Cathal Ó Searcaigh (; born 12 July 1956), is a modern Irish language poet. His work has been widely translated, anthologised and studied. "His confident internationalism", according to Theo Dorgan, has channelled "new modes, new possibilities, into the writing of Irish language poetry in our time".
Since 1975, he has produced poetry, plays, and travelogues. His early poetry deals with place, tongue and tradition, with his late work showing a broader scope. His work includes homoerotic love poems. Jody Allen Randolph remarks "his breaking down of stereotypes and new deployment of gendered themes opened a new space in which to consider alternate sexualities within a contemporary Irish context."
The critic John McDonagh argues that "Ó Searcaigh occupies many of the spaces that stand in opposition to the traditionally dominant markers of Irish identity". In his anthology, McDonagh goes on to say "Ó Searcaigh's homoerotic poems are explicit, relishing in a sensuality that for many years rarely found explicit expression in Irish literature."
Early life Cathal Ó Searcaigh was born and reared on a small hill-farm at the foot of Errigal (An Earagail) in the Donegal Gaeltacht. He was educated locally at National School and then at Gortahork Vocational College (Gairmscoil Ghort a' Choirce). He describes his childhood in a remote Irish-speaking community in his memoir Light on Distant Hills. Available from AbeBooks.co.uk
The first poems that engaged his attention were those of Robert Burns, read to him by his father. His English teacher at the Gairmscoil in Gortahork encouraged the young Ó Searcaigh to write; he is mentioned under the pseudonym 'Mr Lally' (in Light on Distant Hills Part 3, pp 147-164).
Personal life In the early 1970s, he worked as a barman in London. Later he attended the NIHE (National Institute for Higher Education) in Limerick where he did European Studies for two years (1973–75) and followed that with one year at Maynooth University (1977–78) where he did Celtic Studies.
From 1978 to 1981, he worked in Dublin with RTÉ television presenting Aisling Gheal, an arts and music programme directed by musician Tony MacMahon. Since the early 1980s, he has earned his living as a full-time writer and poet.
In the spring of 1995, he was elected a member of Aosdána."Cathal Ó Searcaigh" . Aosdána.
His work has been translated into numerous languages – French,French translation of Pilleadh an Deoraí: Le Chemin Du Retour Translated by various, Editor: A J Hughes, Publisher: La Barbacane, 1996. German,German translation in anthology: Schönes Babylon: Gedichte aus Europa, editor Gregor Laschen, Publisher DuMont Buchwerlog, Köln, 2009. German translation in anthology: Das Zweimaleins Des Steins: Poesie aus Ireland, editor Gregor Laschen, Publisher Edition die horen, Bremerhauen, 1998. German translation in anthology: Irrlandt / Ireland / Irland, editor Jürgen Schneider, Publisher Druckhaus Galrev, 1993. German translation in anthology: Podium: Feste Feiern: Doppelheft 157/158, editor Nils Jensen, 2010. Italian,Italian translation in anthology: Bollira la Rugiada, Translated by Andrea Fabbri, Mario Giosa, Massimo Montevecchi, Publisher Mobydick, Faenza, 1996. Breton,Breton translation of An Bealach 'na Bhaile: Distreiñ D'Ar Gêr Translated by Gwendal Denez, Art Hughes, Herve ar Bihan. Alan Botrel, Publisher: Skrid, 1997. Catalan, Polish,Polish translation in anthology: Uzdálené Tóny Nadeje: The Distant Music of Hope, Antologie Irske Poezie, editors Ivana Bozdĕchová, Ondrey Pilny, Justin Quinn, Publisher: Host, Brno 2000. Danish,Danish translation in anthology: Den Blå Port No 43, 1998, editors Peter Adolphsen, Mette Moestrup, Publisher: Rhodos. Serbo-Croat, Romanian,Romanian translation of An Bealach 'na Bhaile: Drumul Spre Casa Translated by Christian Tămas, Publisher: Editura Ars Longa. Slovene,Slovene translation in anthology: Amanairis i Antologija Sodobne u Irščini, editors Tina Mahkota & Gabriel Rosenstock, Publisher Društuo slovenskih pisateljev, Ljubljana, 2007. Slovene translation in anthology: Čudovita Usta: sodobne Irske poezije, editor Mia Dintinjana, Publisher Društuo Apokalipsa, Ljubljana, 2007. Slovene translation in anthology: Moral Bi Spet Priti, Sodobna europska gyevska poezÿa, editor Brane Mozetiċ, Publisher Zalożba Shue Lambda/81, Ljubljana, 2009. Russian, Swedish, Japanese, and Nepali.Nepali translation of the poetry collection Kathmandu: Translated by Yuyutsu R D Sharma, Publisher: Nirala, Delhi, 2006. His poems have been on the Leaving Certificate Irish language curriculum and are also studied at university level.
