John McGahern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John McGahern
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John McGahern, by Patrick Swift, 1960
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| Born | 12 November 1934 Knockanroe, County Leitrim, Ireland |
| Died | 30 March 2006 (aged 71) Mater Hospital, Dublin, Ireland |
| Resting place | St Patrick's Church, Aughawillan |
| Pen name | Sean |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Citizenship | Irish |
| Period | 20th – 21st century |
| Genre | Novel, short story |
| Notable works | The Barracks, The Dark, Amongst Women, That They May Face the Rising Sun |
| Spouse | Annikki Laaksi (married 1965, divorced 1969); Madeline Green (married 1973) |
| Children | Joseph John Kelly, born on 07 January 1964 at Dulwich Hospital, London. |
John McGahern (born November 12, 1934 – died March 30, 2006) was a famous Irish writer. Many people think he was one of the most important writers of the late 1900s.
He was known for writing about Irish life in great detail. Some of his most famous books include The Barracks, The Dark, and Amongst Women. The Observer newspaper called him "the greatest living Irish novelist." After he passed away, The Guardian newspaper said he was "arguably the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett."
Contents
Who Was John McGahern?
John McGahern was born in Knockanroe, near Ballinamore, County Leitrim, Ireland. He was the oldest of seven children. John and his six younger brothers and sisters grew up on a small farm. His mother managed the farm and also worked as a primary school teacher.
His father was a Garda sergeant, which is like a police officer. He lived in the Garda barracks in Cootehall, County Roscommon, which was far from his family. When John was 10, his mother sadly died from cancer in 1944. After this, John and his siblings moved to live with their father in the Cootehall Garda barracks.
John's School Days
After his mother's death, John finished primary school. He then won a scholarship to a secondary school called Presentation Brothers in Carrick-on-Shannon. He traveled to school every day. John continued to do well in school, winning another scholarship after his Leaving Certificate. This allowed him to go to college.
John went to St Patrick's College of Education in Drumcondra. There, he trained to become a teacher. After graduating, he started teaching at Scoil Eoin Báiste (Belgrove) primary school in Clontarf. For a while, he even taught Declan Kiberd, who later became a well-known academic. John also went back to college at University College Dublin and graduated in 1957.
Later, he was asked to leave his teaching job by the Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid. This happened because of some strong reactions to one of his books. After this, John moved to England and worked different jobs, including on building sites. He later returned to Ireland to live and work on a small farm near Fenagh in County Leitrim.
John McGahern passed away from cancer in the Mater Hospital in Dublin on March 30, 2006. He was 71 years old. He is buried in St Patrick's Church, Aughawillan, next to his mother.
What Did John McGahern Write?
John McGahern wrote six novels. He often used his own life experiences to write about growing up in Ireland in the mid-1900s.
Early Novels: The Barracks and The Dark
His first published novel was The Barracks (1963). This book tells the story of Elizabeth Reegan, the second wife of a Garda sergeant. She is dealing with cancer and declining health. In 1969, The Barracks was made into a play.
His second book, The Dark (1965), follows a young boy named Mahoney. It shows his journey through the school system in rural Ireland. Young Mahoney is very smart, but he has a difficult relationship with his father, who is called old Mahoney. His father often hits him and the other children. The book also shows young Mahoney trying to decide what to do with his life after secondary school. Over time, his feelings towards his father change from fear to more acceptance.
The Barracks and The Dark were actually rewritten parts of an earlier novel John McGahern had started but never published.
Later Novels: Amongst Women and That They May Face the Rising Sun
Amongst Women (1990) is one of McGahern's most famous novels. It goes back to the Roscommon/Leitrim setting. The story is about Michael Moran, an IRA veteran from the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. He is now an older man who controls his family on a farm in County Leitrim, near Mohill.
The book shows Moran as a strong and determined character. He believes deeply in his ideals and dislikes the "small-minded gangsters" who now run the country he fought for. Even though Moran is a tough character, his good qualities, like his strong morals and self-respect, are passed on to his children. They become successful adults in Dublin and London. This book was listed as number 97 in the Guardian's list of the 100 best novels in 2015.
His last novel, That They May Face the Rising Sun (2002), was published in the United States as By the Lake. This book paints a picture of a year in a quiet lakeside community. It explores the meaning in everyday lives in rural Ireland, showing a way of life that is now in the past. McGahern once said, "the ordinary fascinates me" and "the ordinary is the most precious thing in life." In this book, the main characters have moved back to a farm from London, just like McGahern and his wife did. The violence seen in earlier books is mostly gone, and life in the country seems more peaceful and successful.
Other Writings by John McGahern
John McGahern was also known for his short stories. He published several collections of them. He also wrote Love of the World, which was a collection of essays.
In 2005, a year before he died, his autobiography called Memoir was published. In the US, it was called All Will be Well: a Memoir. This book shared many important moments from his life. Critics often thought these moments were also in his earlier novels. The writer Andrew Motion said that McGahern "has never written more movingly, or with a sharper eye."
How John McGahern Influenced Others
John McGahern's work had a big impact in Ireland and around the world. Younger Irish writers, like Colm Tóibín, and other writers of his time, like Eamonn McGrath, were inspired by his writing. His books have been translated into many languages, especially French.
Awards and Recognition
John McGahern was a member of Aosdána, an Irish organization that honors artists. He won many other awards, including the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France. He was also a visiting professor at many universities, including Colgate University and the University of Notre Dame in the United States, University of Victoria in Canada, Durham University in the UK, and UCD and NUI Galway in Ireland.
Some of his other awards included:
- 1962 AE Memorial Award
- 1964 Macauley Fellowship
- 1979 FRSL
- 1985 Irish-American Foundation Award
- 1990 Irish Times/Aer Lingus Fiction Award
- 1990 Shortlisted for Man Booker Prize
- 1991 LittD Trinity College Dublin
- 1994 LittD University College Galway
- 1995 Prix Ecureuil de Littérature Etrangère Bordeaux
- 2003 LittD St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin
- 2003 Irish PEN Award
- 2003 Hughes & Hughes/Irish Novel
- 2007 National Archive Choice
John McGahern was also a farmer. He liked to joke that his writing paid for the farm, instead of the farm making enough money for him to write.
John McGahern's Works
Novels
- The Barracks (1963)
- The Dark (1965)
- The Leavetaking (1975)
- Amongst Women (1990)
- That They May Face the Rising Sun (2002), also known as By the Lake in the United States.
Non-fiction
- Memoir (2005), also known as All Will Be Well in the United States.
- Love of the World (2009)
Short Story Collections
- Nightlines (1970)
- Getting Through (1978)
- The Stoat (1978)
- High Ground (1985)
- The Collected Stories (1992)
- Creatures of the Earth: New and Selected Stories (2006)
Drama and Films
- Sinclair (1971) (radio play)
- The Barracks (1971) (radio play)
- The Sisters (1971) (television show)
- Swallows (1975) (television show)
- The Rockingham Shoot (1987) (television show)
- The Power of Darkness (1991) (theatre play)
The novel Amongst Women was made into a television mini-series in 1998. It starred Tony Doyle as Moran.
One of McGahern's well-known short stories, "Korea," was made into a feature film in 1995. This film won an award at the Copenhagen Film Festival in 1996.
Images for kids
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John McGahern, by Patrick Swift, 1960
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Aughawillan School, where John's mother taught until her illness and death in 1944
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The Barracks, in Cootehall, where McGahern lived from the age of 10
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The grave of McGahern and his mother Susan
