have been recorded on Handel's Fantasy, Luna Park (two Kíla albums) and Giving - Colm's solo album from 2007.

Bibliography

His main works include the poetry collections:

  • Rogha Dánta (1949)
  • Ó Mórna agus Dánta Eile (1957)
  • Ar Ré Dhearóil (1962)
  • Cloch Choirnéil (1967)
  • Crainn is Cairde (1970)
  • Dánta 1939-79 (1980)
  • Ceacht an Éin (1984)
  • Béasa an Túir (1984)
  • Tacar Dánta/Selected Poems (1984)
  • Craobhóg: Dán (1986)
  • Fear Lásta Lampaí (1928 - i nGaillimh/in Galway)

His autobiographical essays are collected as Feamainn Bhealtaine (1961).

  • Iníon Rí na Spáinne (1952) Translation

References
  1. "Irish University Review". Irish University Press. 26 October 1988 – via Google Books.
  2. "Ó DIREÁIN, Máirtín (1910–1988)". ainm.ie.
  3. "Máirtín O'Direáin". Irish culture and Irish customs. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  4. Maher, Helen (1976). Galway Authors. p. 116.
  5. http://www.irishplayography.com/play.aspx?playid=31992
  6. "The Teresa Deevy Archive". 19 June 1952.
  7. "NEW Irish stamps". World Stamp News. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.

Bibliography
  • Sewell, Frank C (2001). Modern Irish Poetry: A New Alhambra. OUP Oxford. ISBN 0191584355.
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