Robert Anthony Welch
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Robert Anthony Welch (25 November 1947 – 3 February 2013) was an Irish author and scholar.


Biography

Robert Anthony Welch was an
emeritus professor ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
of English and former dean of the faculty at the
University of Ulster sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...
. He joined the university in 1984 as professor of English and head of the School of English, Media, and Theatre Studies, having previously taught at the School of English,
University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...
, and the
University of Ife Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife ...
in Nigeria. He was born in
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and was educated at
University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of ...
and later the
University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...
. He earned his master's degree at
Cork University University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one ...
under
Sean Lucy Sean Lucy (March 12, 1931 – July 25, 2001) was an Irish poet and educator. Biography Lucy was born in Bombay, British India in 1931. His father was an Irish officer in the British army, who resigned his commission in 1935 to resettle the famil ...
and then went to study for his Ph.D. under
Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
scholar
Norman Jeffares Alexander Norman "Derry" Jeffares AM (/ˈdʒɛfəz/, 11 August 1920 – 1 June 2005) was an Irish literary scholar. Early life and education Jeffares was born in Dublin, educated at Dublin High School, Trinity College Dublin (where he was elec ...
at
Leeds University , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...
, where he also held a lectureship in English. His research focused on the interaction between Gaelic tradition and Irish poetry in English, a field in which he achieved wide recognition and which was given special mention in the citation that led to his election to membership of the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
in 2008. Welch was married to Angela O'Riordan, with whom he had four children, including theatre director
Rachel O'Riordan Rachel O'Riordan (born 1974) is an Irish theatre director. She is currently the artistic director at the Lyric Hammersmith, London. Early life and education Born in Cork, Ireland to poet and novelist Robert Anthony Welch and Angela O'Riordan ...
. A novelist and poet as well as a critic and editor, Welch published '' The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature'' in 1996, a book that appeared on the bestsellers list.


Poetry

Welch's first published volume of poetry was ''Muskerry'' (1991, Dedalus Press), followed by ''Secret Societies'' (1997, Dedalus Press) and ''The Blue Formica Table'' (1999, Dedalus Press), and ''The Evergreen Road'' (2004, Lagan Press). A new collection titled ''Constanza'' was published in July 2010. In 2009, Welch received the O'Connor Literary Award in
Monasterevin Monasterevin (), also Monasterevan, and Mevin is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. The town lies on the River Barrow and the Barrowline, a canal branch of the Grand Canal. The population was 4,246 at the 2016 Census. Location and Access Situ ...
,
County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
at the
Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...
summer school.


Fiction

Welch's fiction includes ''The Kilcolman Notebook'' (1994, Brandon Press), followed by ''Tearmann'' (in Irish, Coisceim, 1997) and ''Groundwork'' (1997, Blackstaff Press) which was named in ''
The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...
'' as one of the notable books of 1998 and was translated and serialised for Slovakian national radio. ''Japhy Ryder: Ar Shleasaibh na Mangartan'', a book of biographical and critical studies, won the prize at Oireachteas, Ireland's premier Irish language cultural festival, in 2011. Two stories from a collection titled ''The Trap of their Hexes'' appeared in ''
The Dublin Review ''The Dublin Review'' is a quarterly magazine that publishes essays, reportage, autobiography, travel writing, criticism and fiction. It was launched in December 2000 by Brendan Barrington, who remains the editor and publisher, assisted by Nora ...
'', and another story from the collection appeared in the ''
Irish Pages ''Irish Pages: A Journal of Contemporary Writing'' is a literary magazine published in Belfast and edited by Chris Agee, Kathleen Jamie Kathleen Jamie FRSL (born 13 May 1962) is a Scottish poet and essayist. In 2021 she became Scotland's f ...
''. ''Kicking the Black Mamba: Life, Death, Alcohol and Death'', a memoir of his son Egan who drowned in 2007, was published in September 2012 by Darton, Longman and Todd. The book prompted significant attention from paper, internet, radio and television media on its release and posthumously achieved the number -one position among
RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
best sellers. It was called a "masterpiece of memoir-writing" by reviewer Paddy Kenoe.


Criticism

Welch's critical work began in 1980 with ''Irish Poetry from Moore to Yeats'' (
Colin Smythe Colin Smythe (born 1942) is a bibliographer of W.B.Yeats and other Irish authors and literary agent. He is also a publisher, having founded his publishing house in 1966, and is based in Buckinghamshire, England. Smythe published the first five ...
), which charted for the first time the achievements of the major 19th-century Irish poets leading to the work of
William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
. This was followed by other work, including ''A History of Verse Translation from the Irish: 1789–1897'' (1988, Colin Smythe Ltd), ''Changing States: Transformations in Modern Irish Writing'' (1993,
Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
). Welch's history of the
Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
, Dublin was published in 1999 to mark the centenary of the first productions of what became the Irish National Theatre. This was titled ''A History of the
Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
1899–1999: Form and Pressure'' (1999,
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
). He edited for
Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature'' appeared in 1996, followed by a concise version in 2000. Other editorial work included ''
Patrick Galvin Patrick Galvin (15 August 1927 – 10 May 2011) was an Irish poet, singer, playwright, and prose and screenwriter born in Cork's inner city. Biography Galvin was born in Cork in 1927 at a time of great political transition in Ireland. His moth ...
: New and Selected Poems'' (with
Greg Delanty Greg Delanty (born 1958) is an Irish poet. An issue of the British magazine, ''Agenda'', was dedicated to him. Early life and education Delanty was born in Cork City, Ireland, and is generally placed in the Irish tradition, though he is also c ...
, 1996, Cork University Press). This volume includes notes and a jointly authored introduction. Welch wrote the introduction to ''Rogha Danta/Death in the Land of Youth: New and Selected Poems of Seán Ó Tuama'' (1997, Cork University Press). His first posthumous release, ''The Cold of Mayday Monday'', was released in 2014 and is considered a "major achievement of scholarship and narrative."


