Michael Hartnett facts for kids
Michael Hartnett (born Mícheál Ó hAirtnéide) was an important Irish poet. He was born on September 18, 1941, and passed away on October 13, 1999. He wrote poems in both English and Irish. Many people thought he was one of the most important writers in Ireland during the late 1900s. Some even called him the "poet laureate" of Munster, which is like saying he was the official poet for that area.
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Growing Up in Ireland
Michael Hartnett was born in Croom Hospital in County Limerick, Ireland. His parents' last name was Harnett, but his birth certificate mistakenly said Hartnett. He decided to keep it because it was closer to the Irish version of his name, Ó hAirtnéide.
He grew up in Newcastle West, a town in County Limerick. He spent a lot of time with his grandmother, Bridget Halpin, who lived in the countryside nearby. Michael said his grandmother was one of the last people in County Limerick to speak Irish as her first language, even though she was from North Kerry.
He remembered that his grandmother mostly spoke English to him. But he would often hear her talking to her friends in Irish. Because of this, he didn't realize there were any problems between the two languages. He saw them being used freely together. When he started school, he learned that Irish was considered a language that was disappearing. He was surprised because he loved the language and its stories.
Michael went to school in Newcastle West. The day after he finished secondary school, he moved to England. He started working as a tea boy at a building site in London.
Starting His Writing Journey
Michael Hartnett had already begun writing poems. His work caught the eye of John Jordan, a poetry professor at University College Dublin. Professor Jordan invited Michael to study at the university for a year.
While back in Dublin, Michael helped edit a literary magazine called Arena. He also worked for a short time as a curator at Joyce's tower in Sandycove. He then went back to London briefly, where he met Rosemary Grantley. They got married in 1966.
His first book, Anatomy of a Cliché, was published in 1968. It was a book of love poems dedicated to his wife. The book was very well received, and it marked the beginning of his serious writing career. He moved back to Dublin permanently that same year.
Michael worked as a night telephonist (someone who operates a telephone switchboard). He started working with New Writers Press, a publishing company. They published his next three books. The first was a translation from Irish called The Old Hag of Beare (1969). This was followed by Selected Poems (1970) and Tao (1972). Tao was his version of the ancient Chinese book Tao Te Ching. His book Gypsy Ballads (1973), which was a translation of poems by Federico García Lorca, was published by Goldsmith Press.
Choosing the Irish Language
In 1974, Michael Hartnett decided to leave Dublin. He wanted to go back to his rural roots and connect more deeply with the Irish language. He moved to Templeglantine, a village near Newcastle West. For a while, he taught creative writing at Thomond College of Education, Limerick.
In 1974, he won both the Irish American Literature Award and the Arts Council Award. Then, in 1975, he made a big decision. He announced that he would no longer write in English. Instead, he would "court the language of his people," meaning he would focus on writing only in Irish. He published a book called A Farewell to English to mark this change.
After this, he published several books in Irish, including Adharca Broic (1978), An Phurgóid (1983), and Do Nuala: Foighne Chrainn (1984). He continued to receive awards for his work in Irish. A book about this time in his life, called 'A Rebel Act Michael Hartnett's Farewell To English' by Pat Walsh, was published in 2012.
Later Life and Works
In 1984, Michael returned to Dublin and lived in Inchicore. The next year, he started writing in English again with his book Inchicore Haiku. This book talked about the difficult times in his personal life over the past few years.
He then published more books in English, such as A Necklace of Wrens (1987), Poems to Younger Women (1989), and The Killing of Dreams (1992). These books were praised by critics. He won more awards, including the Irish American Cultural Institute Award in 1988 and the American-Ireland Fund Literary Award in 1990. His Selected and New Poems was published in both Ireland and the USA in 1994.
He also kept working on Irish language projects. He translated important classic works into English, like Ó Bruadair, Selected Poems of Dáibhí Ó Bruadair (1985) and Ó Rathaille The Poems of Aodhaghán Ó Rathaille (1999). His Collected Poems came out in two parts in 1984 and 1987, and New and Selected Poems in 1995.
In 1999, a documentary film about his life and work, called Michael Hartnett: Necklace of Wrens, was shown on Irish television. It was very popular and won several awards. Also, in the late 1990s, his poetry was added to the Leaving Certificate, which is the final secondary school exam in Ireland.
The famous poet Seamus Heaney said that Michael Hartnett was "one of the truest, most tested and beloved voices in Irish poetry in our time."
Michael Hartnett passed away in October 1999 in Listowel, likely after a stroke. He is buried in Newcastle West. After his death, more of his works were published, including The Collected Poems (2001), A Book of Strays (2002), and Translations (2003).
Éigse Michael Hartnett Festival
Every April, a special festival called Éigse Michael Hartnett is held in Newcastle West. This festival celebrates Michael Hartnett's life and work through literature and arts events. Activities are organized throughout the town. A well-known guest gives a memorial lecture. Past speakers have included Nuala O'Faolain and Paul Durcan.
The festival also includes the annual Michael Hartnett Poetry Award. This award gives 4000 euro to a poet to help them with their writing. It is funded by the Limerick City and County Council Arts Office and the Arts Council of Ireland. Past winners include Sinéad Morrissey.
During the 2011 Éigse festival, a bronze statue of Michael Hartnett was unveiled in the Square in Newcastle West. The statue was made by Rory Breslin. Michael Hartnett's son, Niall, spoke at the ceremony.
His Family
Michael and Rosemary Hartnett had a daughter named Lara, who lives in Australia. They also had a son named Niall, who lives in Ireland. Niall manages his father's literary estate and copyright with Gallery Press.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Michael Hartnett para niños
