Eileen Battersby ( Whiston; 4 June 1956 – 23 December 2018) was the chief
literary critic of ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
''. She sometimes divided opinion, having been described by
John Banville
William John Banville (born 8 December 1945) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, adapter of dramas and screenwriter. Though he has been described as "the heir to Proust, via Nabokov", Banville himself maintains that W. B. Yeats and Henry ...
as "the finest fiction critic we have", while attracting the ire of
Eugene McCabe
Eugene McCabe (7 July 1930 – 27 August 2020) was a Scots-born Irish novelist, short story writer, playwright, and television screenwriter. John Banville said McCabe was "in the first rank of contemporary Irish novelists'.
Biography
Born t ...
after she gave
Dermot Healy
Dermot Healy (9 November 1947 – 29 June 2014) was an Irish novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer. A member of Aosdána, Healy was also part of its governing body, the Toscaireacht. Born in Finea, County Westmeath, he lived in ...
an unfavourable review in 2011. Her first novel, ''Teethmarks on My Tongue,'' was published by
Dalkey Archive Press
Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...
in 2016.
[
]
Biography
Battersby was born in Los Angeles County, California. After moving with her family to Ireland, she attended secondary school at Loreto in Bray, County Wicklow
Bray ( ) is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated about south of Dublin city centre on the east coast. It has a population of 32,600 making it the ninth largest urban area within Ireland (at the 2016 census). Bray is ...
.["Eileen Battersby obituary: A literary critic with many great passions"]
''Irish Times'', 29 December 2018. She went on to graduate with honours in English and History from University College, Dublin
University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...
, and later received an honours MA degree on American writer Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist of the early 20th century.
Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels as well as many short stories, dramatic works, and novellas. He is known for mixing highly origin ...
.[ She began reviewing fiction in 1984. Her reviews of books and sports writing led her into a career in journalism as a staff arts writer with '']The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'', eventually becoming their chief literary correspondent.[ She wrote on archaeology, history, architecture, geography and horses and championed fiction in translation.][
Battersby published a memoir, ''Ordinary Dogs: A Story of Two Lives'' (2011), about her two rescue dogs. Her collection ''Second Readings'' (2010) features 52 of her reviews. She won the National Arts Journalist of the Year award four times. She also won the National Critic of the Year prize in 2012.]
In 2011, controversy ensued when Battersby found Dermot Healy
Dermot Healy (9 November 1947 – 29 June 2014) was an Irish novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer. A member of Aosdána, Healy was also part of its governing body, the Toscaireacht. Born in Finea, County Westmeath, he lived in ...
's novel ''Long Time, No See'' wanting. Her unfavourable review prompted an angry letter of protest from Eugene McCabe
Eugene McCabe (7 July 1930 – 27 August 2020) was a Scots-born Irish novelist, short story writer, playwright, and television screenwriter. John Banville said McCabe was "in the first rank of contemporary Irish novelists'.
Biography
Born t ...
who castigated her for disemboweling "one of the great masters of Irish writing." However, others like Jon McGregor
Jon McGregor (born 1976) is a British novelist and short story writer. In 2002, his first novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize, making him then the youngest ever contender. His second and fourth novels were longlisted for the Booker Prize ...
said of a critical review from Battersby of his first novel "The things she picked up on were the criticisms I’d now have – it’s overwritten, an explosion of similes, sentimentality, overdeterministic plotting. She let rip, but you felt it was coming from a proper critic."
Death
Battersby and her daughter were involved in a single-vehicle accident in Oldbridge
Oldbridge () is a townland near Drogheda in County Meath, Ireland. The area is home to the Boyne Navigation, the Battle of the Boyne Interpretive Centre and the southern half of the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge (which carries the M1 motorwa ...
, four kilometres outside Drogheda on 22 December 2018. Both required hospitalisation; Battersby died the following day. She was 62. President Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...
paid tribute to Battersby, writing that literary criticism had "suffered a great loss". He continued, "All of us owe her a debt of gratitude for her unstinting efforts to bring the best writers from around the world to our attention, her unflinching standards, and for the enthusiasm with which she brought her celebration of all aspects of the arts to so many different audiences." She was survived by her daughter, Nadia, her mother (Elizabeth Whiston), and three siblings. Poet Mary O'Donnell published a poem, "Elegy for a Writer", in remembrance of Battersby.
Bibliography
*''Second Readings: From Beckett to Black Beauty'', 2010, Liberties Press,
*''Ordinary Dogs: A Story of Two Lives'', 2011, Faber and Faber,
*''Teethmarks on My Tongue'', 2016, Dalkey Archive Press
Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...
,
Further reading
''Eileen Battersby: Inquisitive and brilliant, lonely and kind''
(Writers' tributes to Battersby, following her death), ''Irish Times'', 26 December 2018.
"Eileen Battersby obituary: A literary critic with many great passions"
''The Irish Times'', 29 December 2018.
See also
* List of ''Irish Times'' employees
* List of people who died in traffic collisions
This list contains notable people who have been killed in traffic collisions. This list does not include those who were killed competing on closed road events whether in motorsport or in competitive cycling events. Passengers of a vehicle are i ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battersby, Eileen
1950s births
2018 deaths
Alumni of University College Dublin
Irish literary critics
The Irish Times people
Year of birth uncertain
Road incident deaths in the Republic of Ireland
Women literary critics
Irish women journalists
Irish women critics
Journalists from California
American emigrants to Ireland
20th-century Irish women writers
20th-century Irish writers
20th-century journalists
21st-century Irish women writers
21st-century Irish writers
21st-century journalists