Editor

Welch was general editor of a series published by Colin Smythe entitled ''Ulster Editions and Monographs'' containing 16 volumes. With Professor Brian Walker of
Queen's University Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...
, he was general editor of the five-volume series ''The Oxford History of the Irish Book'' from
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
. Volume 3, entitled ''The Irish Book in English 1550–1800'', appeared in 2006, edited by Raymond Gillespie and Andrew Hadfield. Volume 5, entitled ''The Irish Book in English 1890–2000'', appeared in 2010, edited by Clare Hutton and Patrick Walsh.


Playwright

Welch's play ''Protestants'' was commissioned by Ransom Productions in 2004 and premiered at The Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast, followed by a tour of
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, the West End (
Soho Theatre The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces. The the ...
) and
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
(
Traverse Theatre The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes and Richard Demarco. The Traverse Theatre company commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary pla ...
). In 2010, Welch was commissioned by Ransom Productions to write one part of a double bill entitled ''Both Sides'' along with David Ireland, which opened at the Lyric Theatre.


Accolades

In 1992, Welch was awarded the
Oireachtas The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of: *The President of Ireland *The bicameralism, two houses of the Oireachtas ...
Prize for criticism, and in 2003 he was made Senior Distinguished Research Fellow of the
University of Ulster sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...
. In 2008 he was awarded membership to the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
. In 2009 he was awarded the O'Connor Award at the
Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...
Literature Festival in
Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional cen ...
, Ireland.


Published works

* ''Irish Poetry from Moore to Yeats'' (Colin Smythe and Barnes & Noble, Gerrards Cross and New York, 1988), * ''The Way Back: George Moore's The Untilled Field and The Lake'' (Wolfhound Press and Barnes & Noble, Dublin and New York, 1988) * ''A History of Verse Translation from the Irish, 1789–1897'' (Colin Smythe and Barnes & Noble, Gerrards Cross and New York, 1988) * ''Literature and the Art of Creation: Essays in Honour of A.N. Jeffares'' (Colin Smythe and Barnes & Noble, Gerrards Cross and New York, 1988), ed., with Suheil Badi Bushrui, 350pp. * General editor, Vols I–XVII, ''Ulster Editions and Monographs'' (Colin Smythe and Barnes & Noble, Gerrards Cross and New York, 1988). * ''Muskerry (poems)'' (Dedalus Press, 1991), Dublin * Editor and author of introduction, ''Irish Writers and Religion'' (Colin Smythe and Barnes & Noble, Gerrards Cross and New York, 1991) * ''W.B. Yeats: Irish Folklore, Legend and Myth'' (
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
, 1993), editor, author of introduction and notes * ''Changing States: Transformations in Modern Irish Writing'' (
Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, 1993) * ''Kilcolman Notebook'' (novel), (Brandon Press, 1993) * '' The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature'' (
Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1996) * ''Irish Myths'' (Appletree Press, Belfast, 1996) * ''Patrick Galvin: New and Selected Poems'' ( Cork University Press, 1996), editor (with Greg Delanty), co-author of introduction and notes * ''Secret Societies (poems)'' (Dedalus Press, Dublin and Dufour, New York, 1996) * ''Tearmann (novel, in Irish)'' (Coiscéim, Dublin, 1997) * ''Groundwork (novel)'', (Blackstaff Press, 1997) * ''The Blue Formica Table (poems)'', (Dedalus Press, Dublin and Dufour, New York, 1999) * ''The Abbey Theatre 1899–1999: Form and Pressure'' (
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1998) * '' The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature'' (Concise) (ed.), Oxford University Press * '' The Evergreen Road (poems)'', (Lagan Press, 2006) * '' Protestants (drama)'', (Lagan Press, 2006) * '' The Oxford History of the Irish Book, Vol III (of 5 volumes)'', (General Editor with Brian Walker, 2006) * '' Constanza'', (Lagan Press, 2010) * '' Japhy Ryder: Ar Shleasaibh na Mangartan'', (Coiscéim Press, 2012) * '' Kicking the Black Mamba'', (Darton, Longman and Todd, 2012) * '' The Cold of Mayday Monday, (
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2014)


Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Welch, Robert 1947 births 2013 deaths Irish male dramatists and playwrights Irish screenwriters Irish male poets Irish male screenwriters People from County Cork Academics of the University of Leeds Academics of Ulster University Abbey Theatre Academic staff of Obafemi Awolowo University Members of the Royal Irish Academy Irish expatriates in Nigeria 20th-century Irish poets 20th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights 20th-century male writers