Peter Fallon

[ top ]

Bibliographical details
Andrew Carpenter & Peter Fallon, eds., The Writers: Sense of Ireland (Dublin: O’Brien Press, 1980) [sub-title:] New work by 44 Irish writers selected and edited by Andrew Carpenter and Peter Fallon, with photographs of the writers by Mike Bunn. CONTENTS, Introduction [8]; John Banville, from Kepler a novel [10]; Samuel Beckett, ‘Heard in the Dark’, an extract from Company a novel [16]; Eavan Boland, ‘the Ballad of Beauty and Time’ [20]; Eilean Ni Chuilleanain, Four Poems from The Rose Geranium [24]; ‘Seamus Deane, ‘Christmas at Beaconsfield’, excerpt from a long poem [28]; Paul Durcan, ‘The Drimoleague Blues’ [32]; Peter Fallon, Two Poems, ‘Catholics’, and ‘Confederates’ [34]; Brian Friel, extracts from a Sporadic Diary, most do to with the writing of the play which eventually became Aristocrats [38]; Michael Hartnett, Three poems [with footnote trans.], ‘Fé Dhéinn na dTig Nua’; ‘An Droichead go Meiricéa’; ‘An Chúifhionn’ [44]; Seamus Heaney, Three poems, ‘A Peacock’s Feather’, for Daisy Garnett; ‘Sweeney Astray’, for John Montague; ‘A Lighting Plot’, for Brian Friel [50]; John Hewitt, ‘Five Poems, ‘The Irish Dimenson’; ‘The Prisoners on the Roof’; ‘A Case of Mistaken Identity’; ‘The Magician’, from ‘The Troubles, 1922’; ‘Consequences’, sequence from ‘My Uncle’ [56]; Aidan Higgins, ‘Retrograde Canon at Atepmoc’. from Dog-Days, a novel [60]; Denis Johnston, ‘The Abbey in Those Days’, a memoir [66]; Jennifer Johnston, ‘Extract from a Novel’ [72]; Neil Jordan, ‘She’, an unfinished story [78]; Brendan Kennelly, Three poems, ‘Always’; ‘The Pilgrim’; ‘Goddess’ [82]; Benedict Kiely, ‘Homeward Bound’, part of the opening of a novel to be called, perhaps, Nothing Happens in Carmincross [86]; Thomas Kilroy, from ‘Her Whiteness Attracts a Blackness’, an extract from a novel [92]; Thomas Kinsella, four love poems, literal translations from the Irish (‘My own dark head ...’) [98]; Mary Lavin, from ‘A Walk on the Cliff’, a story [102]; Michael Longley, Four poems, ‘The white Butterfly’; ‘The Third Light’; ‘Ogham Stone’, i.m. Seán Ó Baoill; ‘Communications’ [108]; Thomas McCarthy, ‘Bachelard’s Images’ [112]; Tomas Mac Siomoin, Three poems, ‘Ceol na dTéad’; ‘Féileachán’; ‘Eadartheangachadh’ [114]; Aidan Mathews, Four poems, ‘Untitled’; ‘Talismans’; ‘Affidavit’; ‘Neighbours’ [118]; John Montague, Poems from Sect. III of The Dead Kingdom, ‘The Black Pig’; ‘Border’; ‘The Plain of Blood’ [122]; John Morrow, from Prologue ‘68, a novel [128]; Paul Muldoon, Three poems, ‘The Bishop’; ‘Promises, Promises’; ‘Bran’ [134]; Richard Murphy, Three poems, ‘Morning Call’; ‘Tony white at Inisbofin 1959’; ‘Husbandry’ [138]; Thomas Murphy, Prologue to The Blue Macushla, a play [142]; Seán Ó Faoláin, ‘What it feels like to be a Writer’, a talk for radio [148]; Liam O’Flaherty, ‘The Widow’, an unfinished story [154]; Desmond O’Grady, Three poems, ‘One of Them’, after Cavafy; ‘The People of Maikop Plain’; ‘Waiting for the Barbarian’, after Cavafy [158]; Liam O Muirthile, Three Poems, ‘Inné Inniu’; ‘Rince Gréagach’; ‘Feartlaoi François Villon’ [162]; Frank Ormsby, Three Poems, ‘The Sleepwalker’; from ‘A Belfast Journal (VII); ‘The Security Man’ [167]; Cathal Ó Searcaigh, For Poems, [breif and unnamed] [170]; Seán Ó Tuama, Three Poems (English versions of poems in Irish) ‘Where shall we walk?’; ‘The Poet to his Wife’, from a three act play Four Cheers for Cremation; ‘A Gaeltacht Rousseau’ [172]; Micheal Ó Siadhail, Three poems, ‘Breaclach’; Réavadh’; ‘sorcas’ [176]; Stewart Parker, Two scenes from Catchpenny Twist: A Charade [180]; Tom Paulin, ‘Desertmartin: A poem’ [186]; James Plunkett, ‘Ferris Moore’, from a novel in progress [188]; Peter Sheridan, from Down All the Days, an adaptation of the novel by Christy Brown [190]; James Simmons, ‘The Conservative’ [poem in 5 pts.]; [196]; Francis Stuart, from The High Consistory, a novel [202]; William Trevor, from ‘Autumn Sunshine’, a story [208]; Notes on the writers [213]. Note, pagination of photo-page preceeding each author’s text give above.

