Thomas McCarthy (poet) facts for kids

Thomas McCarthy (born 1954) is a famous Irish writer. He is known for his poetry and novels. Thomas was born in Cappoquin, a town in County Waterford, Ireland.

He went to University College Cork. There, he joined a group of young writers. This group was inspired by the poet John Montague. Other writers from his time included Theo Dorgan, Sean Dunne, and Greg Delanty. Thomas McCarthy also helped edit magazines like The Cork Review and Poetry Ireland Review.

He has written many poetry books. Some of his well-known poetry collections are The Sorrow Garden and Merchant Prince. His poems often talk about Irish history, love, and memories. He has also written two novels, Without Power and Asya and Christine. Thomas McCarthy is married and has two children. He lives in Cork City. Before retiring, he worked in the City Libraries there. In 1977, he won the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for his poetry.

Thomas McCarthy also wrote a special book called "Rising from the Ashes." This book tells the story of the Carnegie Free Library in Cork City. It was burned down by a group called the Black and Tans in 1920. His book explains how people from all over the world helped rebuild the library's collection.

Thomas McCarthy's Books and Works

Thomas McCarthy has written many different kinds of books. He has published poetry, novels, and non-fiction works.

Poetry Collections

Here are some of the poetry books Thomas McCarthy has published:

• 1978 in poetry: The First Convention, Dolmen Press, Dublin
• 1981 in poetry: The Sorrow Garden, Anvil Press, London
• 1984 in poetry: The Non-Aligned Storyteller, Anvil Press, London
• 1989 in poetry: Seven Winters in Paris, Anvil Press, London
• 1996 in poetry: The Lost Province, Anvil Press, London
• 1999 in poetry: Mr Dineen’s Careful Parade: New and Selected Poems, Anvil Press, London
• 2005 in poetry: Merchant Prince, Anvil Press, London
• 2009 in poetry: The Last Geraldine Officer, Anvil Press, London
• 2016 in poetry: Pandemonium, Carcanet Press, Manchester
• 2019 in poetry: Prophecy, Carcanet Press, Manchester

Fiction Novels

Thomas McCarthy has also written two novels:

• 1990 in literature: Without Power, Poolbeg Press, Dublin
• 1993 in literature: Asya and Christine, Poolbeg Press, Dublin

Non-Fiction Books

He has written non-fiction books that explore different topics:

• 2021: Poetry, Memory and the Party, Gallery Press, Dublin
• 1998: The Garden of Remembrances, New Island Books, Dublin

Other Contributions

Thomas McCarthy has also shared his stories in other ways. He has contributed to a series of podcasts called The Writer's Passage. In these podcasts, Irish authors talk about the places that inspired their books.