Eoghan Ó Tuairisc (''Eugene Rutherford Watters'') (3 April 1919 – 24 August 1982) was an Irish poet and writer.

Life

Eugene Rutherford Watters was born at Dunlo Hill,

Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway in Connacht. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-ce ...

, County Galway, to Thomas Watters, a soldier, and his wife, Maud Sproule. His second name came from his grandfather, Rutherford Sproule. He was educated at Garbally College. His entered St. Patrick's Teacher Training College, Drumcondra in 1939, graduating with a Diploma in Education in 1945. He was awarded an MA, by

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 ...

in 1947. Ó Tuairisc held a commission in the

Irish Army The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. The A ...

during the Emergency from 1939 to 1945. He was a teacher in

Finglas Finglas (; ) is a northwestern outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It lies close to Junction 5 of the M50 motorway, and the N2 road. Nearby suburbs include Glasnevin and Ballymun; Dublin Airport is to the north. Finglas lies mainly in the posta ...

, Co. Dublin from 1940 to 1969. From 1962 to 1965, he was editor of ''Feasta'', the journal of

Conradh na Gaeilge (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it eme ...

. His first wife, the Irish artist Una McDonnell, died in 1965. The following five years were an unsettled period of limited productivity, changing residence and jobs, and, ultimately, serious depression. In 1972 he married the writer Rita Kelly, also of Ballinasloe. They lived in the lock house at the Maganey Lock on the Barrow River that Ó Tuairisc had bought near Carlow town. The plaque on the wall erected by his wife states "He was happy here. Lux Aeterna". Kelly survived him on his death in 1982.

Writing

He wrote novels, verse, drama and criticism in both Irish and English. His first major publication was his controversial novel ''Murder in Three Moves'', followed by Irish-language prose epic ''L'Attaque'', which won an Irish Book Club award. Both works had a strong poetic flavour. His next book was a volume of verse entitled ''Week-End''. His narrative poem ''Dermot and Grace'', an Irish version of '' Venus and Adonis'', is considered his finest work. Ó Tuairisc produced little during the five years following McDonnell's death. In 1981 he published ''The Road to Brightcity: and other stories'' (Swords: Poolbeg Press, 1981), a translation of nine of the best short stories written originally in Irish by

Máirtín Ó Cadhain Máirtín Ó Cadhain (; 1906 – 18 October 1970) was one of the most prominent Irish language writers of the twentieth century. Perhaps best known for his 1949 novel ''Cré na Cille'', Ó Cadhain played a key role in reintroducing literary mod ...

. Also in 1981, he and Rita Kelly published a joint collection of their poems, ''Dialann sa Díseart''. Like Diarmaid Ó Súilleabháin, he "challenged the critical orthodoxy by openly proclaiming that their standards could not be those of the

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

and by demanding a creative freedom that would acknowledge hybridity and reject the strictures of the linguistic purists." Eoghan Ó Tuairisc was an inaugural 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 ...

, when it was founded in 1981, and the first of its members to die. He was a recipient of an

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 ...

prize, as well as an

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 p ...

prize for a Christmas

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

in Irish. A bibliography of Ó Tuairisc's work, together with biographical information, was published in Irish in 1988.Nic Eoin, Máire. ''Eoghan Ó Tuairisc: beatha agus saothar''. An Clóchomhar, Dublin, 1988. See also Ó Cearnaigh, entry on Eoghan Ó Tuairisc in ''Scribhneoiri na Gaeilge, 1945–1995'', pp. 230–31.

Works

Translations

* John Jordan (ed.), "Dialann Deoraí", in: ''The Pleasures of Gaelic Literature'' (1977). *

, ''The road to Brightcity: and other stories'', Swords: Poolbeg Press, 1981. *

Pádraic Ó Conaire Pádraic Ó Conaire (28 February 1882 – 6 October 1928) was an Irish writer and journalist whose production was primarily in the Irish language. In his lifetime he wrote 26 books, 473 stories, 237 essays and 6 plays. His acclaimed novel '' ...

, ''15 Short Stories'', Swords: Poolbeg Press, 1982.

Poetry

* ''Dialann sa Díseart'', Dublin: Coiscéim, 1981. * ''Rogha an Fhile'', anthology with translations. 1974. * ''New Passages'', 1973. * ''Dé Luain'', Dublin: Allen Figgis 1966. * ''The Weekend of Dermot and Grace'', Dublin: Allen Figgis & Son, 1964; rep. in "Eugene Watters Special Issue" ''Poetry Ireland Review'' 13 (1985)@. * ''Lux Aeterna, including Hiroshima Mass'', Dublin: Allen Figgis, 1964.

Plays

* ''Fornocht do Chonac'', first performed 1979; Dublin: Foilseacháin an Rialtais, 1981. * ''Lá Fhéile Michíl'', first performed 1963; Dublin: Clodhanna Teo., 1967. * ''Song of the Nightingale'', written together with Sandra Warde, 1971.

Essays

* ''Religio Poetae agus Aistí Eile'', ed. Maírín Nic Eoin, Baile Átha Cliath: An Clóchomhar, 1987. * ''Focus'', (with Desmond Egan), 1972.

Books

* ''An Lomnochtán. Autobiography'', Dublin & Cork: Mercier, 1978. * '' he Story of aHedgeschool Master'', 1975. * ''L'Attaque'', Dublin: Allen Figgis, 1962 (novel in Irish). * ''Murder in Three Moves'', 1960.

Other activities

* "Christian names", in ''Encyclopaedia of Ireland'', Dublin: Figgis 1968, pp. 119–21. * "Infinite Variety – Dan Lowrey's Music Hall 1879–97" (Eugene Watters & Matthew Murtagh) Gill & Macmillan, 1975.

References

External links

Eoghan Ó Tuairisc: Life, Works, Criticism &c.
Ricorso. {{DEFAULTSORT:Otuairisc, Eoghan 1919 births 1982 deaths Aosdána members Irish Army officers People from County Galway Irish-language poets People from Ballinasloe Alumni of St Patrick's College, Dublin 20th-century Irish poets People educated at Garbally College