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Padraic Colum, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1959.

Padraic Colum (8 December 1881 – 11 January 1972) was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Celtic Revival.

Early life

Colum was born Padraic Columb in a County Longford workhouse, where his father worked. He was the first of eight children. When the father lost his job in 1889, he moved to the United States to participate in the Colorado gold rush. Padraic and his mother and siblings remained in Ireland. When the father returned in 1892, the family moved to Glasthule, outside Dublin where his father was employed as Assistant Manager at Sandycove and Glasthule railway station. His son attended the local national school.

When Colum's mother died in 1897, the family were temporarily split up. Padraic and one brother remained in Dublin while the father and remaining children moved back to Longford. Colum finished school the following year and at the age of seventeen, he passed an exam for and was awarded a clerkship in the Irish Railway Clearing House. He stayed in this job until 1903.

During this period, Colum started to write and met a number of the leading Irish writers of the time, including W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory and Æ. He also joined the Gaelic League and was a member of the first board of the Abbey Theatre. It was at this time that he dropped the 'b' from his surname. He became a regular user of the National Library of Ireland. Here he met James Joyce and the two became lifelong friends.

He also collected Irish folk songs, including the famous She Moved Through the Fair, for which Colum wrote most of the words, with the musicologist Herbert Hughes.

He was awarded a five year scholarship to University College Dublin by a wealthy American benefactor Thomas Kelly.

Early poetry and plays

He was awarded a prize by Cumann na nGaedhael for his anti-enlistment play "The Saxon Shillin'". Through his plays he became involved with the National Theatre Society and became involved in the founding of the Abbey Theatre, writing several of its early productions. His play, Broken Sail (1903) was performed by the Irish Literary Theatre. The Land (1905), was one of that theatre's first great public successes.

Colum's earliest published poems appeared in The United Irishman, a paper edited by Arthur Griffith. His first book, Wild Earth (1907) collected many of these poems and was dedicated to Æ. He published several poems in Arthur Griffiths' paper The United Irishman this time, with The Poor Scholar bringing him to the attention of WB Yeats. He became a friend of Yeats and Lady Gregory.

In 1911, with Mary Gunning Maguire, a fellow student from UCD, and David Houston and Thomas MacDonagh, he founded the short-lived literary journal The Irish Review, which published work by Yeats, George Moore, Oliver St John Gogarty, and many other leading Revival figures.

In 1912 he married Maguire, who was working at Patrick Pearse's experimental school, St Enda's, Rathfarnam, County Dublin. At first the couple lived in the Dublin suburb of Donnybrook, where they held a regular Tuesday literary salon. They then moved to Howth, a small fishing village just to the north of the capital. In 1914, they traveled to the USA for what was intended to be a visit of a few months but lasted eight years.

Later life and work

In America, Colum took up children's writing and published a number of collections of stories for children, beginning with The King of Ireland's Son (1916). This book came about when Colum started translating an Irish folk tale from Gaelic because he did not want to forget the language; After it was published in the New York Tribune, Hungarian Illustrator Willy Pógany suggested the possibility of a book collaboration, so Colum wove the folktale into a long, epic story.^[1] Three of his books for children were awarded retrospective citations for the Newbery Honor. A contract for children's literature with Macmillan Publishers made him financially secure for the rest of his life.

In 1922 he was commissioned to write versions of Hawaiian folklore for young people. This resulted in the publication of three volumes of his versions of tales from the island. He also started writing novels. These include Castle Conquer (1923) and The Flying Swans (1937). The Colums spent the years from 1930 to 1933 living in Paris and Nice, where Padraic renewed his friendship with James Joyce and became involved in the transcription of Finnegans Wake.

After their time in France, the couple moved to New York City, where they both did some teaching at Columbia University and CCNY. Colum was a prolific author and published a total of 61 books, not counting his plays.

He adopted the form of Noh drama in his later plays.

Molly died in 1957 and Pádraic finished Our Friend James Joyce, which they had worked on together before her death. It was published in 1958. Colum divided his later years between the United States and Ireland. In 1961 the Catholic Library Association awarded him the Regina Medal. He died in Enfield, Connecticut, aged 90, and was buried in St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton.

Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest the last name was the same as the word column. "In my first name, the first a has the sound of au. The ordinary pronunciation in Irish is pau'drig." (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)

Selected works

(1902) The Saxon Shillin' (Play)
(1903) Broken Sail (Play)
(1905) The Land (Play)
(1907) Wild Earth (Book)
(1907) The Fiddlers' House (Play)
(1910) Thomas Muskerry (Play)
(1917) Mogu the Wanderer (Play)
(1918) The Children's Homer (Novel)
(1918) Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy [1]
(1920) The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter (Novel) [2]
(1920) Children of Odin: Nordic Gods and Heroes
(1921) The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles (Novel), Ill. by Willy Pogany [3]
(1916) The King of Ireland's Son (New Sample of old Irish Tales)
(1923) The Six Who Were Left in a Shoe (Children's Story)
(1923) Castle Conquer (Novel)
(1932) Poems (collected) Macmillan & Co
(1957) The Flying Swans (Novel)
(1937) The Story of Lowry Maen (Epic Poem)
(1929) The Strindbergian Balloon (Play)
(1943) The Frenzied Prince (Compilation of Irish Tales)
(1958) Our Friend James Joyce (Memoir) (With Molly Colum)
(1965) Padraic Colum Reading His Irish Tales and Poems (Album, Folkways Records)

As editor:

(1922) Anthology of Irish Verse [4]

Notes

^ Viguers, Ruth Hill (1969). A Critical History of Children's Literature. Macmillan Publishing co. p. 426. ISBN 0-02-583900-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

References

Print

Bowen, Zack. Padraic Colum. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1970.
Denson, Alan. "Padraic Colum: An Appreciation with a Checklist of His Publications." The Dublin Magazine 6 (Spring 1967): 50-67.
Sternlicht, Sanford. Padraic Colum. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.

Bleiler, Everett (1948). The Checklist of Fantastic Literature. Chicago: Shasta Publishers. p. 82.
Igoe, Vivien. A Literary Guide to Dublin. ISBN 0-413-69120-9