[ top ]

[Peter Fallon, Ed.,] 25 / To celebrate Its first twenty-five years / The Gallery Press / in association with the National Theatre Society / presents a poetry reading / The Abbey Theatre, Dublin / 8.00 p.m., Sunday 2 July 1995 (verso: Sponsored by Fred Hanna Ltd., / Bookseller, Nassau St., Dublin 2, 1995), 30pp. Guest of honour: Mary Robinson, President of Ireland; readings [...] introduced by Seamus Heaney; Special Guest: Christy Moore. [6] [Poets Reading: Ciaran Carson; Peter Fallon; Vona Groarke; Michael Hartnett; Medbh McGuckian; Derek Mahon; Paula Meehna; John Montague; Eiléan Ni Chuilleanain; Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. [7] Epigraph: ‘Praise is the supreme poetic act.’ - Archibald MacLeish’ ‘It began in innocence. When my first poems began to appear in magazines and newspapers in the late ’6os, I encountered a number of young writers for whose work there were few publishers’ welcomes. Although Liam Miller, at the Dolmen Press, ploughed a lonely and heroic furrow, many writers looked to London for their outlet. Without capital, without a fixed polemic, without thinking much about it, I sensed it must be possible to put on the record for a caring readership the poems I believed in. The first Gallery Book appeared on 6 February 1970. / Over the years, those inchoate impulses became a mission. If I have helped to launch and foster the careers of exceptional new writers, to assert and promote the dignity of the profession of writing, to prove that we could produce and publish books as well as anyone and to provide a publishing home for Irish writers whose work had been published by English companies, it will please me. Above all, 1’ve wanted to praise. / So, it began in gladness. How it will end I can’t begin to imagine. Twenty-five years later, I marvel still at the difficult accomplishment that is a good poem or play. If I look back at all, I look in trust that among the books published by The Gallery Press are some of the outstanding literary and human achievements of our time, and I thank and applaud all the writers we’ve published. If I look back, that is ... / Sometimes it all seems like a dream - a dream which continues to come true. Peter Fallon’ (p.5.)

