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RTÉ News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Funeral mass for Paul Durcan taking place in Dublin
The funeral mass is taking place in Dublin of one of Ireland's most renowned contemporary poets Paul Durcan, who died last week aged 80. A winner of the Whitbread Poetry Prize and the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award, his publications include A Snail in My Prime, Crazy About Women, Greetings to our Friends in Brazil, and Cries of an Irish Caveman. President Michael D Higgins and his wife, Sabina, are among those who are attending requiem mass, which is being being celebrated at St Patrick's Church, Ringsend. Mr Durcan was a gifted communicator, who was celebrated for his role as a much-loved public voice, breaking barriers with his singular writing and reading style. He developed a prominent career over the decades, publishing over 20 books. Mr Durcan will be missed by Nessa, his daughters Sarah and Síabhra, his son Michael, his sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, and his nine grandchildren. Funeral prayers will be held at St Mary's Church in Westport, Co Mayo tomorrow at 11am, followed by burial in Aughavale Cemetery.
Irish Post
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
'A great and unique talent': President Higgins leads tributes following death of Irish post Paul Durcan
PRESIDENT Michael D. Higgins has led the tributes to Irish poet Paul Durcan, who has passed away at the age of 80. Author of more than 20 volumes of poetry, he was known for his sharp, satirical voice as well as his outspoken, comic but often moving work. "Ireland has lost the poet with the keenest sense of its absurdity and the lost opportunities for love and feeling," said President Higgins. Durcan was born in Dublin on October 16, 1944 and raised both there and in Co. Mayo. His earliest poems appeared in the collaborative volume Endsville, which was published in 1967, a year after he had relocated to London. He returned to Ireland in the 1970s, studying Archaeology and Medieval History at University College Cork, graduating with first class honours. His first fully-fledged collection, O Westport in the Light of Asia Minor, was published in 1975 and earned him the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award. Durcan pictured in 1999 (Image: It was followed by more than 20 further collections, including 1990's Daddy, Daddy, which won that year's Whitbread Book Award for Poetry. That same year, he collaborated with Van Morrison on his album, Enlightenment, co-writing and performing on the track, In the Days Before Rock 'n' Roll. "It is with the greatest sorrow that I have heard of the passing of Paul Durcan, one of Ireland's most important poets, and a close friend for over 50 years," said President Higgins. "Paul Durcan's contribution to the performed poem was of enormous importance to the appreciation of poetry in Ireland. "That we have audiences in so many generations for Irish poetry owes much to him and those others who brought their work around Ireland and abroad." He added: "Sabina and I know him as a dear friend. Early in my presidency he visited us in the Áras. His illness was hard for him to bear and Ireland was missing a great and unique talent in poetry. "His over 20 collections will be a source of great humanity and insight for generations to come." 'Distinctive and authentic voice' Taoiseach Micheál Martin also praised Durcan, describing him as 'one of Ireland's outstanding poets and literary figures'. "Capable of both searing honesty and great wit, Paul's works will continue to be celebrated across generations," he added. "My sympathies go to his wife Nessa, children Sarah, Siabhra and Michael, and his wider family and friends." Tánaiste Simon Harris meanwhile said Durcan was 'unflinchingly honest, witty and one of Ireland's best poetic voices'. "In the quiet spaces of ordinary moments, he found inspiration," added Mr Harris. "His body of work was both accessible and deep and this is shown in his fantastic final selection of 80 of his finest poems, published in celebration of his 80th birthday last year. Durcan receiving his honorary Doctor in Letters degree from TCD in 2009 (Image: James Horan / "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." Durcan's other notable collections include Greetings to Our Friends in Brazil, The Laughter of Mother, Life Is a Dream, and Praise in Which I Live and Move and Have My Being. In 2001, he received a Cholmondeley Award, which honours distinguished poets from Britain and Ireland. From 2004 to 2007, he was the third holder of the Ireland Professor of Poetry position, set up in 1005 to commemorate Seamus Heaney's Nobel Prize. Durcan was conferred with an honorary Doctor in Letters degree by Trinity College Dublin in 2009 and an honorary degree of Doctor of Literature by University College Dublin in 2011. In 2014, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Irish Book Award.
Irish Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Acclaimed Irish poet Paul Durcan dies aged 80 as tributes pour in
Renowned Irish poet Paul Durcan has died at the age of 80. In a statement, Mr Durcan's family said he would be 'sadly missed by [his wife] Nessa, his daughters Sarah and Síabhra, his son Michael, his sons-in-law, Mark and Blaise, his daughter-in-law, Linden, and his nine grandchildren.' The family said that funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date. Born in Dublin in October 1944, Mr Durcan is regarded as one of Ireland's most renowned contemporary poets. He published his first collection, Endsville, with Brian Lynch in 1967 and he would go on to author more than 20 books over the next 50 years. Mr Durcan received a number of accolades over the course of his career, including the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award in 1974, the Irish American Cultural Institute Poetry Award in 1989, the Whitbread Prize in 1990, and the London Poetry Book Society Choice. Mr Durcan celebrated his 80th birthday in October, and a new a collection of 80 poems, titled 80 At 80, was released to mark the occasion. Tributes have been paid to the acclaimed poet, with Tanaiste Simon Harris saying in a statement: "Paul Durcan was unflinchingly honest, witty and one of Ireland's best poetic voices. "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."
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Renowned Irish poet Paul Durcan dies aged 80 as his legacy ‘will live on for generations' & tributes paid
ONE of Ireland's most renowned contemporary poets has passed away after six decades working in poetry. 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
RTÉ News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Renowned poet Paul Durcan dies at 80
Paul Durcan, one of Ireland's most renowned contemporary poets, has died at the age of 80. Born in Dublin in 1944, he began his work 60 years ago with his first book 'Endsville', which was followed by more than 20 others. His work is also known to younger audiences, having featured on the Leaving Cert English syllabus. A winner of the Whitbread Poetry Prize and the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award, his publications include A Snail in My Prime, Crazy About Women, Greetings to our Friends in Brazil, and Cries of an Irish Caveman. He also appeared on Van Morrison's 1990 album Enlightenment. The National Library of Ireland acquired his archive late last year, covering the period from the 1960s to the present day, and including hundreds of the his notebooks, letters and cards. It was described as a collection of exceptional importance by the National Library of Ireland Director Dr Audrey Whitty. It showed Mr Durcan as a prolific letter-writer, and included correspondence with fellow writers, including Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel and John McGahern, the library said. Speaking at the archive event last November, his friend, archivist 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. "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 Áras an Uachtaráin'. "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." Paul Durcan will be missed by Nessa, his daughters Sarah and Síabhra, his son Michael, his sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, and his nine grandchildren. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