Online

Short biography

External links

[1] Viguers, Ruth Hill (1969). A Critical History of Children's Literature. Macmillan Publishing co. p. 426. ISBN 0-02-583900-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+[[Image:PadraicColum.jpeg|thumb|Padraic Colum, photographed by [[Carl Van Vechten]], 1959.]]
+[[Image:Padraic Colum - Project Gutenberg eText 19028.jpg|thumb|Padraic Colum]]
+'''Padraic Colum''' (8 December 1881 &ndash; 11 January 1972) was an [[Ireland|Irish]] [[poet]], [[novelist]], [[dramatist]], [[biographer]] and [[folklore|collector of folklore]]. He was one of the leading figures of the [[Celtic Revival]].
+==Early life==
+Colum was born '''Padraic Columb''' in a [[County Longford]] workhouse, where his father worked. He was the first of eight children. When the father lost his job in 1889, he moved to the [[United States]] to participate in the [[Colorado gold rush]]. Padraic and his mother and siblings remained in Ireland. When the father returned in 1892, the family moved to [[Glasthule]], outside [[Dublin]] where his father was employed as Assistant Manager at [[Sandycove and Glasthule railway station]]. His son attended the local [[National school (Ireland)|national school]].
+When Colum's mother died in 1897, the family were temporarily split up. Padraic and one brother remained in Dublin while the father and remaining children moved back to Longford. Colum finished school the following year and at the age of seventeen, he passed an exam for and was awarded a clerkship in the [[Irish Railway Clearing House]]. He stayed in this job until 1903.
+During this period, Colum started to write and met a number of the leading Irish writers of the time, including [[W. B. Yeats]], [[Lady Gregory]] and [[George William Russell|Æ]]. He also joined the [[Gaelic League]] and was a member of the first board of the [[Abbey Theatre]]. It was at this time that he dropped the 'b' from his surname. He became a regular user of the [[National Library of Ireland]]. Here he met [[James Joyce]] and the two became lifelong friends.
+He also collected Irish folk songs, including the famous [[She Moved Through the Fair]], for which Colum wrote most of the words, with the musicologist [[Herbert Hughes]].
+He was awarded a five year scholarship to [[University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin|University College Dublin]] by a wealthy American benefactor Thomas Kelly.
+==Early poetry and plays==
+He was awarded a prize by [[Cumann na nGaedhael]] for his anti-enlistment play "The Saxon Shillin'". Through his plays he became involved with the National Theatre Society and became involved in the founding of the [[Abbey Theatre]], writing several of its early productions. His play, '''Broken Sail''' (1903) was performed by the [[Irish Literary Theatre]]. '''The Land''' (1905), was one of that theatre's first great public successes.
+Colum's earliest published poems appeared in '''The United Irishman''', a paper edited by [[Arthur Griffith]]. His first book, '''Wild Earth''' (1907) collected many of these poems and was dedicated to Æ. He published several poems in [[Arthur Griffith|Arthur Griffiths']] paper [[The United Irishman]] this time, with ''The Poor Scholar'' bringing him to the attention of [[William Butler Yeats|WB Yeats]]. He became a friend of Yeats and [[Augusta, Lady Gregory|Lady Gregory]].
+In 1911, with [[Mary Colum|Mary Gunning Maguire]], a fellow student from UCD, and David Houston and Thomas MacDonagh, he founded the short-lived literary journal ''The Irish Review'', which published work by Yeats, [[George A. Moore|George Moore]], [[Oliver St John Gogarty]], and many other leading Revival figures.
+In 1912 he married Maguire, who was working at [[Patrick Pearse]]'s experimental school, [[St. Enda's School|St Enda's]], Rathfarnam, County Dublin. At first the couple lived in the Dublin suburb of [[Donnybrook, Dublin|Donnybrook]], where they held a regular Tuesday literary salon. They then moved to [[Howth]], a small fishing village just to the north of the capital. In 1914, they traveled to the [[USA]] for what was intended to be a visit of a few months but lasted eight years.
+==Later life and work==
+In America, Colum took up children's writing and published a number of collections of stories for children, beginning with ''[[The King of Ireland's Son]]'' (1916). This book came about when Colum started translating an Irish folk tale from [[Irish language|Gaelic]] because he did not want to forget the language; After it was published in the [[New York Tribune]], [[Hungary|Hungarian]] Illustrator Willy Pógany suggested the possibility of a book collaboration, so Colum wove the folktale into a long, epic story.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Critical History of Children's Literature |last=Viguers |first=Ruth Hill |authorlink= |coauthors=Cornelia Meigs (ed.) |year=1969 |publisher=Macmillan Publishing co. |location= |isbn=0-02-583900-4 |pages=426 }}</ref> Three of his books for children were awarded retrospective citations for the [[Newbery Honor]]. A contract for children's literature with [[Macmillan Publishers]] made him financially secure for the rest of his life.
