Name Mairtin Direain Role Poet | Books Na Danta, Selected Poems | |
 | ||
Poems An tEarrach Thiar, Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa Similar William Shakespeare, Oswald Spengler, Friedrich Nietzsche | ||
Máirtín Ó Direáin: Fathach File / Reluctant Modernist
Máirtín Ó Direáin ([ˈmˠaːɾʲtʲiːnʲ oː ˈdʲɪɾʲaːnʲ]; 29 November 1910 – 19 March 1988), was an Irish poet who is widely held to one of the foremost Irish language poets of the twentieth century. 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.
Contents
- Mirtn Direin Fathach File Reluctant Modernist
- M irt n dire in interview part 1
- Biography
- Legacy
- References
M irt n dire in interview part 1
Biography
Ó Direáin was born in Sruthán on Inis Mór in the Aran Islands. He was educated at Onaght national school. The son of a small-farmer, Máirtín Ó Direáin spoke only Irish until his mid-teens. 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 translated as Iníon Rí na Spáinne
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. 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.