Robert Anthony Welch facts for kids

Robert Anthony Welch (born November 25, 1947 – died February 3, 2013) was an important Irish writer and scholar. He wrote many books, poems, and plays. He was also a professor at a university.

About Robert Anthony Welch

Robert Anthony Welch was a professor of English at the University of Ulster. This means he was a very experienced teacher and researcher. He joined the university in 1984. Before that, he taught at the University of Leeds in England. He also taught at the University of Ife in Nigeria.

He was born in Cork, Ireland. He studied at University College Cork and the University of Leeds. He earned his master's degree in Cork. Later, he got his Ph.D. at Leeds University. His special area of study was how old Irish traditions influenced Irish poetry written in English. He was very well-known for this work. In 2008, he became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This is a big honor for scholars in Ireland.

Welch was married to Angela O'Riordan. They had four children together. One of their children, Rachel O'Riordan, is a famous theatre director. Robert Welch was a novelist, poet, critic, and editor. In 1996, he published The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature. This book was so popular that it became a bestseller.

Robert Welch's Poetry

Robert Welch wrote several collections of poems. His first book of poetry was Muskerry, published in 1991. Other poetry books include Secret Societies (1997) and The Blue Formica Table (1999). He also published The Evergreen Road in 2004. His collection called Constanza came out in 2010. In 2009, he won the O'Connor Literary Award. This award was given at a summer school for writers in Monasterevin, County Kildare.

Robert Welch's Stories

Welch also wrote many fiction books, which are stories he made up. His novels include The Kilcolman Notebook (1994). He also wrote Tearmann (1997), which was written in the Irish language. Another novel, Groundwork (1997), was very popular. The New York Times Book Review named it one of the best books of 1998. It was even translated and read on Slovakian national radio.

In 2011, his book Japhy Ryder: Ar Shleasaibh na Mangartan won a prize. This book was about biographical and critical studies. It won at Oireachteas, which is Ireland's main festival for Irish language culture.

Some of his short stories appeared in well-known magazines. These included The Dublin Review and Irish Pages. In 2012, he published a memoir called Kicking the Black Mamba. A memoir is a book about the author's own life experiences. This book was about the loss of his son, Egan, who passed away in 2007. The book received a lot of attention from newspapers, radio, and TV. It even became a number-one bestseller on RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster. One reviewer called it a "masterpiece of memoir-writing."

Robert Welch's Critical Writing

Robert Welch also wrote many books where he analyzed and discussed other writers' works. This is called critical work. His first critical book was Irish Poetry from Moore to Yeats (1980). This book was important because it showed the achievements of Irish poets from the 1800s, leading up to the famous poet William Butler Yeats.

He also wrote A History of Verse Translation from the Irish: 1789–1897 (1988). Another important book was Changing States: Transformations in Modern Irish Writing (1993). In 1999, he published a history of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. This theatre is Ireland's National Theatre. The book was called A History of the Abbey Theatre 1899–1999: Form and Pressure.

Welch also edited books for other authors. He edited W B Yeats: Writings on Irish Folklore, Legend, and Myth (1993) for Penguin Books. His famous book, The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature, came out in 1996. A shorter version was published in 2000. He also helped edit Patrick Galvin: New and Selected Poems (1996). After he passed away, his book The Cold of Mayday Monday was released in 2014. It is seen as a major achievement in scholarship.

Robert Welch as an Editor

Besides writing his own books, Robert Welch was also a general editor for many other books. He oversaw a series of 16 books called Ulster Editions and Monographs. He also worked with Professor Brian Walker to edit a five-volume series. This series was called The Oxford History of the Irish Book. It was published by Oxford University Press. Volume 3, about Irish books in English from 1550 to 1800, came out in 2006. Volume 5, covering Irish books in English from 1890 to 2000, was published in 2010.

Robert Welch's Plays

Robert Welch was also a playwright, meaning he wrote plays for the theatre. His play Protestants was asked for by Ransom Productions in 2004. It was first performed in Belfast. Then it toured around Northern Ireland, London's West End, and Edinburgh. In 2010, Ransom Productions asked him to write part of another play called Both Sides. This play opened at the Lyric Theatre.

Awards and Honors

Robert Welch received many awards and honors for his work.

• In 1992, he won the Oireachtas Prize for his critical writing.
• In 2003, he was named a Senior Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Ulster.
• In 2008, he became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This is a very high honor for scholars in Ireland.
• In 2009, he received the O'Connor Award at the Gerard Manley Hopkins Literature Festival in Kildare, Ireland.

Some of Robert Welch's Published Works

Here are some of the books Robert Welch wrote or edited:

• Irish Poetry from Moore to Yeats (1988)
• A History of Verse Translation from the Irish, 1789–1897 (1988)
• Muskerry (poems) (1991)
• W.B. Yeats: Irish Folklore, Legend and Myth (editor) (1993)
• Changing States: Transformations in Modern Irish Writing (1993)
• Kilcolman Notebook (novel) (1993)
• The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature (1996)
• Irish Myths (1996)
• Secret Societies (poems) (1996)
• Tearmann (novel, in Irish) (1997)
• Groundwork (novel) (1997)
• The Blue Formica Table (poems) (1999)
• The Abbey Theatre 1899–1999: Form and Pressure (1998)
• The Evergreen Road (poems) (2006)
• Protestants (drama) (2006)
• Constanza (poems) (2010)
• Japhy Ryder: Ar Shleasaibh na Mangartan (2012)
• Kicking the Black Mamba (memoir) (2012)
• The Cold of Mayday Monday (2014)