Documentary recalls local poet Jim Craven

A one-hour radio documentary about the local poet Jim Craven will be broadcast on LMFM Radio at 12 noon this Easter Bank Holiday Monday April 22.

Produced by Little Road Productions with funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, ‘A Dynamic Genius’ explores the life and works of Jim Craven who was described by John B Keane as ‘a dynamic genius’.

Born into a large family, Jim lived in the townland of Balregan in the Parish of Faughart. The townland where he spent most of his life resulted in him being known as the ‘Bard of Balregan’.

His poetry explored many themes including childhood, nature, rurality, sexuality, love, violence, religion, mythology and history. He also wrote frequently on ‘ The Troubles’, having been brought up only a stone’s throw from the border.

Jim’s work was published in The Dundalk Democrat and in periodicals in the USA. Two books were published after his death - Selected Poems in 1983 and Nice of You Jim in 2005. His work was also included in Eugene Robert Platt’s A Patrick Kavanagh Anthology in 1973 and Daniel J. Casey’s Poetry of the Cúchulainn Country in 1978. Jim passed away at the age of 45 years on the April 27 1980 in a car accident.

The documentary features Jim’s brother, Paddy Craven, his niece Deirdre Craven, and his good friend Gerry Murphy, while local musician Jinx Lennon performs some of Jim’s many poems.

The timing of the documentary is apt as we approach the 39th anniversary of Jim’s death and his yearly commemoration ceremony, which is open to all, and will take place after 10am Mass in Brid-a Chrinn cemetery on Sunday April 28th.