Seamus Heaney RIP

RachaelVO

Very sad news one of our most honoured poets, who was compared with WB Yeats has passed away suddenly.

RIP Sir, you left an indelible legend in our literary history.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0830/471228-seamus-heaney/

Gael23

Breaking News that Seamus Heaney has died.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0830/471228-seamus-heaney/

RIP, Heaney. A great talent that will be sorely missed. But at least he'll live on forever in the Leaving Cert syllabus.

AssaultedPeanut

RIP

I was only thinking of him yesterday when my mam text and said she was out picking blackberries. An activity that will forever remind me of his poem.

Aglomerado

For sure, he was a major contributor to Irish literary tradition. RIP.

His poem "Mid-Term Break" stayed with me since I first read it at 11. Chilling...

Whatsernamex33

Great man. Will be sadly missed.. One of Ireland's best poets.

Sir Humphrey Appleby

A wonderful poet. RIP

ibarelycare

RIP


His first poem of his I ever read was Mid Term Break, and it's the saddest poem I've ever read, it still makes me cry.

"A four foot box, a foot for every year."

Alice1

RIP Mr Heaney and sympathies to Marie and the family. Always fondly remembered.

enda1

Ah no, that's terrible.

castletownman

RIP. Yet another literary great produced by this small island. Remarkable outlay when you think of it.

Mid-term break was the first poem that really struck a chord with me.

podgemonster

castletownman wrote: »

Mid-term break was the first poem that really struck a chord with me.

Same here, does so well to portray the raw pain a family feels following a childs death. Can still recite ever line.

RIP Seamus Heaney

Fowler87

RIP great man

Banjo String

He's a native of my home town.

A four foot box, a foot for every year.

RIP Seamus.

NegativeCreep

Oh my god what did he die of?

hoodwinked

Many english leaving cert students salute him, its down to him i got a C1 in honours!

i owe him one!

Dartz

Of being 74 most likely. It's a fair old age to make it to....

Esoteric_

I actually did Mid Term Break as part of an acting exam.

Fantastic poet, he'll be sorely missed.

KKkitty

An amazing man. R.I.P.

Judge Roy Bean

I was in rehab for a spell, and the great man was in for depression.

He was a true gent, sat with us every morning for breakfast for about a month, we'd consult him when playing Scrabble and weren't too sure of a word.

That's my Heaney story

R.I.P

Mushy

I'm not into poetry in the slightest, but the aforementioned Mid-Term Break is one thing I will remember. Lived in my home place, would have seen him a bit when I worked there, a lovely man with respect for everyone.

jester77

RIP, great poet, may the squat pen rest.

Foxhound38

With all the doom and gloom, it is worth reminding ourselves that this country always has produced and still produces people we can all be rightly proud of.

RIP to the man and legend

--Kaiser--

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Oh my god what did he die of?

He died of a Thursday

Ectoplasm

Genuinely saddened to hear this. I was only listening to him recently discussing his work on Burial at Thebes, and he was a fascinating speaker. The man was a true literary great whose enthusiasm for, and command of, the written word was incredible. RIP

NegativeCreep

They should name that bridge on Marlborough street after him now!

from_atozinc

ryanf1 wrote: »

Breaking News that Seamus Heaney has died.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0830/471228-seamus-heaney/

Why did you post this when the OP had already stated that he died in the first post

Autonomous Cowherd

I was lucky to attend readings of his several times, and sit afterwards in the pub in his company. His wife always struck me as so beautiful and him as serene and noble. A particular memory I have of him is from the Flat lake Arts festival where he turned up, sort of out of the blue, to do a reading. It was in a marquee. The tent was sparsely populated with a few loiterers ~ there were not that many in attendance at the festival to be honest, as it was in the first year. Then Séamus began to read. His beautiful sonorous voice. And people began to appear. First wandering straggles. Then droves of people. Emerging it seemed to me from the hedgerows and the dusk, thronging into the tent, like people summoned by the Shaman. There was not a whisper, as we pressed together. Total silence. And when at last he read the finishing line of Mid Term Break a wave of emotion coursed through the assembly that was utterly spiritual.
Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

byronbay2

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Oh my god what did he die of?

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

He died of a Thursday

A fitting tribute to the native Irish wit of the great man.

Mardy Bum

He was the greatest living poet writing in the English language, a Nobel Laureate, a genius and a gentleman.

RIP Seamus.

