Renowned Irish poet Paul Durcan dies aged 80 as his legacy ‘will live on for generations' & tributes paid
Acclaimed poet Paul Durcan passed away at the age of 80 this morning.
Advertisement
2
Acclaimed Irish poet Paul Durcan passed away at the age of 80
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
His family stated that he would be "sadly missed" by his wife Nessa, his daughters Sarah and Siabhra, his son Michael, his sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, and his nine grandchildren.
Talking to The Irish Times, his daughter Siabhra revealed that her father's passing was "very sudden".
She said: "He had been unwell in recent years, so he had spent the last several years in a nursing home in
The funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date, the family stated.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON NEWS
Tanaiste
"In the quiet spaces of ordinary moments, he found inspiration.
"His body of work was both accessible and deep and this is shown in his fantastic final selection of eighty of his finest poems, published in celebration of his 80th birthday last year.
"With his passing, Ireland has lost one of its most distinctive and authentic voices - and his work, which often turned the mundane into the extraordinary, will live on for generations."
Advertisement
Most read in Irish News
Durcan was born in Dublin in 1944 and began his
He was Ireland Professor of Poetry from 2004 to 2007 and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement at the Irish Book Awards in 2014.
His work is also known to younger audiences due to it being featured on the
He was also the winner of the Whitbread Poetry Prize and the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award.
Advertisement
His publications include A Snail in My Prime, Crazy About Women, Greetings to our Friends in Brazil, and Cries of an Irish Caveman.
Durcan also appeared on Van Morrison's 1990 album Enlightenment.
DURCAN'S ARCHIVES
Last year, the National Library of Ireland obtained his archive, which covers the period from the 1960s to present day.
It also included hundreds of his notebooks, letters and cards.
Advertisement
The Director of the organisation described it as a collection of exceptional and importance.
The library revealed that the archive shows Durcan as a prolific letter-writer and includes correspondence with famous writers, including Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel and John McGahern.
'SURREAL IMAGINATION'
At the archive event last November, Durcan's friend Catriona Crowe said: "The great thing about him was he kept notebooks all the time.
"If ever you were out having dinner with him, he'd have a notebook, and he might take it out and write down a line that struck him, or something came into his head.
Advertisement
"So they're all there, and they're kind of an invaluable resource for students of poetry.
"The thing about Paul that singles him out, I suppose, is that you spend your time laughing when you're reading his books, because he has such a surreal imagination.
"I mean, imagine writing a poem called 'Making Love Outside Aras an Uachtarain'.
"He is a really interesting publicly engaged, poet, who loved giving readings, who responded very well to his audiences and who wrote very, very serious poetry that had a surreal and hilarious twist to it so he was constantly surprising."
Advertisement
2
His legacy 'will live on for generations', Simon Harris said
Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
a few seconds ago
- Irish Independent
‘They had to take a stand': Documentary on impact of the law on Irish women included in TG4 autumn slate
The broadcaster held a launch event at Dublin's Lighthouse Cinema on Monday, showcasing a mix of original Irish language films, documentaries, live sports coverage and children's programmes. Included on the schedule for TG4 this autumn is Mná na Léinte Gorma, a documentary examining the role women play in extremism both in the past and present day. Well-known faces including Síle Seoige will be back on our screens with Síle Seoige – An Saol Mar Atá, where the Galway presenter will tackle issues such as bullying, parenting and anxiety 'with empathy and curiosity'. Hector Ó hEochagáin will be travelling once again for what's being described by TG4 as an 'epic adventure' through Australia and New Zealand in Hector OZ/NZ. Irish women's history will come to the fore on TG4 with the release of Ceartas Crua – Mná vs An Dlí, a two-part documentary series looking back at 100 years of Ireland's judicial system and its impact on the country's women. Series producer Medb Johnstone told the Irish Independent the story of the series is 'quite sad in a way', but equally important for telling the story of positive changes in Irish society since the foundation of the State. "It's an interesting way to look at our history. You might not think the law affects your life, but it absolutely does,' she said. 'Every decade or so, something changed, and women had to put themselves out there to make that change. We wanted to tell the stories of those cases and fit as many as we could into a two-part series.' Ms Johnstone said fitting in all of stories proved challenging, with slews of change coming in quick succession during certain periods. The 1970s came into particular focus against the backdrop of a global women's movement. Looking back at the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment, there were parallels drawn from 2018 to the 1983 referendum that introduced the Eighth. "When we spoke to people about the 1983 referendum, they said it was very contentious. Around the time of Repeal, there was a heightened anxiety around it and people could feel something, this big decision that was on the country. People said it was the same in 1983,' she said. "An amendment was put into the constitution and then taken out again. We spoke about Roe v Wade in the same context, that the law changes quite frequently. It takes a long time to happen, but just because something is in there now doesn't mean it can't come out or be added in again.' One such example was the 1924 Juries (Amendment) Act, which effectively excluded women in Ireland from serving on juries, until the case taken by activist Máirín de Burca led to the passage of a new Juries Act in 1976. "It's quite sad, that women were excluded,' Ms Johnstone said. 'When we were making this, we were thinking a lot about how we know the names of women who have been news stories because something happened to them, or they had to take a stand. "In a way, that's not right. Nobody asks for it. Everybody knows who Savita Halappanavar is, who Vicky Phelan is. Their names are associated with great failings in this country, but a lot of good has come from what happened to them.'
