Macdara Woods (1942 – 15 June 2018) was an Irish

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Biography

Woods was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, where he attended

Gonzaga College Gonzaga College SJ is a voluntary Catholic boys' secondary school in Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1950, Gonzaga College is under the trusteeship of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order), one of five Jesuit secondary schools in Irela ...

and then

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 collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

. He married the poet

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (; born 1942) is an Irish poet and academic. She was the Ireland Professor of Poetry (2016–19). Biography Ní Chuilleanáin was born in Cork in 1942. She is the daughter of Eilís Dillon and Professor Cormac Ó Cuil ...

. They had one son, Niall, a musician. He lived in Dublin and

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. Woods was a founder-editor of the Irish literary magazine ''

Cyphers Cyphers may refer to: * ''Cyphers'' (magazine), Irish literary publication "Cyphers" is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Charles Cyphers Charles Cyphers (born July 28, 1939) is an American actor who is known in the horror ...

''. He died on 15 June 2018 in St. James's Hospital, aged 76.

Awards

He was elected a member of

Aosdána Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...

(an organisation established by the Irish Government to honour those who have made an outstanding contribution to the Arts in Ireland) in 1986.

Publications

;Poetry collections *''Decimal D. Sec Drinks in a Bar in Marrakesh'' (1970), New Writers’ Press *''Early Morning Matins'' (1973), Gallery Press *''The King of the Dead & Other Libyan Tales'' (1978), Martin, Brian & O’Keeffe *''Stopping the Lights in Ranelagh'' (1987, reprinted 1988), Dedalus Press *''Miz Moon'' (1988), Dedalus Press *''The Hanged Man Was Not Surrendering'' (1990), Dedalus Press *''Notes From the Countries of Blood-Red Flowers'' (1994), Dedalus Press *''Selected Poems'' (1996), Dedalus Press *''Knowledge in the Blood, New and Selected Poems'' (2000, 2007), Dedalus Press *''The Nightingale Water'' (2001), Dedalus Press *''Artichoke Wine'' (2006), Dedalus Press *''The Cotard Dimension'' (2011), Dedalus Press *''Collected Poems'' (2012), Dedalus Press (in association with the

Arts Council of Ireland The Arts Council (sometimes called the Arts Council of Ireland; legally ga, An Chomhairle Ealaíon) is the independent "Irish government agency for developing the arts." About It was established in 1951 by the Government of Ireland, to encour ...

) *''From Sandymount To The Hill Of Howth'' (2014) Cyphers, Dublin. *''Music From The Big Tent'' (2016) Dedalus Press In Italian: *''Biglietto di Sola Andata'' (1998) Moby Dick Editrice, Faenza *''Above Pesaro/Con Pesaro ai Miei Piedi'' (1999) Volumnia Editrice, Perugia ;Edited books *''The Kilkenny Anthology'' (1991), Kilkenny Co. Council. *(with Jim Vaughan), ''Present Tense: Words and Pictures'' (2006), Mayo Co. Council Woods's work has been translated into many languages. He has collaborated with musicians, notably Brendan Graham (''Winter Fire & Snow'', performed by

Anúna Anúna (stylized in all caps) is a vocal ensemble formed in Ireland in 1987 by Irish composer Michael McGlynn under the name An Uaithne. Taking the current name in 1991,Allmusic Biography/ref> the group has recorded 18 albums and achieved a ...

and others),

Benjamin Dwyer Benjamin Dwyer (born 3 August 1965) is an Irish composer, guitarist and musicologist. Life Dwyer was born in Dublin and studied the classical guitar at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin, and at the Royal Academy of Music, London. H ...

(''In the Ranelagh Gardens''), Militia (''Above Pesaro/Con Pesaro ai Miei Piedi'') and Richard Hartshorne (''The Cello Suites'').

References

External links

Death notice

Dedalus Press page

Poetry International Rotterdam

Aosdana
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woods, Macdara 1942 births 2018 deaths Aosdána members Irish translators Irish poets People from County Dublin 20th-century translators