+In 1922 he was commissioned to write versions of [[Hawaii]]an folklore for young people. This resulted in the publication of three volumes of his versions of tales from the island. He also started writing novels. These include ''Castle Conquer'' (1923) and ''The Flying Swans'' (1937). The Colums spent the years from 1930 to 1933 living in [[Paris]] and [[Nice]], where Padraic renewed his friendship with [[James Joyce]] and became involved in the transcription of [[Finnegans Wake]].
+After their time in France, the couple moved to [[New York City]], where they both did some teaching at [[Columbia University]] and [[CCNY]]. Colum was a prolific author and published a total of 61 books, not counting his plays.
+He adopted the form of [[Noh]] drama in his later plays.
+Molly died in 1957 and Pádraic finished ''Our Friend James Joyce'', which they had worked on together before her death. It was published in 1958. Colum divided his later years between the United States and Ireland. In 1961 the Catholic Library Association awarded him the [[Regina Medal]]. He died in [[Enfield, Connecticut]], aged 90, and was buried in ''[[St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton]]''.
+Asked how to say his name, he told ''The [[Literary Digest]]'' the last name was the same as the word ''column''. "In my first name, the first ''a'' has the sound of ''au''.  The ordinary pronunciation in Irish is ''pau'drig''." (Charles Earle Funk, ''What's the Name, Please?'', Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)
+==Selected works==
+* (1902) ''The Saxon Shillin''' (Play)
+* (1903) ''Broken Sail'' (Play)
+* (1905) ''The Land'' (Play)
+* (1907) ''Wild Earth'' (Book)
+* (1907) ''The Fiddlers' House'' (Play)
+* (1910) ''Thomas Muskerry'' (Play)
+* (1917) ''Mogu the Wanderer'' (Play)
+* (1918) ''The Children's Homer'' (Novel)
+* (1918) ''Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy'' [http://www.bartleby.com/75/]
+* (1920) ''The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter'' (Novel) [http://books.google.com/books?id=O_0cAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=boy+apprenticed+to+an+enchanter]
+* (1920) ''Children of Odin: Nordic Gods and Heroes''
+* (1921) ''The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles'' (Novel), Ill. by [[Willy Pogany]] [http://www.bartleby.com/72/]
+* (1916) ''The King of Ireland's Son'' (New Sample of old Irish Tales)
+* (1923) ''The Six Who Were Left in a Shoe'' (Children's Story)
+* (1923) ''Castle Conquer'' (Novel)
+* (1932) ''Poems'' (collected) Macmillan & Co
+* (1957) ''The Flying Swans'' (Novel)
+* (1937) ''The Story of Lowry Maen'' (Epic Poem)
+* (1929) ''The Strindbergian Balloon'' (Play)
+* (1943) ''The Frenzied Prince'' (Compilation of Irish Tales)
+* (1958) ''Our Friend James Joyce'' (Memoir) (With Molly Colum)
+* (1965) ''Padraic Colum Reading His Irish Tales and Poems'' (Album, [[Folkways Records]])
+As [[editing|editor]]:
+* (1922) ''Anthology of Irish Verse'' [http://www.bartleby.com/250/]
+==Notes==
+{{reflist}}
+==References==
+'''Print'''
+*Bowen, Zack. ''Padraic Colum''. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1970.
+*Denson, Alan. "Padraic Colum: An Appreciation with a Checklist of His Publications." ''The Dublin Magazine'' 6 (Spring 1967): 50-67.
+*Sternlicht, Sanford. ''Padraic Colum''. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.
+*{{cite book | last=Bleiler | first=Everett | authorlink=Everett F. Bleiler | title=The Checklist of Fantastic Literature | location=Chicago | publisher=Shasta Publishers | date=1948 | page=82}}
+*Igoe, Vivien. ''A Literary Guide to Dublin''. ISBN 0-413-69120-9
+'''Online'''
+*[http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/history/people/writers/pcolum.shtm Short biography]
+==External links==
+* {{gutenberg author| id=Padraic+Colum | name=Padraic Colum}}
+*[http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/search?author=padraic+colum&amode=words&title=&tmode=words Padraic Colum at the Online Books Page]
+*[http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/findaids/colum.htm The Padraic Colum papers]
+*[http://www.spd.dcu.ie/library/LIBeng/Special%20Collections/spcollpcollum.htm Cregan Library page on Colum]
+*[http://library.uncg.edu/depts/archives/mss/html/Mss179.htm Finding Aid for the Padriac Colum Letters at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro]
+*[http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=1680/ ''Padraic Colum Reading His Irish Tales and Poems'' Album Details] at [[Smithsonian Folkways]]
+*{{NRA|P6250}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Colum, Padraic}}
+[[Category:Burials at St. Fintan's Cemetery]]
+[[Category:1881 births]]
+[[Category:1972 deaths]]
+[[Category:Irish dramatists and playwrights]]
+[[Category:Irish novelists]]
+[[Category:Irish poets]]
+[[Category:People from County Longford]]
+[[Category:Roman Catholic writers]]
+[[Category:Irish-American writers]]
+[[Category:James Joyce]]
+[[da:Padraic Colum]]
+[[de:Padraic Colum]]
+[[es:Padraic Colum]]
+[[pt:Padraic Colum]]
+[[ro:Padraic Colum]]