Extra.ie
a few seconds ago
- Extra.ie
Who is Mia Farrow? Hollywood actress considering move to Ireland
Award-winning Hollywood actress Mia Farrow has teased a potential move to Ireland as she revealed the United States of America is 'scary and horrifying.' The 80-year-old has strong Irish roots and is the daughter of Irish actress Maureen O'Sullivan. Mia would be following in the footsteps of fellow American expat, Rosie O'Donnell, who relocated to the Emerald Isle earlier this year. Award-winning Hollywood actress Mia Farrow has teased a potential move to Ireland as she revealed the United States of America is 'scary and horrifying.' Pic:The Independent report that Mia commented on a social media post of Rosie's hinting at potentially moving to Ireland. The actress wrote: 'I'm so happy for you and Clay [Rosie's child]. I think I'll be there soon. Got my Irish passport. 'It's scary and horrifying here.' Mia would be following in the footsteps of fellow American expat, Rosie O'Donnell, who relocated to the Emerald Isle earlier this year. Pic:It's not the first time Mia has shown she is considering making Ireland her new home, with the Golden Globe winner last year saying she would move to Ireland if Donald Trump returned to the post of President of the United States of America. Mia is one of seven children to Australian film director John Farrow and Irish actress Maureen O'Sullivan. She was born in Los Angeles and was raised in California, where she followed in her mother's footsteps and pursued a career in acting. Mia Farrow and Ronan Farrow. Pic:Her first gig was at the age of two years old in a documentary called Unusual Occupations: Film Tot Holiday. The actress' first credited appearance came in 1964 when she appeared in guns at Batasi. Farrow was in a relationship with actor-director Woody Allen from 1980 to 1992, appearing in thirteen of his fourteen films over the period. Their relationship ceased after she publicly accused him of sexually abusing their adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow. Alongside her four biological children, Mia Farrow adopted ten children including her estranged daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, who is now married to Woody Allen. Pic: Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images Before her relationship with Allen, Farrow had wed singer Frank Sinatra, who was 29 years her senior. They divorced in 1968, citing their age difference as a catalyst but remained friends until the singer's death. She married German-American conductor André Previn in 1970, with their marriage lasting nine years. The couple had three children together — twins Matthew and Sascha, and Fletcher. She also had one biological son with Woody Allen, Satchel Ronan. Alongside her four biological children, Mia adopted ten children, including her estranged daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, who is now married to Woody Allen.
Extra.ie
a few seconds ago
- Extra.ie
Watchmaker Swatch pulls 'racist' ad after uproar in China
Swiss watchmaker Swatch has been forced to pull and apologise for an advert that was accused of racism and caused uproar in China. The campaign featured an Asian male model pulling back the corners of his eyes, a gesture widely slammed online as a racist depiction. The advert triggered fury from social media users in China, who branded the image offensive and demanded action against the brand. Swiss watchmaker Swatch has been forced to pull and apologise for an advert that was accused of racism and caused uproar in China. Pic: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images On Saturday, Swatch said it had 'taken note' of the backlash in posts on Instagram and the Chinese platform Weibo, writing that it had scrapped the campaign worldwide. The company stated: 'We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.' The statement did not calm the anger of many users as they continued to urge shoppers to shun Swatch Group labels, which include luxury names such as Blancpain, Longines and Tissot. The Swatch advert. Pic: One Weibo commentator with more than a million followers accused the firm of 'racism against Chinese' and called for regulators to punish the brand. Others accused Swatch of deliberate discrimination. Swatch are receiving huge backlash in China. Pic: Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto via Getty Images One user wrote: 'The brand's image has collapsed. (Swatch) thinks they can just apologise and salvage everything? It's not that simple.' Another said: 'Care to explain? Is the model not Asian enough you asked him to stretch his eyes? Racist much?' A third added: 'Are you out of your damn mind? Don't you know how much Blancpain, Omega, and Longines rely on sales from East Asia? We demand an apology!' Yet another shared: 'You've just lost the entire Asian market. Congratulations!' Many other users have tagged the company's official account and demanded an explanation. Shares in the company fell by as much as 2.7% in early trading on Monday. China is one of Swatch's biggest markets but the company has faced slowing demand over the last while. Their revenue fell 14.6% to 6.74 billion Swiss francs (€7.2bn) in 2024 after a drop in demand in China. Swatch blamed this on 'persistently difficult market conditions and weak demand for consumer goods overall'. In July, Swatch reported sales had fallen 11.2% in the first half of the year, blaming the drop 'exclusively' on weak consumer appetite in China. Last year, it was also involved in a heated row with the Malaysian government when the country seized several of its watches claiming they incorporated LGBTQ elements. A court finally ruled that the confiscated goods should be returned.