Controversy
Ó Searcaigh began to visit Nepal and sponsor the education and needs of youngsters in Nepal in 1996. The Garda Síochána (Irish police force) started to investigate Ó Searcaigh in 2006, though nothing ever came of this.
In February 2007, a film documentary (Fairytale of Kathmandu, by Neasa Ní Chianáin) queried the ethics of Ó Searcaigh's sexual relationships with some of the teens he helped, focusing on power imbalance and financial accountability, causing some controversy. In February 2009, Ó Searcaigh was interviewed in English by Dermod Moore on the controversy for Hot Press. (subscription only)
Other literary activities
Ó Searcaigh has donated his archives, an extensive library of books and a valuable art collection to the Irish State. The Donegal Library Service administers this donation at present. His house in Mín a' Leá at the foot of Mount Errigal is often the venue for literary and musical evenings hosted by the poet himself.
He edits Irish Pages,Irish Pages, Irish literary journal a literary journal, along with poet and literary critic Chris Agee.
"Creativity for me arises out of my deep attachment to this place, out of a reverential affection for its people", he says in his memoir Light on Distant Hills. "My poems are devotional in the sense that they are prayerful celebrations of place, tongue and tradition. My work has become known because of its connectedness with this place. I have become a collector of its oral traditions, an archivist of its memories and its myths, a guardian of its Gaelic. This is, I suppose, a political act, acknowledging the local, recording and registering what is past or passing."
Colm Tóibín wrote in the Times Literary Supplement: "There is a section of landscape in Donegal in the north of Ireland near Falcarragh, overlooking Tory Island, which has been utterly transformed by the poetry of Cathal Ó Searcaigh."
Awards and honours 1996: Elected to Aosdána 2000: Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Celtic Studies from the National University of Ireland NUI Honorary degrees, page 9. 2000: Awarded the Irish Times Literature Prize for Ag Tnúth Leis an tSolas, poems 1975-2000Irish Times article, see paragraph 7 2007: The Ireland Fund Literary AwardSee list on page for his significant contribution to Irish literature. 2013: He has won many Oireachtas literary awards since the beginning of his literary career, the most recent being the primary prize for a poetry collection with Aimsir Ársa in 2013 and again with An Bhé Ghlas in 2015reference to the prize in book description here "Ag an Oireachtas in 2015, bhain Cathal ó Cearcaigh an chéad duais amach sa chomórtas filochta leis an gcnuasach seo."
