Longley’s Connemara passion - University College Dublin … Tribune page on poet... · ·...
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CONNACHT TRIBUNE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 37 NEWS DON’T FORGET YOUR SHOVEL CALL 090 964 2131 Government Licence & Bonded: TA0148 Keller Travel Main Street, Ballinalsoe E:[email protected] | www.kellertravel.ie | www.campotel.com E:inf[email protected] | w ee Main Str ravel Keller T Tr . .kellertravel.ie | www www et, Ballinalsoe Governm .campotel.com A0148 ment Licence & Bonded: T TA Longley’s Connemara passion ■ Acclaimed poet’s work inspired by landscape and culture of the west BY BILL HEANEY IT was a hitch-hiking holiday around Connemara, South Mayo and the Aran Islands with his wife Edna and fellow poet Derek Mahon that turned out to be a prelude to hun- dreds of visits to the West of Ireland for Michael Longley. In this first volume of The Poet's Chair, Longley – whose poetry has transcended politi- cal and cultural boundaries throughout his career – reflects on what has influenced his craft. And Connemara, Westport, Leenane, Louisburgh and In- ishmore feature large amongst the many places he has visited and written about. Belfast-born Longley opens with an ‘autobiography in po- etry’ where he recounts the poets and poems and places that have influenced him as both a reader and writer of po- etry. Longley says life in Belfast was demanding and painful in the ‘Sixties because one of his friends was having a breakdown. He writes: “We were drawn perhaps to the idea of the place, Connemara.” Longley quotes Tim Robin- son, the Roundstone-based writer and map maker: “Con- nemara – the name drifts across the mind like cloud shadows on a mountainside, or expands and fades like cir- cles on a lake after a trout has risen.” Longley writes that the Cleg- gan-base poet Richard Murphy “first attracted the attention of us Western wannabees with his majestic narratives ‘Sailing to an Island’ and ‘The Cleggan Disaster’. “Over the years I have been inspired by his consummate nature poems – ‘Storm Petrel’, ‘Corncrake’,’ Sea Holly’ and ‘Seals at High Island’. That other Belfast poet, Louis MacNeice, whose family have clerical connections with Clifden and Omey Island, is quoted too by Longley. MacNeice wrote: “The very name Connemara seemed too rich for any ordinary place. It appeared to be a country of windswept open spaces and mountains blazing with whins and seas that were never quiet.” Longley recalls in this odyssey around the West: “In Galway we boarded the steamer for Inishmore – a very rough crossing – there were no stabilizers on the boat – below decks Mahon and I fought off sea sickness with medicinal brandies. “In Kilronan we hired a jaunting car that took us to our guest house.” Longley says it rained most of the time and that he hud- dled in an attic bedroom in a sleeping bag, chain-smoking. But the turbulent weather and the fact that he could not speak Irish didn’t put him off from getting around the island. He writes: “Between show- ers we walked around the rocky fields in flashing, soul-ir- radiating light. “Our brief sojourn would be- come part of my inner mythol- ogy. We felt sad leaving the island.” His response was to write ‘Leaving Inishmore’ which was the first of his West-inspired poems to survive. It includes the lines: Miles from the brimming en- clave of the bay I hear again the Atlantic voices Longley and Mahon re- turned to Aran a year later, in 1966, at Easter. He writes: “On Good Friday, Derek and I were very moved when we wit- nessed the islanders, in their best tweeds, walking on their knees over the stone flags into the church … “It is striking that my first collection (of poems) and the first collections of Derek Mahon and Seamus Heaney all contain poems about the Aran Islands.” In this excellent book of prose and poems, Longley goes on to discuss his close relationships with Mahon and Heaney, who has writ- ten about Inishbofin, Maam Cross and Recess. This is a very personal discussion about how the West of Ireland has had a deep impact on his poetry, his life, and his ‘spiritual educa- tion’. Longley’s love of nature and the environment shines through and the extracts from his poems portray his deep un- derstanding of the West. One Wide Expanse gives readers a rare insight into the creative process of one of Ire- land’s leading contemporary poets who was Ireland Profes- sor of Poetry from 2007 to 2010. Michael Longley was edu- cated in Belfast and went on to study Classics at Trinity Col- lege, Dublin. His most recent collection The Stairwell (2014) won this year’s Griffin Poetry Award. He is married to Edna Long- ley, a critic of modern poetry, and they have three children. The Ireland Chair of Poetry has, since 1998, been a key ele- ment in the promotion, discus- sion and encouragement of poetry – both its practitioners and readers – across the island of Ireland. John Montague, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Paul Durcan, Michael Longley, Harry Clifton have all held the role of Ireland Professor of Poetry for three years each, with Paula Meehan, the current Professor until 2016. ■ One Wide Expanse by Michael Longley is the first volume in The Poet’s Chair series from UCD Press which will publish the pub- lic lectures of each of the three most recent Ireland Professors of Poetry. Inishbofin from Rosadillisk near Cleggan. Scenes like these inspired Longley, Heaney and Mahon. PICTURE: BILL HEANEY. Poet Michael Longley – inspired by Connemara, Mayo and the Aran Islands.
Transcript of Longley’s Connemara passion - University College Dublin … Tribune page on poet... · ·...
