Tributes f lood in after death of poet Montague
PRESIDENT Michael D. Higgins yesterday led tributes to renowned Irish poet John Montague, hailing his work as ‘the finest kind’.
‘The death of John Montague represents another great loss to Irish letters,’ said President Higgins.
‘To his wife Elizabeth Wassell; his daughters Sibyl and Oonagh, and all those who loved him, Sabina and I send our deepest sympathy.’
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Tyrone, Mr Montague, 87, died in Nice where he had been living. He became the first Ireland professor of poetry in 1998, as well as becoming the President of Poetry Ireland in 1979.
Once calling fellow Ulster poet Seamus Heaney a ‘sparring partner’, Mr Montague helped lead the way in Northern Irish poetry during the Troubles with classic works such as the 1972 collection, The Rough Field.
An alumni of UCD, Yale and Berkeley, Mr Montague was a lecturer at UCD, UCC and the Sorbonne and was also a member of the Aosdána, the State-funded artists’ organisation. Sheila Pratschke, chair of the Arts Council, called Mr Montague ‘a true giant of Irish letters’ and said his work will stand the test of time: ‘His loss will be felt acutely but his work will continue to inspire readers and writers for generations.’
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin attended lectures held by Mr Montague as a student and also paid tribute. He said: ‘He was a man of exceptional talent with a unique command of the English language; his loss will be greatly felt.’