Cathal Ó Searcaigh
Cathal Ó Searcaigh | |
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Cathal Ó Searcaigh (Template:IPAga; born 1956) is an Irish poet who writes in the Irish language (specifically the Ulster dialect).
Ó Searcaigh was born in Gort an Choirce, a town in the Gaeltacht region of Donegal, and lives at the foot of Mount Errigal. He is openly gay.[1]
Poetry works
His collections of poetry include Homecoming/An Bealach 'na Bhaile (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1993); Na Buachaillí Bána (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1995); Out in the Open (translations by Frank Sewell, Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1997); Ag Tnúth leis an tSolas (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2001) - for which he received The Irish Times Irish Literature Prize for the Irish language, in 2001; Gúrú i gClúidíní ('Guru in Nappies') (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2006).
The poems Níl Aon Ní and Maigdiléana have featured on the Leaving Certificate examination of Irish, though they may be removed pending an investigation following public furore over his sexual relationships with young men in Nepal.[2]
Plays include Mairimid leis na Mistéirí; Tá an Tóin ag Titim as an tSaol; Oíche Dhrochghealaí, based on the story of Salomé (Letterkenny, An Grianán, 2001).
Connections to Nepal
His first prose work, Seal i Neipeal, an account of his time in Nepal, was published by Cló Iar-Chonnachta in 2004.
Ó Searcaigh sponsors the education of many boys and girls in Nepal, and supports many families there. He has sent over €100,000 to Nepal from Ireland since his first visit there. [3] He has an informally adopted son from this country. In 1998, an entry visa was granted by the Irish government to Prem Timalsina, a Nepali friend of Ó Searcaigh. Subsequently Timalsina was informally adopted by the poet. [4] The young man is again living in Nepal, where he has a son of his own whom Ó Searcaigh views as his grandson, and to whom he has addressed several poems.[5]
Fairytale of Kathmandu controversy
In 2008, Fairytale of Kathmandu[6], a documentary that focussed on his charitable work in Nepal, included footage of Ó Searcaigh bringing young men into his room for the night, and his later comment that he has sexual relations with some of them.
The premise of the film is that although the poet's actions were legal in Nepal, nevertheless the relationship was an exploitative one akin to or equal to sex tourism.
Awards
Ó Searcaigh was awarded the Seán Ó Riordáin Prize for Poetry in 1993 and the Duais Bhord na Gaeilge in 1995. He is a member of Aosdána and in 2006 won The American Ireland Fund Literary Award.
Media appearances
Post-controversy
Ó Searcaigh gave his first interview since the controversy to Áine Ní Churráin on Raidió na Gaeltachta.[7][8][9]
Cathal Ó Searcaigh was scheduled to be interviewed on the Late Late Show on 6 February 2009.[10] RTE received legal advice that the interview should be pre-recorded, but Ó Searcaigh declined to appear on the show when informed of this.[10]
On 7th February 2009, he was interviewed in English by Dermod Moore for Hot Press magazine, which was published on 12th February 2009. It is a comprehensive response to the charges laid against him, both in the film and in the media coverage of the scandal. [11]
References
- ^ Pierce, David (2000), Irish Writing in the Twentieth Century: A Reader, Cork University Press, p. 1183, ISBN 1859182585
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0220/osearcaigh.html "Ó Searcaigh poems may be taken off curriculum"
- ^ Dermod Moore. "The Case for the Defence (subscription only)". Hot Press.
- ^ Irish Mail on Sunday 10 February 2008, pp.1-2, 4-6, 16.
- ^ County Donegal on the Net News. Vol.8 No.2 February, 2007 [1]
- ^ Neasa Ní Chianaín. "Fairytale of Kathmandu web site". Vinegar Hill Productions.
- ^ Áine Ní Churráin interview with Ó Searcaigh (in Irish)
- ^ Ó Searcaigh Interview: Agallamh; Aistriúchán:Translation (bilingual transcript of interview), 31 March 2008, Fiche Focail, retrieved 11 February 2009
- ^ Poet finally breaks silence and claims 'I have been wronged', Irish Independent, 26 March 2008, retrieved 11 February 2009
- ^ a b Poet Ó Searcaigh cancels Late Late appearance, The Irish Times, 6 February 2009, retrieved 6 February 2009
- ^ Dermod Moore. "The Case for the Defence (subscription only)". Hot Press.