Seán Hutton

Seán Hutton

Grianghrafadóir: Pádraigín Riggs

Cead úsáide: COMHAR

Dáta: 1 Deireadh Fómhair 2019

Suíomh: Londain, Sasana

Rugadh Seán Hutton i mBaile Átha Cliath i mí na Samhna 1940. D’fhreastall sé ar an Scoil Náisiúnta i mBaile an Droichid, Co. Cheatharlach, ar Choláiste Mhuire, CSSp, Ráth Maonais, ar Choláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath, áit ar bhain sé céim amach sa Stair; agus ar Ollscoil Hull i Sasana.

Ba sna blianta 1963–66 a thosaigh sé ag cur spéis san fhilíocht nua-aoiseach agus ag scríobh dánta i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge. Tháinig an Gaeilge chun tosaigh ina scríbhneoireacht mar gheall ar an spéis a chuir cairde mar Pádraig Ó Snodaigh, Aogán Ó Muircheartaigh, Máirtín Ó Direáin, Caitlín Maude agus Pearse Hutchinson, ina shaothar.

I 1966 bronnadh Scoláireacht Thaighde ar Sheán ag Ollscoil Hull. Idir 1969 agus 1988 d’oibrigh sé mar mhúinteoir staire i scoil gramadaí i mBridlington, Yorkshire. Ba ann a chríochnaigh sé a chéad bhailiúchán filíochta i 1980 agus an dá cheann a lean é sin i 1983 agus 1986. Ba i Londain a chríochnaigh sé an dá cheann eile a foilsíodh i 1993 agus 2011. Do bhuaigh ceann amháin díobh, Seachrán Ruairí agus Dánta Eile (Coiscéim, 1986), Duais Sheáin Uí Ríordáin.

I 1988 d’aistrigh sé go Londain chun post nua a ghlacadh mar Stiúrthóir Feidhmeannach den British Association for Irish Studies, post inar lean sé go 1992.

Ó 1989 bhí Seán ina bhall de Chomhairle Chumann na Scribheann nGaedhilge agus bhí sé ina Rúnaí air ó 1992 go dtí 2020.

Idir 1994 agus 2018 bhí Seán fostaithe ag Irish in Britain (roimhe seo Federation of Irish Societies) i dtús mar Oifigeach Forbartha agus i ndiaidh 2006 mar Oifigeach Polasaí.

Seán Hutton was born in Dublin in November 1940. He attended the National School in Hacketstown, Co. Carlow, St Mary’s College, CSSp, Rathmines, University College Dublin, and Hull University, England.

It was in the years 1963–66 that he developed an interest in modern poetry and began to write poetry in English and Irish. Because of the interest of friends such as Pádraig Ó Snodaigh, Aogán Ó Muircheartaigh, Máirtín Ó Direáin, Cathleen Maude and Pearse Hutchinson in his Irish language writing, the volume of his writing in the Irish language began to increase.

In 1966 he was awarded a research scholarship in History at Hull University and, following that, he obtained a job in the History department of a grammar school in Bridlington where he continued to be employed until 1988. It was in Bridlington that he completed work on his first collection of poetry in 1980, followed by two further collections in 1983 and 1986. It was in London that the two further collections he produced, were completed in 1993 and 2011, close to London Road from where the Southwark Irish Literary Society initiated a wing of the Irish Literary Revival in the 1880s. One of Seán’s collections, Seachrán Ruairí agus Dánta Eile (Coiscéim, 1986) was awarded Duais Sheáin Uí Ríordáin.

In 1988 Seán had come to London to take up a new post as Executive Director of the British Association for Irish Studies, a post in which he continued until 1992.

From 1989 Seán has been a member of the Council of The Irish Texts Society, and served as its Secretary from 1992 - 2020.

From 1994 to 2008 Seán has worked for the charity Irish in Britain (previously Federation of Irish Societies), originally as Community Development Officer and from 2006 as Policy Officer.

Apart from writing poetry, Seán wrote many essays and articles for Irish-language publications. For a while, he had an Irish-language column in the Irish Post. He delivered many lectures also; many of which were very pertinent for the Irish community in Britain.

Dáta breithe: 18 Samhain 1940

Áit bhreithe: Co. Bhaile Átha Cliath

Dáta báis: 12 Márta 2024

Scaip an phortráid seo:

CRANN SÍOCHÁNA

(Hyde Park, Londain, 12 Aibreán 2003)
— Do William Leo Coakley agus i gcuimhne Robin Prising

Rinne na léirsitheoirí
‘síocháin’ a phéinteáil
ar chorp an chrainn
— i litreacha móra
ar aon dath leis an bhfuil
a doirtear go tiubh
ar thalamh na hIaráice
in aghaidh an lae
gan trócaire, gan náire.

Ar na craobhacha ab ísle,
craobhacha úra na bpéac glas earraigh,
chroch na léirsitheoirí
gearáin, manaí, grianghraif
is teachtaireachtaí dóchais
breactha ar pháipéar;
is fágadh ansin iad ar foluain,
muirnithe ag siollaí séimhe gaoithe,
ina scrín fhrithchogaíochta.

’Gus na léirsitheoirí deireanacha
lena mbratacha is a bpóstaeirí
is na póilíní deireanacha
lena dtrealamh taifeadta is smachta
ar tí imeachta, tháinig beirt
de choimeádaithe na páirce,
fir óga théagartha, suaitheantas
na banríona ar a n-ucht,
is d’iniúch siad crann feistithe
gearánach na síochána.

Arsa coimeádaí amháin lena chompánach:
“Seo mar a ghlanaimís an bruscar seo:
theascaimís na craobhacha ísle úra.”

Anseo sa cheannchathair
craobhacha nuatheasctha.
Is san Iaráic
ateascadh pobail theasctha
ag craosairí santacha an smachta.

As Sceach sa Bhearna, (Coiscéim, 2011), lgh 27–28.