Monk Gibbon facts for kids

William Monk Gibbon (born in 1896, died on November 29, 1987) was a famous Irish poet and writer. People often called him "The Grand Old Man of Irish Letters" because he wrote so much! He created over twenty books, including poetry, stories about his own life, travel books, and literary reviews.

You can find a large collection of his works at Queen's University Belfast. Another collection of his writings, letters, photos, and news clippings is kept at the University Archives at Queen's University at Kingston. He corresponded with many famous writers, including W.B. Yeats and George Moore.

Early Life and Family Connections

Monk Gibbon's father, Reverend Canon William Monk Gibbon, was a clergyman in the Church of Ireland. From 1900, his father was the vicar at St. Nahi's Church in Dundrum.

Monk Gibbon's family had connections to important people. For example, his uncle, John, inherited family estates like Sleedagh House in County Wexford. These estates came from the Monk family, which is where William Monk Gibbon got his middle name.

Education and War Experience

Monk Gibbon went to school at St. Columba's College, Dublin and then to Keble College, Oxford. However, he only stayed at Oxford for a short time. In 1915, he decided to join the army and served as an officer in France during the First World War. He was injured and had to leave the army that same year.

His experiences in the war deeply affected him. After the war, he became a strong pacifist, meaning he believed that all war and violence are wrong. He left Ireland for a while to teach English in Switzerland. He also taught in England before returning to Ireland, where he continued teaching until he was in his 80s!

Writing and Famous Friends

Even though he was a British officer, Monk Gibbon was in Ireland during the Easter Rising in 1916. His book Inglorious Soldier shares his personal experiences from that time. It gives a very detailed account of the shooting of Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, who was also a pacifist.

Monk Gibbon knew many famous Irish writers personally. His papers include interesting stories about people like William Butler Yeats, George Moore (novelist), and Katharine Tynan.

Interestingly, Lily Yeats, the sister of the famous poet W. B. Yeats, attended his father's church. The Gibbon and Yeats families were even cousins! However, Monk Gibbon and W.B. Yeats didn't always get along. Gibbon wrote a biography of Yeats that was not very friendly. Yeats, in turn, once said that Monk Gibbon was "argumentative!"

In 1963, Gibbon helped edit and publish a novel called Thy Tears Might Cease by Michael Farrell, which was released after Farrell's death.

Life at Home

In 1928, Monk Gibbon married Mabel Dingwall. They had six children together. Mabel's father, Edward Spender, was a big supporter of the Women's Suffrage movement, which fought for women's right to vote. His sister, Emily Spender, was a leader in this movement.

The Gibbon family lived in a home called Tara Hall in Sandycove, County Dublin. Their home was a popular spot for writers and artists. Afternoon tea parties there often lasted late into the night! Many Irish writers, such as Padraic Colum and Austin Clarke, visited them often.

Monk Gibbon always wrote while in bed. He sometimes even wandered down to the sea front in his pyjamas to collect driftwood! He loved cycling and was still riding his bicycle around Sandycove when he was in his late 80s.

Published Works

Here are some of the books Monk Gibbon wrote:

• The Tremulous String (1926)
• The Branch of Hawthorn Tree (1927)
• The Seals (1935) - This is a story about his own life.
• The Living Torch (1937) - He edited this collection of poems by AE.
• Mount Ida (1948)
• This Insubstantial Pageant (1951)
• "Austria" (1953)
• The Masterpiece and the Man: Yeats as I Knew Him (1959) - This is a biography about Yeats.
• The Climate of Love (1961)
• Inglorious Soldier (1968) - This is a memoir about his war experiences.
• The Brahms Waltz (1970)
• The Velvet Bow (1972)
• The Pupil (1981)