Matthew Sweeney facts for kids

Matthew Gerard Sweeney (born October 6, 1952 – died August 5, 2018) was a famous Irish poet. His poems were so good that they were translated into many languages, like Dutch, Italian, and German.

A poet named Gerard Smyth said that Matthew Sweeney saw himself as a European poet, not just an Irish one. This is because his writing style was unique and made people think differently. His work was also influenced by great German writers like Kleist, Büchner, Kafka, and Grass. Many people consider him one of the top five most famous Irish poets around the world.

His Life Story

Matthew Sweeney was born in Lifford, County Donegal, Ireland, in 1952. He grew up in Clonmany. He went to Gormanston College and then studied sciences at University College Dublin. Later, he studied German and English at the Polytechnic of North London, even spending a year studying in Germany at the University of Freiburg. He graduated in 1978.

He met Rosemary Barber in 1972, and they got married in 1979. They had two children, a daughter named Nico and a son named Malvin. Matthew lived in London for many years until 2001. After separating from Rosemary, he moved to Timișoara, Romania, and then to Berlin, Germany. In 2007, he met his partner, Mary Noonan. In early 2008, he moved to Cork to live with her.

His Creative Work

Matthew Sweeney wrote many collections of poetry and won several awards for them. He also wrote novels for children, including The Snow Vulture (1992) and Fox (2002). He even co-wrote a funny thriller for adults called Death Comes for the Poets (2012) with John Hartley Williams.

Matthew was not only a great writer but also a big supporter of other poets. His workshops, where he helped others write poetry, were known for being friendly, serious, and fun. He held many residencies, which means he was a poet-in-residence at places like the University of East Anglia and the South Bank Centre. He also read his poems at three Rotterdam Poetry Festivals.

In his final year, two new poetry collections were published: My Life As A Painter and King of a Rainy Country. Matthew was diagnosed with motor neuron disease a year before he passed away. He died at age 65 at Cork University Hospital on August 5, 2018, surrounded by his family and friends. He kept writing almost until his last day.

Before he died, he was asked about his legacy. He hoped that maybe a young person in Germany might find his translated poems important and be inspired to become a poet. Many fellow poets gathered in Cork to celebrate his life. On August 9, 2018, Matthew Sweeney was buried in Clonmany New Cemetery in County Donegal.

Awards and Recognition

Matthew Sweeney received several important awards for his poetry:

• 1984: New Statesman Prudence Farmer Award
• 1987: Cholmondeley Award
• 1999: Arts Council Writers' Award
• 2007: T. S. Eliot Prize (shortlist)
• 2008: Poetry Now Award (shortlist) for his collection Black Moon
• 2011: The Steven Kings Award
• 2012: Maria Elsa Authors and Poets Award
• 2014: Piggot Poetry Prize (for Horse Music)
• He was also chosen as a member of Aosdána, an Irish organization that honors artists.

His Books

Here are some of the books Matthew Sweeney wrote:

Poetry Collections

• King of a Rainy Country, Arc Publications, September 2018
• A Picnic on Ice, Signal Editions, Véhicule Press, 2002 (Canadian edition)

Children's Novels

• The Snow Vulture (1992)
• Fox (2002)

Adult Novel

• Death Comes for the Poets (2012) – a satirical crime novel co-written with John Hartley Williams