Theo Dorgan facts for kids

Theo Dorgan is a famous Irish poet, writer, and teacher. He also translates books, writes stories for music shows (called a librettist), and creates scripts for TV documentaries. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

About Theo Dorgan's Life

Theo Dorgan was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1953. He was one of sixteen children in his family! He went to school at the North Monastery School.

Later, he studied English and philosophy at University College Cork. After finishing his studies, he taught at the university. He also worked at the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork, helping with literature events. He even taught for a while at the University of Southern Maine in the United States.

Today, Theo Dorgan lives in Dublin with his partner, Paula Meehan. She is also a well-known poet and playwright.

Theo Dorgan's Career and Works

Theo Dorgan has written many poetry books. His first two collections, The Ordinary House of Love and Rosa Mundi, were later put together into one book called What This Earth Cost Us. Some of his poems have even been translated into Italian.

He has also helped put together many important books. For example, he edited The Great Book of Ireland and The Great Book of Gaelic. These books celebrate Irish and Gaelic culture. He also worked on books about Irish poetry and a special book called The Book of Uncommon Prayer.

Theo Dorgan has worked a lot in radio and television. He used to host a poetry show called Poetry Now on RTÉ Radio 1. He also presented a TV show about books called Imprint. He wrote scripts for a TV show called Hidden Treasures.

One of his big projects was writing Jason and the Argonauts. This was a musical piece with music by Howard Goodall. It was first performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2004. He also wrote special text pieces for the famous dance show, Riverdance. Many musicians have recorded his songs, including Alan Stivell and Jimmy Crowley.

Awards and Special Recognition

Theo Dorgan has received several awards for his writing. He won the Listowel Prize for Poetry in 1992. In 2010, he received the O'Shaughnessy Prize for Irish Poetry.

He is a member of Aosdána, which is a special group of Irish artists. He was also part of the Arts Council (An Chomhairle Ealaíon) from 2003 to 2008. This council helps support arts in Ireland. He also helped with the Cork European Capital of Culture event in 2005.

In 2015, he won the Poetry Now Award for his book Nine Bright Shiners.

Theo Dorgan's Published Works

Poetry Books

• The ordinary house of love (1990)
• Rosa Mundi (1995)
• La casa ai margini del mondo. (1998) - translated into Italian
• Sappho's Daughter (1998)
• La Hija de Safo (2001) - translated into Spanish
• What This Earth Cost Us (2008)
• Greek (2010)
• Making Way (2013)
• Nine Bright Shiners (2014)
• Orpheus (2018)
• Bailéid Giofógacha (2019)

Non-fiction Books

• Sailing for home: a voyage from Antigua to Kinsale (2004)
• Time on the Ocean: A Voyage From Cape Horn to Cape Town (2010)

As Editor

• Preghiere non-comuni (2009)

Translated Works

• Songs of earth and light by Barbara Korun (2005)