Máirtín Ó Direáin


Máirtín Ó Direáin was an Irish poet who is widely held to be 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.

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's Daughter.
His literary awards include the An Chomhairle Ealaíon/The Arts Council Awards ; the Butler Prize, with Eoghan Ó Tuairisc ; the Ossian Prize for Poetry, FVS Foundation, Hamburg. 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 biography. Its title refers to Ó Direáin's journey from his native rocky island to Dublin, where he lived most of his life.
An Charraig Stoite 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 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 and Giving - Colm's solo album from 2007.