Selected publications Poetry 1975: Miontraigéide Chathrach agus Dánta Eile, Cló Uí Chuirreáin 1978: Tuirlingt (with Gabriel Rosenstock and photographer Bill Doyle) Carbad, Dublin 1983: Súile Shuibhne: with photographs by Rachael Giese, (a Poetry Ireland choice for 1983) Coiscéim, Dublin 1987: Suibhne, (nominated for the Irish Book Awards) Coiscéim 1991: An Bealach 'na Bhaile, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán, Co Galway 1996: Na Buachaillí Bána, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán 1999: Fiacha an tSolais 2000: Ag Tnúth leis an tSolas, 1975-2000, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán 2002: Caiseal na gCorr (with photographs by Jan Voster) Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán 2004: Winter Lights, (collaborative haiku booklet with Nepalese Haiku Poet Janak Sapkota), Cló Ceardlann na gCnoc, Co Donegal 2005: Na hAingle ó Xanadú, Arlen House, Galway 2006: Gúrú i gClúidíní (artwork by Ian Joyce) Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán 2011: An tAm Marfach ina Mairimid (artwork by Ian Joyce) Arlen House, Galway 2013: Aimsir Ársa (artwork by Ian Joyce) Arlen House, Galway 2014: Na Saighneáin (artwork by Ian Joyce) Arlen House, Galway 2015: An Bhé Ghlas, Leabhar Breac, Indreabhán 2018: Teanga na gCorr, Arlen House, Dublin 2020: Laoithe Cumainn agus Dánta Eile, Arlen House, Dublin 2021: Miontragóid Chathrach agus Dánta Eile (Leagan leasaithe / An improved version of the poet's first collection of poems published in 1975) 2022: An Tír Rúin, Arlen House, Dublin
Bilingual poetry and hybrid editions 1993: Homecoming / An Bealach 'na Bhaile (edited by Gabriel Fitzmaurice), Cló Iar-Chonnacht : winner of the Seán Ó Riordáin Prize for Poetry 1993, this book has been a bestseller and has gone into many editions 1997: Out in the Open: edited and translated by Frank Sewell, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán : this collection was nominated for the Aristeon European Prize for Poetry 1998 2006: By the Hearth in Mín a' Leá: translations by Seamus Heaney and Frank Sewell, Arc Publications : The Poetry Society (UK) Translation Choice for 2006 2015: An Fear Glas / The Green man, with artwork by Pauline Bewick (translations by Paddy Pushe, Gabriel Rosenstock and Frank Sewell) Arlen House, Galway 2016: Out of the Wilderness (translations by Gabriel Rosenstock) The Onslaught Press, Oxford 2018: Crann na Teanga, a large volume of poems selected from 17 previously published collections, presented in Irish with parallel English translations by Paddy Bush and by the poet himself. The Irish Pages Press, Belfast, with the support of the Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon 2023: Errigal: Sacred Mountain, a variegated compendium of old and newly written poetry and prose in Irish and English, all on the common theme of the sacred mountain which has been a constant and vital presence in the poet's life and work. There is a Preface by writer Patrick Breslin and a scholarly Afterword by historian and archaeologist Brian Lacey. The Irish Pages Press, Belfast.
Prose works in Irish 2004: Seal i Neipeal (travel writing), Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán : winner of the Piaras Béaslaí Prize for Prose in the Oireachtas 2004 2011: Pianó Mhín na bPreachán (novella) Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán 2017: Lugh na Bua / The Deliverer: Cathal ó Searcaigh, Seán Ó Gaoithín, Seán Fitzgerald: The Onslaught Press, Oxford 2018: Teach an Gheafta (novel) Leabhar Breac, Indreabhán 2023: Saighdiúir (novel) Leabhar Breac, Indreabhán. This is the first ever Irish language novel dealing with the involvement of an Irish person in World War I.
Plays 2005: Oíche Dhrochghealaí: a verse drama based on the story of Salome, Coiscéim, Dublin 2006: Mairimid Leis na Mistéirí: three short plays, Arlen House, Galway 2019: Rockabilly Balor: ceoldráma, Onslaught Press
Writing in English 2009: Light on Distant Hills, a Memoir, Simon & Schuster, London; available from AbeBooks.co.uk 2014: Soul Space: a book of spiritual wisdom (written under the pseudonym Charles Agnes) Evertype, Westport 2018: The View from the Glen: Selected Prose in English, The Onslaught Press, Oxford
History 1994: Tulach Beaglaoich: Inné agus Inniu / Tulach Begley: Past and Present, Glór na nGael, Fál Carragh
As editor 1997: An Chéad Chló: a selection of the work of new Irish language poets, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán 2013: The Other Tongues: an Introduction to Writing in Irish, Scots Gaelic and Scots in Ulster and Scotland, Irish Pages, Belfast 2013: Margadh na Míol i Valparaiso / The Flea Market in Valparaiso: Selected Poems of Gabriel Rosenstock (selected and introduced by Cathal Ó Searcaigh), Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Indreabhán