Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D., at the announcement of Ireland's next Professor of Poetry - Harry Clifton - Newman House, Wednesday, 30 June, 2010 at 6.30pm
I am very happy to have been invited here this evening to announce the name of Ireland's next Professor of Poetry.
I think it might be apt to commence by referring to one of our most celebrated poets and a former Senator, William Butler Yeats.
Yeats once described the difference between writing a political speech and writing a poem as:
"Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry."
This evening, I don't propose to talk about rhetoric or quarrels! But it is real pleasure to be here to talk briefly about the importance of poetry and the arts in our society.
Like most Irish people, I'm well aware of the respect shown in our culture to poets and the art of poetry. It's been that way for a long time. Irish scholar Osborn Bergin described the poet of Gaelic Ireland as being more than just a professor of literature or a man of letters. He was a public official.
He was a chronicler and a political essayist. And perhaps above all else, he was a keen observer of his fellow man.
The filí of our own time no longer keep the company of kings and warlords. But in many ways, Bergin's description still holds true. Our poets play a unique role in interrogating who we are, as individuals and as a society.
And their words still have the power to wither or exalt. Through his or her craft, a poet can say what others fear to say. She or he can confront what others would rather avoid and unmask the petty hypocrisies that diminish us all.
I believe the poet's role in Irish life is of great importance. Thanks to technological advances, we live in an increasingly virtual world, a world of ephemeral connectivity. But however useful the technology, in this new world it's all too easy for us to disconnect from the reality of each other - and worse still, from the reality of ourselves.
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting in Dublin members of the Kennedy family. This evening, I am reminded of John Kennedy's words on the power of poetry, spoken in Amherst College, in October 1963.
President Kennedy said :
"When power leads men towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment."
Poetry, at its best, demands we remember ourselves. It insists we reconnect with each other. And it demands that we embrace the one role in life that truly means anything - that of being human.
This is why poetry plays such a vital part in enhancing Irish cultural life. And it's a part the Ireland Chair of Poetry has contributed to since 1998, by attracting significant audiences to readings, lectures and events, and fostering an enthusiasm for poetry among university students and the general public.
Every three years, a poet of honour and distinction is chosen to represent the Chair as Ireland's Professor of Poetry. John Montague, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Paul Durcan all held this position before the current incumbent, Michael Longley.
Their names alone testify to the ability and talent required before a poet will even be considered. Indeed, this is what makes it such an honour for an artist to be chosen. And knowing all this, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the next Professor of Poetry will be Harry Clifton.
A member of Aosdána, and a winner of the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award and the Irish Times Poetry Now Award, Harry Clifton has been described by Fintan O'Toole in the Irish Times as a poet who 'captures with masterful fluency the sense of a world in which everything has happened before', and an artist who inhabits 'a universe of aftermaths, hauntings and returns.'
He is certainly someone who has inhabited his share of aftermaths, and experienced his share of returns. In his youth, Harry Clifton left Ireland to lecture in post-civil war Nigeria, before working in the Far East, administering aid programmes for Indo-Chinese refugees in Thailand. The course of his life has carried him to Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, England...but though this might suggest a restlessness, really it is consistent with Harry's belief that the true home of the poet is 'not in a place, but in the language itself.'
Regardless, for those who know both him and his work, it is enough to agree that Harry Clifton is a master of his craft. My warmest congratulations to him on receiving this very well deserved honour as Ireland's next Professor of Poetry.
Beginning in November, Harry's tenure will not only allow him to continue in his poetic practice, but will also enable him to reach out to the people of this island. Harry Clifton is a most worthy champion of our country's long poetic tradition and I would like to wish him every success during his tenure.
This evening's gathering includes some of Ireland's finest writers, poets and academics. The arts in general and literature in particular are such a big part of what Ireland is all about - in a sense, they're our country's "calling card" abroad and for all of us at home, they assume a particular importance during difficult times like these. This is a great opportunity to pay tribute to Ireland's huge pool of creative talent and to thank all our poets, writers and artists for their enormous contribution to the life of this country.
I mentioned President Kennedy earlier. In his famous address to the Dail, he praised the literary talent of the Irish nation. He said in June 1963:
"no larger nation has ever provided the world with more literary and artistic genius [than Ireland]. This is an extraordinary country. George Bernard Shaw, speaking as an Irishman, summed up an approach to life: Other people, he said "see things and . . . say 'Why?' . . . But I dream things that never were-- and I say: 'Why not?'" It is that quality of the Irish--that remarkable combination of hope, confidence and imagination--that is needed more than ever today."
Those words are just as relevant in 2010. This country is fighting its way out of a severe recession and we will come through this because of the quality of our people, their self-belief and their ingenuity. The arts and our culture has a big role to play in getting Ireland back on track.
I believe that being Irish holds a distinct and intrinsic value. Ireland is a brand. People know us. Our country, her landscape and her culture are known the world over. We must connect with that brand now and use it to give us the competitive advantage in a globalised world that is increasingly the same. We must ourselves portray the positives that others see in us.
Before concluding, I would also like to thank those organisations that provide the funding that makes this venture possible: Queen's University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
And I'd like to acknowledge those individuals who contribute their time and energy to the Ireland Chair of Poetry, most especially the trustees - chairman Pat Moylan (Chairman, An Chomhairle Ealaíon), Rosemary Kelly (Chairman, Arts Council Northern Ireland), Sir Donnell Deeny, Professors Ciaran Carson, Nicholas Grene and Mary Clayton and of course, Seamus Heaney and trust administrator, Aoife Moynihan.
Your efforts - and especially the talent it supports - are greatly appreciated.
Congratulations once again and my very best wishes for the future to Harry Clifton, Ireland's new Professor of Poetry.
Go raibh mile míle maith agaibh
Thank you.
ENDS.