McGuinness announces honour for poet Michael Longley

Belfast-born poet Michael Longley has been appointed as the new Professor of Poetry for Ireland.

Making the announcement deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, described Dr Longley as one of the most talented poets of our time.

Speaking at the Ireland Chair of Poetry event at the Belfast Harbour Commissioners Office, he said: “Michael Longley’s work, including his recently published ‘Collected Poems’, has brought great pleasure to many. He is an outstanding poet whose work is enjoyed today and will be enjoyed by generations to come.

“I believe that Michael, like previous holders of the chair, recognises the responsibility that comes with having such a gift. The impact that poetry and literature have on people and society should never be underestimated.

“We have recently embarked on a new era of power sharing here and the First Minister and I are firmly committed to building structures and institutions which will underpin a peaceful and prosperous future for all of us. Literature and the other arts have a crucial role to play in what we are trying to achieve.

“Participation and enjoyment of arts and culture promote imagination and can change our perceptions of events and each other. I believe that arts and culture will continue to play a crucial role in knitting together the fabric of our society.”

The Ireland Chair of Poetry was established in 1998 to mark the standing of contemporary Irish poets on the world stage and to commemorate the achievement of Seamus Heaney in winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.

“I cannot think of a more fitting way to commemorate the achievements of Seamus Heaney than bestowing the honour of Chair on the finest poets of our time.” the Minister added.

The Ireland Chair of Poetry was the first cross-border academic chair and is co-funded by the two Arts Councils in Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College, Dublin and University College Dublin. Michael Longley is the 4th Professor of Poetry.

The first occupant of the Chair was John Montague, the second Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and the third was Paul Durcan.

Notes to Editors:

Michael Longley was born in Belfast in 1939 and was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Trinity College Dublin where his contemporary was Seamus Heaney.

His first collection of poems “No Continuing City” was published in 1969. He has received several awards including the Whitbread Poetry Award and the TS Eliot Prize. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a member of Asondana, a prestigious association of Irish artists.

The Ireland Chair of Poetry is tenable for a period of three years during which time the holder is attached to each of the three Universities in turn, one year at a time and is required to be in residence at each for approximately one academic term in the year. The holder makes three formal presentations and hold informal workshops or readings.

For further info please contact Paddy Cullen on 07850 187134

Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.