Aglomerado

Autonomous Cowherd wrote: »

I was lucky to attend readings of his several times, and sit afterwards in the pub in his company. His wife always struck me as so beautiful and him as serene and noble. A particular memory I have of him is from the Flat lake Arts festival where he turned up, sort of out of the blue, to do a reading. It was in a marquee. The tent was sparsely populated with a few loiterers ~ there were not that many in attendance at the festival to be honest, as it was in the first year. Then Séamus began to read. His beautiful sonorous voice. And people began to appear. First wandering straggles. Then droves of people. Emerging it seemed to me from the hedgerows and the dusk, thronging into the tent, like people summoned by the Shaman. There was not a whisper, as we pressed together. Total silence. And when at last he read the finishing line of Mid Term Break a wave of emotion coursed through the assembly that was utterly spiritual.
Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

That account is poetic in itself.

Honey-ec

Dartz wrote: »

Of being 74 most likely. It's a fair old age to make it to....

Ah here, 74 isn't exactly one foot in the grave and the other on a banana skin territory.

A great loss to literature. The man was an exquisite wordsmith.

touts

I was never into Poetry but there was always a sense of greatness when Heaney appeared on TV. I would have loved to attend one of his readings and sadly that will never happen now.

RIP. Part of the soul of Ireland has departed.

johnayo

Autonomous Cowherd wrote: »

I was lucky to attend readings of his several times, and sit afterwards in the pub in his company. His wife always struck me as so beautiful and him as serene and noble. A particular memory I have of him is from the Flat lake Arts festival where he turned up, sort of out of the blue, to do a reading. It was in a marquee. The tent was sparsely populated with a few loiterers ~ there were not that many in attendance at the festival to be honest, as it was in the first year. Then Séamus began to read. His beautiful sonorous voice. And people began to appear. First wandering straggles. Then droves of people. Emerging it seemed to me from the hedgerows and the dusk, thronging into the tent, like people summoned by the Shaman. There was not a whisper, as we pressed together. Total silence. And when at last he read the finishing line of Mid Term Break a wave of emotion coursed through the assembly that was utterly spiritual.
Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Thats a lovely tribute. Well done.

FouxDaFaFa

A very big loss. At least he got the recognition he deserved when he was alive.

TwoShedsJackson

Honey-ec wrote: »

Ah here, 74 isn't exactly one foot in the grave and the other on a banana skin territory.

A great loss to literature. The man was an exquisite wordsmith.

Average life expectancy for a man in Ireland is 78, so it's not exactly far off either.

JP85

I dont think there will ever been another poet that will reach the heights and aclaim of this man. RIP

ibarelycare

from_atozinc wrote: »

Why did you post this when the OP had already stated that he died in the first post

There were two separate threads, they were merged.

WilyCoyote

Sad news. But there is no escaping the exit.

wendell borton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQqv4BEcUvs

Femme_Fatale

I love his poems. Bye Child is extraordinarily haunting.

74 is not that old at all these days; he died due to ill health, not old age - sad news.

dukedalton

Anyone watching Sky News just there? They had a friend of Seamus's on the phone. The interview only began at 1255 and at 1257, as he was in full flow, the presenter cut right across him, telling them they were out of time, and left for an ad break. Absolutely disgraceful.

Meangadh

Ah God that's very sad news- two of my favourite writers I studied in school gone within 24 hours of each other, Seamus Heaney and Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé (writer of "A Thig ná Tit Orm"). And both only in their 70s, not at all an old age these days.

RIP to both.

WindSock

A 74 foot box is going to be difficult to muster up though.

BMJD

Rest In Peace, what a wonderful poet. I enjoyed his work in school, there's not many poets/authors I would say that about.

The_Valeyard

What a brilliant Poet. May he rest in Peace. I am sure his work will live on for many generations to come. A true gent of a man.

Lapin

A sad day.

RIP to a great Ambassador for the island of Ireland.

donegal_road

'Digging'

such a great poem. rip

redtapestyl

Am I the only one who has never heard of him until today

lazygal

redtapestyl wrote: »

Am I the only one who has never heard of him until today

Yes, you philistine.

catallus

Such sad news, a giant and an irreplaceable genius. His books are a joy to read, The Redress of Poetry just shows how deeply intelligent he was. To read his poetry and lectures is a privilege. At the end of the universe poetry will be the only thing ever done that was worth a damn, and Heaney devoted a large part of his life to writing and teaching that truth.