Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin facts for kids

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (born in 1942) is an Irish poet and a university teacher. She was chosen to be the Ireland Professor of Poetry from 2016 to 2019. This is a very special role for a poet in Ireland.

About Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1942. Her mother was Eilís Dillon, a well-known writer, and her father was Professor Cormac Ó Cuilleanáin. She went to college at University College Cork and also studied at the University of Oxford in England.

She lived in Dublin with her husband, Macdara Woods, who was also a poet. They had one son named Niall Woods.

Her Work at Trinity College Dublin

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin is a special member, called a Fellow, at Trinity College Dublin. She is also a retired professor from the School of English there, where she started teaching in 1966. She taught for many years and retired from full-time teaching in 2011.

Her interests, like old literature from the Renaissance period and translating texts, have influenced her poetry. Some of her poems are even studied by students taking the Leaving Certificate. This is the final big exam for students finishing secondary school in Ireland. She is also a member of Aosdána, which is a group that honors Irish artists.

Starting a Magazine

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin helped start a literary magazine called Cyphers. She started it with other writers like Pearse Hutchinson, Macdara Woods, and Leland Bardwell. She still works as an editor for the magazine today. She has also recorded some of her poems, like 'Small', for the Irish Poetry Reading Archive.

Awards and Recognition

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin has won several important awards for her poetry.

Early Awards

Her very first collection of poems won the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award in 1973. This award is named after a famous Irish poet.

International Recognition

In 2010, her book of poems called The Sun-fish won the International Griffin Poetry Prize. This is a big award from Canada that celebrates excellent poetry. The same book was also considered for the Poetry Now Award.

Ireland Professor of Poetry

In 2016, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, chose her to be the Ireland Professor of Poetry. This is a very important position that recognizes a poet's great contribution to Irish literature. She held this role until 2019.