Rosie Lavan, Bernard O’Donoghue and Matthew Hollis come together to discuss the definitive edition of Heaney’s poetry, accompanied by readings from Derry Girls star Kathy Kiera Clarke and music by acclaimed piper Louise Mulcahy.
Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy is proud to host a very special evening to celebrate the launch of The Poems of Seamus Heaney, the long-awaited, definitive edition of the Nobel Laureate’s poetry. The event takes place on Saturday, 11th October at 7.30 pm in the Helicon.
This landmark publication presents the full arc of Heaney’s extraordinary career: from Death of a Naturalist (1966) to Human Chain (2010), his twelfth and final book. It includes every poem published during his lifetime, along with those released posthumously in journals, pamphlets and limited editions, as well as previously unpublished material selected by the poet’s family.
Seamus Heaney was born near Castledawson in 1939. His first collection, Death of a Naturalist, appeared in 1966 and was followed by poetry, criticism and translations, which established him as the leading poet of his generation. In 1995, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
To mark this momentous occasion, the editors of the volume, Rosie Lavan, Bernard O’Donoghue and Matthew Hollis, will reflect on the legacy and enduring power of Heaney’s poetry.
Kathy Kiera Clarke, widely known for her role as Aunt Sarah in the popular television series Derry Girls, will perform selected readings from the collection.
Louise Mulcahy, one of Ireland’s most gifted traditional musicians, will perform on the uilleann pipes once owned by the late master piper Liam O’Flynn. The pipes, entrusted to Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Irish Pipers Association) after O’Flynn’s passing in 2018, were bequeathed to Mulcahy, who now honours that legacy through her performances.
O’Flynn and Heaney shared a deep creative bond, culminating in their celebrated 2003 studio album The Poet and the Piper, which brought together poetry, spoken word and traditional music. The pair reunited a final time for a special performance at the Millennium Forum Theatre and Conference Centre in August 2013, just weeks before Heaney’s passing.
With critical introductions to each collection and notes that illuminate the history of the poems, this is the essential volume for admirers of Heaney’s work. It is a body of work that, in its entirety, resounds with the ‘lyrical beauty and ethical depth’ cited by the Nobel committee: poems which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.
