CONNACHT TRIBUNE 37 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 NEWS Longley’s Connemara passion ■ Acclaimed poet’s work inspired by landscape and culture of the west

BY BILL HEANEY

IT was a hitch-hiking holiday around Connemara, South Mayo and the Aran Islands with his wife Edna and fellow poet Derek Mahon that turned out to be a prelude to hun- dreds of visits to the West of Ireland for Michael Longley. In this first volume of The Poet's Chair, Longley – whose poetry has transcended politi- cal and cultural boundaries throughout his career – reflects on what has influenced his craft. And Connemara, Westport, Leenane, Louisburgh and In- ishmore feature large amongst the many places he has visited and written about. Belfast-born Longley opens with an ‘autobiography in po- etry’ where he recounts the poets and poems and places that have influenced him as both a reader and writer of po- etry. Longley says life in Belfast Inishbofin from Rosadillisk near Cleggan. Scenes like these inspired Longley, Heaney and Mahon. was demanding and painful in PICTURE: BILL HEANEY. the ‘Sixties because one of his friends was having a knees over the stone flags into Dhomhnaill, Paul Durcan, breakdown. the church … Michael Longley, Harry Clifton He writes: “We were “It is striking that my first have all held the role of Ireland drawn perhaps to the idea of collection (of poems) and the Professor of Poetry for three the place, Connemara.” first collections of Derek years each, with Paula Meehan, Longley quotes Tim Robin- Mahon and Seamus Heaney the current Professor until son, the Roundstone-based all contain poems about the 2016. writer and map maker: “Con- Aran Islands.” nemara – the name drifts In this excellent book of ■ One Wide Expanse by Michael across the mind like cloud prose and poems, Longley Longley is the first volume in The shadows on a mountainside, goes on to discuss his close Poet’s Chair series from UCD or expands and fades like cir- relationships with Mahon Press which will publish the pub- cles on a lake after a trout has and Heaney, who has writ- lic lectures of each of the three risen.” ten about Inishbofin, Maam most recent Ireland Professors of Poet Michael Longley – inspired by Connemara, Mayo and the Longley writes that the Cleg- Cross and Recess. Poetry. Aran Islands. gan-base poet Richard Murphy This is a very personal “first attracted the attention of discussion about how the us Western wannabees with his West of Ireland has had a majestic narratives ‘Sailing to deep impact on his poetry, his an Island’ and ‘The Cleggan Longley says it rained most life, and his ‘spiritual educa- DON’T Disaster’. of the time and that he hud- tion’. “Over the years I have been dled in an attic bedroom in a Longley’s love of nature and inspired by his consummate sleeping bag, chain-smoking. the environment shines nature poems – ‘Storm Petrel’, But the turbulent weather through and the extracts from FORGET ‘Corncrake’,’ Sea Holly’ and and the fact that he could not his poems portray his deep un- ‘Seals at High Island’. speak Irish didn’t put him off derstanding of the West. That other Belfast poet, from getting around the island. One Wide Expanse gives Louis MacNeice, whose family He writes: “Between show- readers a rare insight into the YOUR have clerical connections with ers we walked around the creative process of one of Ire- Clifden and Omey Island, is rocky fields in flashing, soul-ir- land’s leading contemporary quoted too by Longley. radiating light. poets who was Ireland Profes- SHOVEL MacNeice wrote: “The very “Our brief sojourn would be- sor of Poetry from 2007 to name Connemara seemed too come part of my inner mythol- 2010. rich for any ordinary place. It ogy. We felt sad leaving the Michael Longley was edu- appeared to be a country of island.” cated in Belfast and went on to windswept open spaces and His response was to write study Classics at Trinity Col- mountains blazing with whins ‘Leaving Inishmore’ which was lege, Dublin. and seas that were never the first of his West-inspired His most recent collection quiet.” poems to survive. The Stairwell (2014) won this CALL Longley recalls in this It includes the lines: year’s Griffin Poetry Award. odyssey around the West: “In Miles from the brimming en- He is married to Edna Long- Galway we boarded the clave of the bay ley, a critic of modern poetry, steamer for Inishmore – a very I hear again the Atlantic and they have three children. 090 964 2131 rough crossing – there were no voices The Ireland Chair of Poetry stabilizers on the boat – below Longley and Mahon re- has, since 1998, been a key ele- decks Mahon and I fought off turned to Aran a year later, in ment in the promotion, discus- sea sickness with medicinal 1966, at Easter. He writes: “On sion and encouragement of brandies. Good Friday, Derek and I were poetry – both its practitioners GovernmentGovernmment Licence & Bonded: TA0148TTAA0148 “In Kilronan we hired a very moved when we wit- and readers – across the island KellerKeller TravelTTrravel MainMain Street,Streeet, BallinalsoeBallinalsoe jaunting car that took us to our nessed the islanders, in their of Ireland. E:[email protected]:[email protected] | www.kellertravel.iewww.kellertravel.ie | www.campotel.comwww.campotel.com guest house.” best tweeds, walking on their John Montague, Nuala Ní