Anthony Cronin documentary On Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Behan & Flann O' Brien.
Came across this documentary which was uploaded by Ben McGuire and with thanks. Have not seen this before so should be interesting. See if I can dig up the other parts ...
Loaded by machree01 and with thanks. A poem by Patrick Kavanagh and read by Liam Clancy. So you think you can write poetry or read it. There have been many fine Irish poets and performers but only a few great ones. The above. The poem is followed by Ewan MacColl's great ballad 'The Travelling People' though I've seen Peggy Seeger credited here also. Just about everyone has recorded this song but most people around these parts will remember 'The Johnstons' version, which was very popular in the sixties and good it was too. They were from Slane in County Meath. Happy Sunday morning!
This one was loaded by Patrick Thomas Howard and a visit to his youtube site I'd suggest to view the credits or indeed to read the comments. I remember visiting the Newgrange site in County Meath many years ago and asking the girl in the bookshop there what poetry books she'd recommend and she replied that the Americans were only interested in either Kavanagh or Yeats. Kavanagh was indeed a genius and little recognized for such in his lifetime and certainly not rewarded for it. Local connection as well in that Hilda brought him down to Dunsany to see if the Lord would act as patron. It didn't work out but he wrote a poem about it. Check it out. Enjoy. With thanks to all involved in the video above. Something for the May Bank Holiday weekend.
* Back with a little time.
The above was first published as a poem in The Irish Press on 3rd of October 1946 (Wikipedia) and has its critics because of the repetition of words and the odd phrasing. Also noting from the comments that the seventh line has been changed from the original. Read from the page it is easy to find flaws but I think Kavanagh himself said somewhere that it was originally conceived as a musical piece and as such it is stunning. Luke Kelly in his recording knocks a few corners off and doing so in my humble opinion improves it greatly. There are those who find fault also with the last verse but that is to take a couple of lines out of context of what could be said to be the more important meaning or part of and what Kavanagh intended with regard to interpretation, you'll have to ask him! But as the great Leonard said, "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in". So be sure to bring your dark glasses!
Patrick Kavanagh ~ Born 21st October 1904 - Died ~ 30th November 1967.
Here's a fine rendition of Kavanagh's Raglan Road. Most would go for Luke Kelly but Glen does a fine job here and worth a listen. I loaded this one some time back but tomorrow is the 30th of November so here goes. Great story about this and a true story. With thanks to youtube and the person who loaded!
Kavanagh's great poem, "A Christmas Childhood" is read here by Brian O' Donovan of WGBH and recorded at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston Massachusetts on December the 10th 2010. The "Wexford Carol" is sung by Christy O' Leary. With thanks to youtube and "Celtic Sojourn" who loaded.
A member of the Meath Writers'Circle in Ireland since 2001 and a once a upon a time Teacher/Instructor in Telecommunications. Now that's too much. Winner of The Jonathan Swift Creative Writing Award Poetry/Saggart Dublin 2009,runner up Boyle Literary Festival Poetry 2008, 2nd Dromineer Literary Festival Poetry 2007 and Shortlisted Goldsmith International Poetry Festival, 2005, 2007 and 2014 and Highly Commended and Shortlisted in many others as well. Joint third Jonathan Swift Creative Writing Award Saggart 2013. Third in the Goldsmith Poetry Competition 2015. Final Four Humorous Essay Listowel Writers Week 2017. Honourable Mention, Frederick Douglass Poetry Competition 2021 and short listed Trim Poetry Festival 2021. Highly Commended Cathal Buí 2024. 2nd Shahidah Janjua Poetry Competition 2024. Commended Francis Ledwidge Poetry Award 2025. Must Stop!