CONNACHT TRIBUNE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 37NEWS
DON’T FORGET YOUR SHOVEL CALL 090 964 2131
Government Licence & Bonded: TA0148Keller Travel Main Street, Ballinalsoe E:[email protected] | www.kellertravel.ie | www.campotel.com
E:[email protected] | wee Main StrravelKeller TTr
..kellertravel.ie | wwwwwwet, Ballinalsoe
Governm
.campotel.com
A0148ment Licence & Bonded: TTA
Longley’s Connemara passion■ Acclaimed poet’s work inspired by landscape and culture of the westBY BILL HEANEY
IT was a hitch-hiking holidayaround Connemara, SouthMayo and the Aran Islandswith his wife Edna and fellowpoet Derek Mahon that turnedout to be a prelude to hun-dreds of visits to the West ofIreland for Michael Longley.
In this first volume of ThePoet's Chair, Longley – whosepoetry has transcended politi-cal and cultural boundariesthroughout his career – reflectson what has influenced hiscraft.
And Connemara, Westport,Leenane, Louisburgh and In-ishmore feature large amongstthe many places he has visitedand written about.
Belfast-born Longley openswith an ‘autobiography in po-etry’ where he recounts thepoets and poems and placesthat have influenced him asboth a reader and writer of po-etry. Longley says life in Belfastwas demanding and painful inthe ‘Sixties because one ofhis friends was having abreakdown.
He writes: “We weredrawn perhaps to the idea ofthe place, Connemara.”
Longley quotes Tim Robin-son, the Roundstone-basedwriter and map maker: “Con-nemara – the name driftsacross the mind like cloudshadows on a mountainside,or expands and fades like cir-cles on a lake after a trout hasrisen.”
Longley writes that the Cleg-gan-base poet Richard Murphy“first attracted the attention ofus Western wannabees with hismajestic narratives ‘Sailing toan Island’ and ‘The ClegganDisaster’.
“Over the years I have beeninspired by his consummatenature poems – ‘Storm Petrel’,‘Corncrake’,’ Sea Holly’ and‘Seals at High Island’.
That other Belfast poet,Louis MacNeice, whose familyhave clerical connections withClifden and Omey Island, isquoted too by Longley.
MacNeice wrote: “The veryname Connemara seemed toorich for any ordinary place. Itappeared to be a country ofwindswept open spaces andmountains blazing with whinsand seas that were neverquiet.”
Longley recalls in thisodyssey around the West: “InGalway we boarded thesteamer for Inishmore – a veryrough crossing – there were nostabilizers on the boat – belowdecks Mahon and I fought offsea sickness with medicinalbrandies.
“In Kilronan we hired ajaunting car that took us to ourguest house.”
Longley says it rained mostof the time and that he hud-dled in an attic bedroom in asleeping bag, chain-smoking.
But the turbulent weatherand the fact that he could notspeak Irish didn’t put him offfrom getting around the island.
He writes: “Between show-ers we walked around therocky fields in flashing, soul-ir-radiating light.
“Our brief sojourn would be-come part of my inner mythol-ogy. We felt sad leaving theisland.”
His response was to write‘Leaving Inishmore’ which wasthe first of his West-inspiredpoems to survive.
It includes the lines:Miles from the brimming en-
clave of the bayI hear again the Atlantic
voicesLongley and Mahon re-
turned to Aran a year later, in1966, at Easter. He writes: “OnGood Friday, Derek and I werevery moved when we wit-nessed the islanders, in theirbest tweeds, walking on their
knees over the stone flags intothe church …
“It is striking that my firstcollection (of poems) and thefirst collections of DerekMahon and Seamus Heaneyall contain poems about theAran Islands.”
In this excellent book ofprose and poems, Longleygoes on to discuss his closerelationships with Mahonand Heaney, who has writ-ten about Inishbofin, MaamCross and Recess.
This is a very personaldiscussion about how theWest of Ireland has had a
deep impact on his poetry, hislife, and his ‘spiritual educa-tion’.
Longley’s love of nature andthe environment shinesthrough and the extracts fromhis poems portray his deep un-derstanding of the West.
One Wide Expanse givesreaders a rare insight into thecreative process of one of Ire-land’s leading contemporarypoets who was Ireland Profes-sor of Poetry from 2007 to2010.
Michael Longley was edu-cated in Belfast and went on tostudy Classics at Trinity Col-lege, Dublin.
His most recent collectionThe Stairwell (2014) won thisyear’s Griffin Poetry Award.
He is married to Edna Long-ley, a critic of modern poetry,and they have three children.
The Ireland Chair of Poetryhas, since 1998, been a key ele-ment in the promotion, discus-sion and encouragement ofpoetry – both its practitionersand readers – across the islandof Ireland.
John Montague, Nuala Ní
Dhomhnaill, Paul Durcan,Michael Longley, Harry Cliftonhave all held the role of IrelandProfessor of Poetry for threeyears each, with Paula Meehan,the current Professor until2016.
■ One Wide Expanse by MichaelLongley is the first volume in ThePoet’s Chair series from UCDPress which will publish the pub-lic lectures of each of the threemost recent Ireland Professors ofPoetry.
Inishbofin from Rosadillisk near Cleggan. Scenes like these inspired Longley, Heaney and Mahon. PICTURE: BILL HEANEY.
Poet Michael Longley – inspired by Connemara, Mayo and theAran Islands.
