Patrick Kavanagh

Patrick Kavanagh ( born October 21, 1904 in Mucker townland, Inniskeen, County Monaghan, † November 30, 1967 in Dublin ) was one of Ireland's best known poets and writers of the 20th century.

Life

Patrick Kavanagh was born as the son of James Kavanagh Farmers and his wife Bridget Quinn. From 1909 to 1916 he attended the Kednaminsha National School and then worked on the family farm.

His first poems were published in 1928 by the Dundalk Democrat and Weekly Independent, more in 1929 and 1930 by George Russell in the newspaper The Irish Statesman. In 1930 he made ​​a pilgrimage to Dublin to personally get to know Russell, who introduced him to Frank O'Connor. Ploughman and Other Poems were published by Macmillan in 1936, shortly after he moved in search of new literary inspiration and to write new poems to London. The attempt, however, ultimately failed because he could not earn for his living in London enough money so that Kavanagh returned to Ireland. His autobiography The Green Fool appeared in 1938, but was withdrawn by Oliver St. John Gogarty. His 1946 song written Raglan Road was known in particular through the interpretation of Luke Kelly.

One of his longest poems, The Great Hunger, appeared in 1942 and took his time, especially the attention of censors and of the police and was banned. Until 1971 it was made public along with another unpublished poem.

Shortly before his death he married in April 1967 Katherine Barry Moloney.