Cathal Ó Searcaigh
Photographer: Máire Uí Mhaicín
Usage rights: Foras na Gaeilge
Date: 15 March 2011
Setting: Meenala, Gortahork
Alternate portrait:
Genres: Editor, Poet, Travel writer
Cáil air mar fhile go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Ó 1975 ar aghaidh is iomaí cnuasach filíochta a tháinig óna pheann. Ar na cinn is tábhachtaí tá Súile Shuibhne (Coiscéim, 1983), Suibhne (Coiscéim, 1987), Bealach 'na bhaile/Homecoming (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1993), Na Buachaillí Bána (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1996), Out in the Open (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1997), Ag Tnúth leis an tSolas, Dánta 1974–2000 (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2001), Gúrú i gClúidíní: dánta nua (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2006), Na hAingle Ó Xanadu (Arlen House, 2005) agus By the Hearth in Mín A Leá (Arc Publications, 2005). Tá an prós á shaothrú aige fosta i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla: Seal i Neipeal (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2005), Caiseal na gCorr (Donegal County Council, 2002), Light on Distant Hills, a Memoir (Simon & Schuster, 2009), agus úrseal, Thugamar Féin an Samhradh Linn (Leabhar Breac, le foilsiú). Is iad na drámaí leis: Oíche Dhrochghealaí (Coiscéim, 2005), Mairimid Leis na Mistéir agus Dráma Eile (Arlen House, 2006). Bhronn Ollscoil na hÉireann céim oinigh air in 2000 agus tá sé ina bhall d'Aosdána. Tá a shaothar ar fáil i dteangacha éagsúla: Fraincis, Gearmáinis, Iodáilis, Briotáinis, Rúisis, Ollainnis, Danmhairgis, Seapáinis, Spáinnis, Rómáinis, Polainnis, Neipeailis ina measc.
Cathal Ó Searcaigh, an internationally acclaimed Irish-language poet has been much translated and anthologized. A prolific poet from 1975 onward, his landmark collections include Súile Shuibhne (Coiscéim, 1983), Suibhne (Coiscéim, 1987), Bealach 'na bhaile/Homecoming (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1993), Out in the Open (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 1997), Ag Tnúth leis an tSolas, Dánta 1974–2000 (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2001), By the Hearth in Mín A Leá (Arc Publications, 2005) which won The Poetry Book Society Translation Choice, 2006, An tAm Marfach ina Mairimid (Arlen House, 2010), Aimsir Ársa (Arlen House, 2013), Na Saighneáin (Arlen House, 2014), An Fear Glas/The Green Man (Arlen House, 2015), An Bhé Ghlas (Leabhar Breac, 2015). The National University of Ireland granted him an honorary doctorate in Celtic Studies in 2000. He is a member of Aos Dána. Selections of his poetry have been set to music by many composers and singers: Neil Martin of the West Ocean String Quartet, Derek Bell (the opera Síle an tSléibhe), Clannad, and Brian Kennedy. Along with Chris Agee he is founder and Irish-language editor of Irish Pages, one of Ireland's foremost literary journals. He lives in Mín a' Leá, at the foot of Mount Errigal in the Donegal Gaeltacht.
