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Michael Davitt (20 April 1950 – 19 June 2005) was an Irish poet who published in the Irish language. [1] He has been characterised as "...one of modern Ireland's finest poets in either of the nation's languages [2] and key figure in the 1970s Irish Language poetry movement". [3]

Early life and education

Davitt was born and raised in Mayfield in Cork City. He was educated in St Patrick's Boys National School and the North Monastery. [4] [5] He then attended University College Cork where he pursued Celtic Studies. [6] After leaving the university, Davitt moved to Dublin where he worked as a teacher and with Gael Linn, an Irish cultural organisation. [4]

Poetry

Although Davitt wrote in Irish, it was not his first language. [1] A successor to Seán Ó Ríordáin, whose first language was also English, [2] his work was considered avant-garde with urban and rural tones in combination, and an expression of "...a belief in language as the locus of personal and ... national and international self-definition." [1] [7] [8] The importance of location in which the real and imaginary worlds are part of one another is another major theme of his work. [8]

Analytic and intellectual, [1] Davitt's poetry is infused with a self-awareness of his choice of language, and incorporates some English words, which seem to act as a challenge to the poet to validate the use of Irish in any topic, [2] breaking those ties to traditional forms which might limit his "contemporary imagination." [9] The confrontation of traditional Irish culture and modern English culture is a core theme in many of his works. [2] As he put it, "What is important is to continue believing in the Irish language as a vibrant creative power while it continues to be marginalised in the process of cultural McDonaldisation..." [4]

Described as an "impresario" for Irish language poetry, in 1970 Davitt founded the journal Innti. [4] [10] [11]

Production and direction work

Davitt worked for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) as a presenter from 1985–1988, and subsequently as a producer and director through the 1990s. [10] His production credits include the television documentaries Joe Heaney: Sing the Dark Away (1996) [6] [12] and John Montague: Rough Fields. [6] He took early retirement to devote himself to writing, travelling between Ireland and France with partner Moira Sweeney. [4]

Recognition and death

In 1994, Davitt was awarded the Butler Prize by the Irish American Cultural Institute. [10]

In 2005, Davitt died unexpectedly in Sligo, Ireland, survived by one son and two daughters. [4] [10]

Works

  • Gleann ar Ghleann (1982) [1]
  • Bligeard Sráide (1983) [1]
  • Selected Poems/Rogha Dánta (1987) [1]
  • Freacnairc Mhearcair/The Oomph of Quicksilver (2000) [11]
  • Fardoras (2003) [2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Cracken, Kathleen (1990), "Act of Defiance: The Poetry of Michael Davitt", The Antioch Review, vol. 48, no. 3, Antioch Review, Inc, pp. 372–380, ISSN  0003-5769, JSTOR  4612237
  2. ^ a b c d e O'Leary, Philip (22 March 2004). "The supply of poetry". Irish Literary Supplement. 23 (1): 27.
  3. ^ "The Oomph of Quicksilver". Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Campbell, Siobhan (23 June 2005). "Michael Davitt: 'Bob Dylan of the Irish language'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011.
  5. ^ https://www.dib.ie/biography/davitt-michael-a9441
  6. ^ a b c Warnock, Gabrielle; O'Connell, Jeff W. (2000). "Face to face". Trident Press Ltd. p. 233. ISBN  1-900724-46-4.
  7. ^ Cadhla, Stiofán Ó. "Middle-class Flu and the Hybrid Vernacular". Irish Review (27). Cork University Press: 193–196.
  8. ^ a b Denvir, Gearoid (2005). "From Inis Fraoigh to Innisfree... and Back Again? Sense of Place in Poetry in Irish since 1950". The Yearbook of English Studies. 35. Modern Humanities Research Association: 107–130. JSTOR  3509328.
  9. ^ Haller, Evelyn (2001). "Ways to Access the Landscape, Soundscape, and Landscape of Ireland in the Poetry of W.B. Yeats" (PDF). South Carolina Review. 33 (2).
  10. ^ a b c d "Poet Michael Davitt dies suddenly". RTÉ News. 20 June 2005.
  11. ^ a b Wheatley, David (2 June 2000). "Micheal Davitt: Freacnairc Mhearcair/The Oomph of Quicksilver". The Times Literary Supplement. p. 33.
  12. ^ "Michael Davitt". IMDb. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
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