[ top ]

Criticism
Books Ireland (Nov. 1994), interview article at 25 years of Gallery Press; also ‘Poetry in Action’, interview by Louise East in Irish Times (6 June 1998) [with photo-port.] noting Fallon’s essay ‘Notes on a History of publishing Poetry’ in Princeton University Library Chronicle;

[ top ]

Commentary
Dillon Johnston, ‘“My Feet on the Ground”, An interview with Peter Fallon, in Irish Literary Supplement (Fall 1995), pp.4-5: quotes, ‘If I am going to be remembered for my role at the Gallery Press, I want to be remembered as an editor rather than a publisher’; interview followed by ‘Tributes to Peter Fallon, 25 Years of Gallery Press’, contribs. Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel, Lar Cassidy, Medbh McGuckian, pat Donlon, Thomas Kilroy, John Banville, Conor O’Callaghan.

[ top ]

Bernard O'Donoghue, review of The Georgics of Virgil, in Times Literary Supplement (10 Dec. 2004): [...] ‘Fallon, the poet-farmer from County Meath, is the perfect translator for the Georgics, as is borne out on every page. But it is not only even primarily as farmer that he is equip for this task. He tells us he considered various other ways of dealing with the poem: in more traditional English poetic forms, or through high-point extracts. But, realizing that no work is all high points, he slowly developed a language to deal with the whole, and has done so with spectacular success. He achieves exemplary precision, as when he describes the testing of soil for richness: “toss it from hand and it won't crack or crumble, / no, it clings to fingers just like pitch”. This, clarity produces memorable images: in winter, “in running rivers, the water grows a skin of bone” (as in the Anglo-, Saxon riddle) and “clothes harden on your back”. As the horse gallops, “his hooves resound as they eat up the ground and spit it out again”. The translator attains vividness and exuberance by a vernacular freedom, often from the rural Irish: “jizz them up”, “take a running jump”, “a thing of nothing”, “grabbed a hold of him” (Proteus), “a sup of water”, “weak with the hunger”. Put together like this, ,they could sound arch; but as one element in a brilliantly versatile language they seem, entirely right. This language is responsive to the different registers necessary for this extraordinarily various work. There are great, predecessors for this venture, from Dryden to Day Lewis; but Peter Fallon's version will live, with the best.' O'Donoghue speaks of Cecil Day Lewis's earlier translation of 1940, in which according to Fallon he also ‘sang in times of war the arts of peace' following the killing of Caesar ‘while George W. Bush was rushing to war [...]'; also quotes Fallon: ‘this glorification of peasant life and its responsibilities displays a deeper level of compassion and a broader comprehension of sickness, disease, time's passing and death.’ [See full in RICORSO Library, Reviews, infra.]

[ top ]

Quotations
The Georgics of Virgil (trans., 2004): ‘I have seen long tried and tested crops begin to fail / wehre no one took the time each year to sort and save / the finest grain, seed by seed. For that’s the way it is - / world forces all things to the bad, to founder and to fall, / just as a paddler in his cot struggling to make headway up a river, / if he lets up a minute, will find himself / rushing headlong back between the banks.’ (Given in Metre, Autumn 2004, p.16.)

[ top ]

References
Seamus Deane, gen. ed., The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing (Derry: Field Day 1991), Vol. 3: selects from Winter Work, ‘My Care’, ‘Dung’, ‘Winter Work’, ‘The Heart of Ireland’ [1417-18; BIOG, 1436 [as above].

Hibernia Books (Catl. 1996) lists Fallon and Dennis O’Driscoll, eds., The First Ten Years [Dublin Arts Festival 1979], poems by Eacan Boland, Seamus Heaney, Jhn Hewitt, Brendan Kennelly, Michael Longley, Paul Muldoon, et al.

[ top ]

Notes
Gallery Press was first established at 19 Oakdown Rd, Dublin 14, and after at Loughcrew [Oldcastle] Co. Meath; also given as Dublin: Gallery Press in some bibliographical contexts.

Écrire l’Europe/Writing Europe (2003), the Franco-Irish Literary festival, Dublin Castle (chaired by Michael Cronin); invited Irish authors incl. Peter Fallon, Evelyn Conlon, Moya Cannon, Colm Tóibín, Keith Ridgeway.

[ top ]