Greágóir Ó Duill

Life
1946- ; b. 10 April, Dublin; ed. Lourdes Primary, Whitehead, Co. Antrim; St Malachy’s Coll., Belfast; QUB, 1964-68; UCD, 1971-75, MA; Maynooth, 1986-89, PhD; Secondary schoolteacher, 1968-70; archivist, 1970-75; Executive, Bord na Gaeilge, 1976-78; Civil Servant, 1978-89; Writer, 1989- ; sometime Literary Editor of Comhar and Research Officer to Poetry Ireland, 1993- ; Irish-language judge in Strokestown Poetry Competition, 2000; issued Fearnann Filíocht: Filíocht 1900-1999 (2000); lives and teaches in Waterford; attended State Dinner for Prince Albert of Monaco, Arás an Uachtaráin, Dublin 2011. OCIL

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Works
Poetry
  • Innilt Bhóthair (Coscéim 1981).
  • Cliseadh (Coscéim 1981).
  • Dubhthrian (Coscéim 1985).
  • Blaoscoileán (Coscéim 1988).
  • Crannóg agus Carn (Coscéim 1991).
  • Saothrú an Ghoirt [Coscéim 1994].
  • Garbachadh (Cosicéim 1996).
  • New Room Windows (Tralee: Doghouse Books 2008), 69pp.
Miscellaneous
  • Filíocht Uladh 1960-1985, eag. Greagóir Ó Duill (Coiscéim 1986), 258pp. [see contents].
  • Samuel Ferguson, saol agus Saothar (An Clóchmomhar 1993) [commissioned by an tOireachtas/Bord na Gaeilge].
  • ‘Infinite Grounds for Hope?, Poetry in Irish Today’, in Poetry Ireland, 39 (Autumn 1993), pp.9-25 [incls. circumspect discussion of translation-culture of contemporary Irish poetry and the role of the original as ‘cog’ for translators, in Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill’s phrase.
  • ed. Fearann Pinn: Filiocht 1900-99, edited by Greagoir Ó Duill (Baile Atha Cliath: Coiscéim 2000), 412pp. [anthology].

Bibliographical details
Filíocht Uladh 1960-1985, eag. Greagóir Ó Duill (Coiscéim 1986), 258pp., index of first lines; poets represented are Séamus mac Annaidh; Breandán S. Mac Aodha; Sorcha Nic Aoidh; Tomás Ó Canainn; Pádraig Mac Caomhánaigh; Liam Mac Carráin; Cosslet Ó Cuinn; Máire Ní Thomphnair Bean uí Chonboirne; Caitín Bean Uí Chonluain; Pádraig Ó Croiligh; Diarmaid Ó Doibhlin; Aodh Ó Domhnaill; Gréagóir Ó Dúill; Seán Ó Dúrois; Pascal mac Gabhann; Róise Nic a’ Ghoill; Anraí mac Giolla Chomhaill; Brian Ó Maoileoin; Máire Nic Mhaoláin; Biatrais Ní Mhaoldhomhnaigh; Pól Ó Maoldúin; Réamonn Ó Muireadhaigh; Aodh Ó Murchú; Cathal Póirtéir; Liam Mac Reachtain; Peigí Rose; Antain Mag Shamhráin; Cathal Ó Searcaigh; Gearóid Stockman; Pádraig Mac Suibhne; Tarlach Ó hUid.

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Commentary
Liam Prút, ‘A Decade of Anthologies, in Poetry Ireland No. 32 (Autumn 1993), pp.28-43, contains a review of Greagóir Ó Duill, ed., Filíocht Uladh 1960-1985 (Coiscéim 1986) berating the anthologist for failing to clarify his criterion of selection – or none selection, as it is implied (p.42f.).

Note Philip Casey Writers Online: ‘divides time between Dublin and Donegal’ [see online].

 

Quotations
“Providence, R.I”: ‘How could it be alien, this brother side of ocean? / So many of the young I’d see in Grafton Street, / pushing just the same with open Irish faces, loud voices, / have here a quieter fashion, less in-your-face tattoo, neon hair, body piercing, nasal, nave studs. / Weather, this raw edge marking winter/spring / discourages baring but the minimum, and layered clothes / show the continental climate, the north Atlantic drift. // Slow bullet train, Acela, rocking on its rifled rails / runs trajectory through dark industrial areas, slums / as well as suburbs, exurbs, new England homes to die / for each with its flagpole standing, flag high or at / halfmast. // The wilderness is beautiful, much of the coast / and marshland, rich in birds differing only in scale from all I love at home - but Gulliver big. / It is this scale makes all the difference, old glory, the power, / the kingdom.’ (Irish Times, 5 Feb. 2005; Weekend.)

 

References
Gabriel Fitzmaurice, ed., Irish Poetry Now, Other Voices (Dublin: Wolfhound Press 1993), gives poems and translations of same, viz., “Athbhliain/New Year”; “Geimhreadh/Winter”; “Don Chonstábla Taca Micheal Williams/For Researve Constable Michael Williams” (22-25).

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