...born in the Stella Maris Nursing Home, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin,the son of a barrister and later judge; raised at Dartmouth Sq., Dublin, and Turlough, Co. Mayo, where an aunt ran a pub. He studied law and economics at UCD to please his father. He had the first of several stays in mental institutions at the age of 19.
He moved to London in 1966 and commenced work at North Thames Gas Board, 1967, visiting the Tate Gallery at lunchtimes, in particular the paintings of Francis Bacon. He met his wife, Nessa, in 1968. He edited Two Rivers quarterly with Martin Green in 1969. Along with Brian Lynch, publisher, he issued Endsville in 1967; recorded poems for Harvard University and British Council in 1969. Edited Two Rivers (1969-71) and settled in Cork in 1970.
He commenced a degree course UCC, and grad. 1st class 1973. Staying on to study archaeology under M. J. OâKelly, and medieval history. He was the winner of the Kavanagh Award in 1974; visited Brazil on British Council invitation; contributed a weekly column to The Cork Examiner, 1977-[1984]; was editor of the Cork Review in 1980; His marriage collapsed in 1984 and was reflected in poems of The Berlin Wall CafĂ© (1985) [âbreaking my neck to finish Raymond on the rooftopsâ]; he left Cork and became Writer in Residence, UU Coleraine, 1984-86, and a father.
The winner of Cholmondeley Poetry Award (ÂŁ2,000) of British Society of Authord and the Whitbread Prize, 1990. He was the TCD Writer in Residence in 1991; by then separated with daughters [âthe pure, orginal brokenness of our marriageâ]; he tavelled on reading tours in America and Russia; supported the Presidential campaign of Mary Robinson, was Writer in Residence at TCD in 1990; co-authored âIn the Days Before Rock ân Rollâ with Van Morrison, on Morrisonâs album Enlightenment (1990); won the Whitbread Poetry Prize.
He has colloborated with artists and musicians such Mary Farl Powers and MicheĂĄl Ă SuilleabhĂĄin; was commissioned to write verse impressions of paintings in the collections of the National Gallery of Ireland, and the National Gallery, London, 1991, 1994 [commissioned 1993]; responded to the latest IRA atrocity with a litany-poem of the victimsâ names (âOmaghâ); issued Cries of an Irish Caveman in 2001, which was an expression of despondency about developments ; issued Paul Durcanâs Diary in 2003 and The Art of Life in 2004.
So, now you know everything and nothing about Paul Durcan. Until you read his poems.
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