Letters from the influential Irish poet Seán Ó Ríordáin are set to be donated to University College Cork.
It is 70 years since the publication of Seán Ó Ríordáin’s poetry collection, Eireaball Spideoige, and to mark the occasion, UCC will honour its long association with Ó Ríordáin with an afternoon of talks and poetry on the 13th December in UCC.
This event will also feature the donation of a significant collection of letters written by Ó Ríordáin to the Boole Library.
The letters were written between 1967 and 1976, a crucial period in Ó Ríordáin's life as he moved from poetry to prose as his principal medium.
In 1967 Ó Ríordáin was made a part-time lecturer in University College Cork. Between 1969 and 1976 he was UCC's writer in residence.
Dr. Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, Department of Modern Irish, commented:
“Seán Ó Ríordáin was a major figure in the literary life of twentieth century Ireland, and continues to influence writers today. These letters depict a different aspect of Ó Ríordáin's complex nature than the version we see in his poetry and journals. While he is primarily remembered for his poetry, this collection, which includes letters, postcards and sketches, offers many valuable insights into cultural and political life in Ireland during the 1960s and ’70s.”
